2025/26 Season

[Paul12]

The players looked knackered on Sunday. The Real game WAS a big game that took up lots of energy, but we did have 5 days between games. Did the coaching staff work them too hard in those 5 games or, perhaps because of Diogo's tragic death, was pre-season compromised?

[kingfunk]

I dont mean to be insensitive in any way, shape or form. But I’m not sure leaving Jota’s changing spot in the dressing room is the best idea. Yes he should be remembered as forever 20, but to be a constant up close and personal reminder every time they walk in the dressing room, I’m not sure if I would like that emotionally before, at half time and full time.

[Cerbie]

Buzzo, any thoughts on this from a bereavement advice perspective?

[Doc_Piptorious]

I dont mean to be insensitive in any way, shape or form. But I’m not sure leaving Jota’s changing spot in the dressing room is the best idea. Yes he should be remembered as forever 20, but to be a constant up close and personal reminder every time they walk in the dressing room, I’m not sure if I would like that emotionally before, at half time and full time.

Do agree with this, and the same for singing his song 20 minutes into every game.


I'm sure the staff and players had a vote or discussion of some sort with regards to the dressing room, but emotions would have been running differently at the time of that discussion plus anyone that did not think it was a good idea might not have wanted to voice that opinion for fear of seeming tactless/heartless.

Everyone grieves differently and there for the most part is no wrong way to grieve or any right or wrong duration, but the changing room spot and the song are almost like a forced grieving process and imo almost like not being allowed to move along in your own grieving process as you have something in front of you at your place of work or being sang at your place of work that keeps things at a certain point with no obvious sign of moving on to another stage.


Just my tuppance worth.

[Buzzo]

I’m not an expert in grief or counselling in anyway. I can only acknowledge that there just has to be significant impact, we are talking about a shock death that only happened 4 months ago that means that the grief will still be acute. I’d suggest that the specifics of the environment also create challenges that go beyond the challenges of say coping with the unexpected death of a colleague in a standard workplace.

These are young men, and this grief process is collective - they are all in the same head space dealing with it no doubt in different ways and at different times. Even the guys who came in came in to a very unusual environment and that had to impact how they settled in. They are also under immense scrutiny, so if one were to say break ranks and speak about it publically in a way that could in anyway be highlighted as an excuse I think there would be a backlash as football and fans of football are not exactly renknowned for creating the most forgiving of environments.

I’ve wondered how the song on 20mins impacts. It’s a fitting tribute, but the reminder is stark as a fan - how must it be as a friend of Diogos? Whilst you are playing? But then to stop the song feels cold also.

I feel like at some point they will require som sort of cathartic moment where they address how they have coped with this death.

Early on I wondered if they could channel this emotion in a positive way - and whilst that probably did happen in the early games with the late wins that is not sustainable.

It’s got to be massively challenging and I hope they have counselling available to them, but they are young men who have got to the positions they have by showing strength, by being ‘mentality monsters’ that doesn’t offer the space for grief.

I can only imagine it is incredibly hard.

It would be naive of us to think it is not impacting how this season is going. The ebbs and flows of performance really seem to back that up.

I really feel for them.

Also look at Diaz - having a great season but he has removed himself from the constant reminders and does not have a team that are also grieving around him. That has to make it easier.

[Kenneth]

The dressing room thing is much more maudlin than the song imo. It's not our place to say what they should be doing within the group, but it is also something that 20 odd people are unlikely to aligned on, yet nobody can be the one to suggest changing it.

[kingfunk]

“Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock says the death of Diogo Jota "will weigh really heavy" on some of the players this season because "they are human beings" as well as footballers.
Reflecting on some of the reasons why the Reds are not at their best, he told BBC Radio 5 Live on Wednesday: "You've got a team that's mourning in that changing room. How do the new players integrate into that? It's a horrible situation.
"It has to have an effect. They are human beings.
"One thing I notice every time I come to Anfield or watch Liverpool play is the Diogo Jota song after 20 minutes goes up and there is a 5-10 min spell where the tempo drops completely.
"The players are hearing that song and your mind will wander in that moment to one of their friends and close colleagues. In the changing room his locker is still there, so you're sat with a constant reminder of that person you've lost and that can't be easy.
"Some people will be able to put that to one side but for some it will weigh really heavy on their shoulders."

[Buzzo]

I dont mean to be insensitive in any way, shape or form. But I’m not sure leaving Jota’s changing spot in the dressing room is the best idea. Yes he should be remembered as forever 20, but to be a constant up close and personal reminder every time they walk in the dressing room, I’m not sure if I would like that emotionally before, at half time and full time.

I think it’s really tough for them to know what to do. That seems like the most respectful thing to do, the right thing to do. But is it helping them play elite football? Should that even matter?

And then if they were to remove this - who can suggest it… There’s really no right answers it entirely depends on perspective and far easier for us to judge and suggest. We can look at it in terms of results and it seems the obvious thing to do - but maybe in terms of helping them grieve it is not. Those two outcomes may well be in opposition.

[Buzzo]

The dressing room thing is much more maudlin than the song imo. It's not our place to say what they should be doing within the group, but it is also something that 20 odd people are unlikely to aligned on, yet nobody can be the one to suggest changing it.

They need time in an environment where they get none.

[Buzzo]

I do wonder if the bubble needs to be burst.

If Virgil were to say, ‘you know what, we’ve been struggling with this - we are working through it but at times it’s hard’ if it were not offered as an excuse but whether acknowledging that might in fact be cathartic and help them all move on a stage.

[Cerbie]

I do wonder if the bubble needs to be burst.

If Virgil were to say, ‘you know what, we’ve been struggling with this - we are working through it but at times it’s hard’ if it were not offered as an excuse but whether acknowledging that might in fact be cathartic and help them all move on a stage.

I think that’s a valid suggestion. Change the way they remember Jota and take it away from the every day. Keep his name on the programme and put a permanent memorial at the ground, but not in the dressing room? I think the fans will continue sing on 20 mins unless the club/players ask them not to.

[vlahka]

When the 20min song comes up I keep expecting them to go hammer and nails, do it for jota etc. But they just dont. I cant understand it.

[Doc_Piptorious]

When the 20min song comes up I keep expecting them to go hammer and nails, do it for jota etc. But they just dont. I cant understand it.

Because it might have a more sobering impact on his friends than it would on the fans in the ground that did not know him.

[Daniel 7]

Not sure if it was just the way it was set up on the day, but I did the stadium tour at the weekend with my nephew. There wasn't a space in there as Diogo Jota. Pictures of him are everywhere and there are some proper tributes to him, but I didn't see his seat in the dressing room.

[Kenneth]

So, bottom half after 12 games with a -2 goal difference. 11th in the PL, and if Everton can beat utd at home, they'd go above us and we'll be 12th. **** knows where we'd be if we hadn't got those super late goals early in the season. It's very tight, we're still only a couple of points from 4th, but if we don't turn it around very soon we're ****ed.