Liverpool's Recent Struggles: The Ways Diogo Jota's Absence Continues to Affect the Team

Just a few weeks ago, Liverpool appeared set to secure back-to-back Premier League titles and possibly another Champions League crown. Their ability to secure victories without optimal performances felt like the mark of true title-winners.

However, then the momentum shifted. Liverpool continued with mediocre showings and began dropping matches. At the same time, the North London club, renowned for their stubborn backline and squad depth, started closing the distance at the summit.

Understanding a Slump in Today's Game

Can a trio of consecutive defeats constitute a crisis? As with most sporting discussions, it hinges completely on your definition of the key word. Was the United midfielder world class? What does "world class" even signify? Are Aston Villa a major team? What defines "big"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Alright, maybe that's one we might settle.

For a club of Liverpool's stature and previous campaign's brilliance, a mini crisis seems a fair assessment. During a radio show, former forward Neil Mellor was asked how many losses in a row would cause alarm. His answer was six. At present, they are halfway to that threshold.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Issues

There are clear tactical issues. Assimilating recent signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a different skill set to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a difficulty. Likewise, blending in a talented playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative talent who improves those beside him, connecting play seamlessly rather than forcing himself upon the game.

Furthermore, a number of individuals who shone last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently underperforming. Actually, most of the team are. Yet they all have one significant, fresh event: the passing of their colleague and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Effect: Loss on the Pitch

We are now just over three months since the tragic loss of their teammate. Although the wider world moves on quickly, diverting attention to global events, the club's players continue going to work each day in the absence of their mate.

This is impossible to gauge how each individual and staff member is coping from one day to the next. It requires a great deal of projection. Perhaps Salah didn't track back in a recent match because he lacked energy. Or maybe his performance level is down a few percentage points because he misses his pal.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke insightfully before a recent, drawing a parallel to his own situation of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "How they are performing this season is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's tragedy. I went through exactly the same thing when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It is difficult for the squad, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the manager when you come to the training complex and you find every day that place vacant. So you must be incredibly resilient. And this is the reason why for me they are performing not good, but exceptionally well. Because they are trying to handle a problem that is not easy."

Just as summarized well on a well-known fan podcast, the reminders are ongoing. They are reminded by his song in the 20th minute, they notice his empty locker in the dressing room. In the middle of matches, a pass might be played and the realization arises: 'Ah, Diogo would have been there.' When the Egyptian showed emotion in front of the Kop a few games ago, it indicates that everything is far from all right.

The Limits of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

After covering football for two decades, one realizes there is a fundamental superficiality in most punditry. We simply cannot know how an individual is feeling at any given time and how that impacts their play. Jota's passing is one of the clearest illustrations. We are aware a terrible event happened, and we understand the concept of sorrow. Beyond that lies an immeasurable layer of effect on various people at the organization. It is very possible that some of the squad themselves do not fully understand its effect from one moment to the next.

The way the media covers this and how supporters dissect displays is clearly not the most important factor. On a practical basis, bringing up Jota's passing is difficult to accomplish in a brief segment before moving on to on-field concerns. Beyond this specific event and outside Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface each critique of a player with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their parental situation, health struggles, or marital difficulties.

An ex- pro player, the defender, lately spoke on a broadcast about how his mother's death halfway through his playing days affected his passion for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he stated. "The highs and the low points that accompany it didn't really feel the same any more." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three months.

The Final Thought

So, whatever Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—if it's something or failure—even if we omit reference to it every time we analyze their matches, even if it is not the sole cause for their eventual result, we must remember that a short time ago they suffered the loss of not merely a brilliant player, but, more importantly, they lost a dear friend.