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Just a few weeks ago, the Merseyside club seemed destined to secure back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially a further Champions League trophy. Their capacity to secure victories despite not peak performances felt like the mark of genuine champions.

But, then the momentum shifted. Liverpool continued with average performances and started dropping matches. Meanwhile, Arsenal, renowned for their stubborn defense and squad depth, began closing the gap at the summit.

Understanding a Crisis in Modern Football

Does three straight defeats represent a collapse? As with many sporting discussions, it hinges completely on your interpretation of the central word. Was the United midfielder world class? What does "elite" even signify? Is the Birmingham club a major club? What constitutes "big"? Are Manchester United back? Alright, perhaps that's a question we might answer.

At a team of this club's stature and previous campaign's excellence, a minor crisis seems a reasonable assessment. During a radio show, ex- forward Neil Mellor was asked how many defeats in a row would trigger alarm. His answer was six. At present, they are halfway to that particular point.

Identifying the On-Pitch Issues

There are obvious footballing issues. Integrating new signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a distinct style to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a challenge. Similarly, incorporating a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a technical talent who improves those around him, linking play effortlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Additionally, a host of players who excelled last campaign—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently below their best. In fact, the majority of the team is. Yet they all have one significant, fresh event: the tragic death of their colleague and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Impact: Grief on the Pitch

It has been just over three months since the tragic passing of their teammate. While the outside world progresses quickly, diverting attention to other matters, the club's squad carry on training and playing day after day without their mate.

This is not possible to gauge how each individual and staff member is dealing from one day to the next. It requires a great deal of speculation. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a recent match simply he lacked energy. Or maybe his form is down a few percentage points due to the fact he misses his friend.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke eloquently before a fixture, making a parallel to his personal situation of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are performing this campaign is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after the loss. I went through exactly the same thing when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It's not easy for the players, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the coach when you arrive at the training ground and you see every day that spot empty. So you have to be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are performing not good, but exceptionally well. Because they are attempting to deal with a situation that is not easy."

Just as summarized succinctly on a popular supporter's show, the memory triggers are constant. They are reminded by his song in the 20th minute, they notice his unused locker in the dressing room. Even during matches, a pass might be played and the thought arises: 'Oh, Diogo would have reached that.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that everything is not normal.

The Limits of Football Analysis and Human Emotion

After covering football for twenty years, 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 feeling at any given moment and how that impacts their play. Jota's passing is one of the most stark illustrations. We are aware a terrible event occurred, and we understand the nature of sorrow. Beyond that lies an immeasurable layer of impact on various individuals at the organization. It is highly likely that a few of the squad themselves do not truly grasp its effect from one day to the next.

The way the media reports on this and how fans analyze performances is obviously far from the primary factor. On a functional level, bringing up Jota's death is difficult to do in a brief segment before moving on to on-field concerns. Outside of this particular event and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify each criticism of a footballer with an admission that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their parental relationships, personal struggles, or relationship problems.

A former pro footballer, Nedum Onuoha, recently spoke on a broadcast about how his mother's passing midway through his playing days impacted his passion for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he said. "The highs and the low points that accompany it didn't really feel the same after that." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three months.

The Concluding Point

Therefore, regardless of what Liverpool achieve in the coming months—if it's something or if it's nothing—whether or not we don't mention it every time we discuss their fixtures, and even if it isn't the cause for their final outcome, we should not forget that a short time ago they lost not just a exceptional footballer, but, more importantly, they lost a dear friend.