Arne Slot is dropping Roy Hodgson numbers since Liverpool title – but critics urged to remember Diogo Jota impact

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Things are not looking good for Arne Slot and Liverpool who, just months after lifting the Premier League title, are knee deep in a historic slump.The fall-off is real, and the team’s stats since being crowned champions in April make grim reading when you see they directly compare to Roy Hodgson’s doomed Anfield tenure.9Slot has, of course, led Liverpool to the Premier League title... but their form since lifting the trophy has been alarmingCredit: AFP9Hodgson's spell in charge at Liverpool was not a memorable one - in fact, it's a time Reds fans would prefer to forgetCredit: GettyHodgson is widely considered one of the biggest failed managerial appointments in Liverpool’s history.Joining in July 2010 from Fulham to replace the sacked Rafa Benitez, the future England manager would win only seven of his 20 Premier League games in charge.He lasted just six months in the Anfield dugout before leaving by mutual consent in January 2011 with the Reds sitting 12th in the table.That’s despite a team that still featured Steven Gerrard in midfield and Fernando Torres up front, although El Nino left shortly after Hodgson’s exit to sign for Chelsea (sad face).Read more Liverpool newsJamie O'Hara calls out Arne Slot for his lineup against Crystal Palace as Liverpool get KNOCKED out!In fairness, the rest of the team was pretty average. Torres was their third top scorer with nine, and he only played half the season, which tells you everything about their struggles under the Hodgson regime.Which brings us back to Arne Slot, whose team pre and post winning the Premier League looks unrecognisable, in a slide that began immediately after lifting the trophy having failed to win any of their remaining four games of that campaign.It’s worth mentioning here that another thing has also happened in that time - this Liverpool team is one still stricken with grief for their late teammate, Diogo Jota.9Jota scored 65 goals in 182 games for Liverpool during his five-year spellNot only a key member of the squad on the pitch, Jota was a close personal friend to many of the current Reds stars who have just not hit their stride this season.Plus, their new faces after a £450million summer spending spree joined a dressing room that was shellshocked by the news of Jota’s death, which came just weeks after they had all celebrated the club’s historic 20th league title together.It was also just days after some of the Liverpool players were present at Jota’s wedding to his long-term partner, alongside their three children.Two weeks after the wedding, those same players were pictured in dark suits walking into a church in Gondomar, Portugal for Jota’s funeral.Is it any wonder they aren’t at their best?Would you be?

Feeling the loss of your teammate and friend every time you walked into the training ground, looked around the dressing room, took to the pitch and heard his chant celebrated by supporters in the 20th minute of every game?9Liverpool players are surrounded by Jota imagery in every game - some are now asking whether it's having a detrimental affect on their performances despite the intentions behind the tributesCredit: GettyFollowing news of the tragic death of Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, it would have been fair to suggest that this campaign would not be the same.Even after going seven wins from seven at the start of the new season, it was clear they weren’t playing at a level fans were used to seeing.So, with that in mind, with the team’s 100 per cent record disintegrating into their current run of six defeats from their last seven games in all competitions, should Slot really be under pressure?I suppose the correct answer should be yes and no. They are sons, brothers, uncles, husbands, fathers.So you can talk about players statistics, heat maps and xG until you’re blue (or red) in the face but what does that matter when, as talkSPORT colleague Max Rushden has also pointed out, we don’t consider the players’ personal feelings?9Liverpool's season so far has been one of highs and lowsCredit: talkSPORT9Liverpool players are still reeling from the death of their beloved teammate, JotaCredit: GettyBut, the coach’s team selection, perceived lack of trust in his new players and changes of system are all things fans could rightly point to as they look for reasons why the reigning champions of England can’t seem to buy a win at the moment.Whatever the Dutchman is doing, it’s not working.Some voices, particularly those from outside the club and its fanbase, will say it’s a crisis.

Sorry, Neil, if you're reading this.But as the news cycle rolls on, it’s important not to forget the impact losing Jota has had on these players, and that there’s really no telling how long that impact will last.And so with that, we’ll leave you with the words of John Obi Mikel, who usually pulls no punches when criticising player performances, particularly Chelsea’s rivals.9Ex-Chelsea star Mikel has given fans a timely reminder of what Liverpool players are going throughCredit: talkSPORTBut when the ex-Blues man was asked about Liverpool’s plight, he instead offered sympathy to Mohamed Salah and his Reds teammates as they continue to deal with their grief in the face of also having to perform.“It looks like the wheels have fallen off, they’re not playing well, there’s been a lot of change and a lot of new players have come into the club… but let’s not forget that a massive, massive tragedy happened that nobody expected,” he said on his Obi One podcast.“It’s a very, very sad situation, the loss of Diogo Jota, and it’s going to have an emotional impact on the team. You do everything together.“To lose such a massive figure at the club, it’s a massive tragedy and it was always going to affect these players.9It was only a few months ago when Salah was pictured in tears after Liverpool's opening game of the season - the impact of his loss is unlikely to have gone away so soon after his tragic deathCredit: Getty“It doesn’t matter how well they started the season or how talented they are – something like this hits you emotionally, and it stays with you.“For me, whatever is happening at the club, the emotion is still there and is very raw.