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Just a couple of 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 optimal performances seemed like the hallmark of true champions.

However, then the momentum turned. Liverpool continued with mediocre performances and began dropping points. Meanwhile, the North London club, renowned for their resolute defense and squad depth, started narrowing the gap at the summit.

Understanding a Crisis in Today's Game

Does a trio of consecutive defeats constitute a crisis? As with many football debates, it depends completely on your interpretation of the key term. Is Paul Scholes elite? How do you define "elite" actually signify? Is the Birmingham club a major team? What constitutes "big"? Is the Old Trafford outfit back? Alright, maybe that's one we can answer.

For a club of this club's size and last season's brilliance, a minor setback appears a fair description. On a recent radio show, former forward Neil Mellor was asked how many defeats in a row would cause alarm. His reply was six. At present, they are midway to that point.

Pinpointing the Tactical Problems

One can observe clear footballing issues. Assimilating new additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a different style to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Similarly, blending in a talented attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the midfield. Observers of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a technical player who elevates those beside him, linking play effortlessly rather than imposing himself upon the game.

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

The Unseen Effect: Loss on the Pitch

It has been just more than three short months since the tragic loss of their teammate. Although the outside world progresses rapidly, shifting focus to other events, the club's squad continue training and playing day after day in the absence of their friend.

It is impossible to know how every player and member of the backroom team is dealing on any given day. There is a great deal of projection. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a recent match simply he was tired. Or maybe his performance level is down a few percentage points due to the fact he is grieving for his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke eloquently before a recent, making a comparison to his personal experience of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are doing this season is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after the loss. I went through a very similar experience when I was a player two decades past."

"It's not easy for the players, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the coach when you come to the training ground and you see daily that place vacant. So you must be very strong. And this is the explanation why for me they are doing not well, even better than good. Because they are trying to handle a problem that is not easy."

As summarized succinctly on a popular supporter's show, the memory triggers are ongoing. They are reminded by his song in the 20th minute, they notice his unused locker in the dressing room. In the middle of matches, a through ball might be made and the realization arises: 'Ah, Jota would have been there.' When the Egyptian showed emotion in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that everything is not normal.

The Boundaries of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

Having reporting on football for twenty years, one realizes there is a inherent superficiality in the majority of analysis. We genuinely do not know how an individual is feeling at any specific moment and how that impacts their performance. Jota's death is one of the clearest illustrations. We know a tragic thing happened, and we understand the nature of grief. Beyond that lies an intangible layer of effect on various individuals at the organization. It is highly likely that some of the players personally don't fully understand its influence from one moment to the next.

How the press covers this and how supporters analyze performances is clearly not the most important thing. On a practical basis, bringing up Jota's passing is challenging to accomplish in a brief soundbite before moving on to on-field issues. Beyond this specific event and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface each criticism of a player with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their personal lives—be it their parental situation, personal challenges, or relationship problems.

A former pro player, Nedum Onuoha, lately talked on radio 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 lows that accompany it didn't really feel the same any more." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three short months.

The Concluding Point

So, whatever Liverpool achieve this season—if it's something or failure—even if we don't mention it whenever we discuss their matches, even if it is not the sole reason for their eventual result, we should not forget that a short time ago they lost not merely a exceptional footballer, but, crucially, they lost a friend.