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Just a few weeks ago, Liverpool seemed destined to secure back-to-back Premier League titles and possibly a further Champions League trophy. The team's capacity to secure victories without optimal performances felt like the mark of true champions.

However, then the momentum turned. The Anfield side persisted with average performances and began losing points. Meanwhile, the North London club, renowned for their resolute backline and squad depth, started closing the gap at the top.

Understanding a Crisis in Today's Game

Does three straight losses constitute a collapse? As with most sporting discussions, it depends completely on your interpretation of the central term. Was the United midfielder world class? What does "world class" actually signify? Are Aston Villa a big club? What constitutes "major"? Are Manchester United back? Well, perhaps that is a question we might answer.

For a club of this club's size and previous campaign's brilliance, a mini crisis seems a fair assessment. On a recent broadcast, former forward Neil Mellor was asked how many losses in a row would cause alarm. His reply was six. Currently, they are halfway to that particular threshold.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Issues

There are clear tactical problems. Assimilating recent signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a different skill set to departed key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Similarly, incorporating a gifted playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the engine room. Observers of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative talent who improves those around him, linking play seamlessly rather than imposing himself upon the game.

Furthermore, a host of individuals who excelled last season—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. Actually, most of the team are. And they all share one significant, recent event: the tragic death of their colleague and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Effect: Loss on the Field

It has been just more than three months since the devastating loss of their friend. Although the outside world moves on quickly, diverting focus to global matters, the club's players carry on going to work day after day in the absence of their mate.

It is not possible to know how each player and staff member is dealing from one day to the next. There is a great deal of projection. Maybe Salah didn't track back in a particular match because he was tired. But maybe his form is down a small per cent because he misses his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke eloquently before a fixture, drawing a parallel to his personal situation of the loss of a teammate, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are doing this campaign is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after the tragedy. I went through a very similar experience when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It's not easy for the players, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the manager when you come to the training complex and you see every day that place 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."

Just as explained well on a popular supporter's show, the reminders are ongoing. The players hear his chant in the first half, they see his empty peg in the changing room. Even during games, a pass might be played and the realization arises: 'Ah, Jota would have been there.' If Salah was seen crying in front of the Kop a few games ago, it signals that all is far from normal.

The Boundaries of Football Analysis and Human Emotion

Having covering football for twenty years, one realizes there is a inherent superficiality 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 passing is one of the most stark examples. We are aware a tragic thing occurred, and we comprehend the nature of grief. Beyond that lies an immeasurable level of effect on various people at the organization. It is highly likely that some of the squad personally do not truly grasp its effect from one moment to the next.

The way the press reports on this and how supporters analyze performances is obviously not the primary factor. On a practical level, bringing up Jota's passing is difficult to do in a short segment before moving on to on-field issues. Beyond this specific event and outside Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify every criticism of a player with an acknowledgment that we know so little about their personal lives—be it their parental situation, personal struggles, or relationship difficulties.

A former professional footballer, the defender, recently talked on a broadcast about how his mother's passing midway through his career affected his passion for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he stated. "Some of the high points and the low points that come with it no longer felt the same after that." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three months.

The Concluding Thought

So, whatever Liverpool achieve in the coming months—be it success or failure—even if we don't mention it whenever we discuss their matches, even if it isn't the reason for their eventual outcome, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they lost not merely a exceptional footballer, but, more importantly, they said goodbye to a friend.