Chris Kamara has urged fans to give Liverpool time following the heartbreaking loss of Diogo Jota over the summer.
The Reds took six points from their opening two Premier League games this season, but questions have already arisen in certain quarters regarding their title-retention credentials.
That became a key narrative after their win away at Newcastle United, requiring a stoppage-time intervention from teenager Rio Ngumoha to take home the win against the 10-man Magpies.
Chris Kamara urges fans to give Liverpool time
There is a time and a place to analyse Arne Slot’s defensive setup, or the way Mohamed Salah and co are linking up with the Reds’ new signings, but it is important not to lose sight of the emotion that will understandably still be raw in the Anfield camp.
That much was evident on the opening day, when cameras captured an emotional Salah sharing a moment with Liverpool fans, the first time the players had been in front of supporters since news arrived of the tragic loss of Jota and his brother, Andre Silva.
“What people have forgotten is that Liverpool lost a top player in extremely difficult circumstances,” Kamara said. “So, if you lose somebody close to you, it’s going to have an effect.
“Even though performances haven’t been as great as they were last season, they’ve still not lost those matches [to start the Premier League].
“Those players are probably still suffering from the loss of a fantastic team-mate and great player – we need to give them time.”
It serves as an important reminder from the pundit that players are only human, and that such a tragic incident, involving someone so close to many of the current Reds, is not one to be brushed away.
In FourFourTwo’s opinion, it is easy to get carried away with watching how the club’s record-breaking signing, Florian Wirtz, is adjusting to England, or how Salah is getting on after his best-ever season.
Those debates, however, lose sight of the period of mourning that so many around the club, including those on the pitch, will currently be experiencing, and will be for some time.
That shouldn’t bar them from analysis or tactical scrutiny – they wouldn’t want that themselves – but it should absolutely be at the forefront of minds when measuring response to on-field issues.
Chris Kamara was speaking to Sky Bet at the site of the Southlands Community and Sports Hub in Park End, Middlesbrough, which is being supported by a £100,000 grant from the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund.
