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Only a few weeks back, Liverpool appeared destined to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially another Champions League trophy. The team's capacity to win despite not peak displays felt like the mark of genuine title-winners.

However, then the momentum shifted. Liverpool continued with average performances and started losing matches. Meanwhile, the North London club, renowned for their resolute backline and squad depth, began narrowing the gap at the summit.

Understanding a Crisis in Modern Football

Can three consecutive losses represent a collapse? As with most football debates, it hinges completely on your interpretation of the key term. Was the United midfielder elite? What does "elite" actually mean? Are Aston Villa a big club? What constitutes "major"? Is the Old Trafford outfit back? Well, perhaps that's one we might settle.

For a club of this club's stature and previous campaign's brilliance, a mini setback appears a reasonable assessment. On a recent broadcast, ex- forward Neil Mellor was asked how many defeats in a row would cause panic. His answer was six. Currently, they are halfway to that threshold.

Pinpointing the Tactical Issues

One can observe clear tactical problems. Integrating new additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a distinct skill set to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a difficulty. Likewise, incorporating a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the midfield. Experts of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a technical talent who improves those around him, connecting play seamlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Additionally, a host of players who shone last campaign—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently underperforming. In fact, most of the team are. And every one of them share one profound, recent experience: the passing of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Impact: Grief on the Field

It has been just more than three short months since the tragic passing of their friend. Although the outside world moves on rapidly, diverting attention to other matters, Liverpool's players continue going to work each day without their mate.

This is impossible to gauge how each player and staff member is dealing on any given day. There is a great deal of projection. Maybe Salah didn't track back in a particular match simply he was tired. Or perhaps his performance level is down a few percentage points because he misses his pal.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented insightfully before a fixture, making a comparison to his own situation of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are doing this season is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after Jota's tragedy. I went through exactly the same thing when I was a player two decades past."

"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 ground and you see every day that spot vacant. So you must be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are performing not well, even better than good. Because they are attempting to deal with a problem that is not easy."

As summarized succinctly on a popular fan podcast, the memory triggers are constant. The players are reminded by his song in the 20th minute, they see his unused peg in the changing room. Even during matches, a through ball might be made and the thought arises: 'Ah, Jota would have reached that.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a matches ago, it signals that everything is far from all right.

The Boundaries of Punditry and Personal Grief

Having covering football for two decades, one comes to believe there is a fundamental lack of depth in the majority of punditry. We genuinely do not know how an player is coping at any given moment and how that affects their performance. Jota's death is one of the most stark examples. We know a tragic thing happened, and we understand the concept of grief. Beyond that lies an immeasurable layer of effect on various people at the club. It is very possible that a few of the squad themselves do not fully grasp its effect from one day to the next.

The way the media covers this and how supporters analyze performances is clearly far from the most important factor. On a functional level, bringing up Jota's death is difficult to accomplish in a short soundbite before moving on to on-field issues. Beyond this specific event and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface every critique of a footballer with an admission that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their family situation, health struggles, or relationship difficulties.

A former professional footballer, Nedum Onuoha, lately spoke on a broadcast about how his mother's death halfway through his career affected his love for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he said. "Some of the high points and the lows that accompany it no longer felt the same any more." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three short months.

The Concluding Point

Therefore, whatever Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—if it's something or if it's nothing—whether or not we omit reference to it whenever we discuss their fixtures, even if it isn't the reason for their final outcome, we should not forget that a short time ago they lost not merely a exceptional player, but, crucially, they lost a friend.