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Only a few weeks ago, the Merseyside club seemed set to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially a further Champions League crown. The team's capacity to win without peak displays seemed like the mark of genuine champions.

However, subsequently the momentum turned. The Anfield side continued with average showings and started dropping matches. At the same time, the North London club, known for their stubborn backline and strength in depth, started narrowing the gap at the summit.

Understanding a Crisis in Today's Game

Does a trio of straight losses constitute a collapse? As with most sporting discussions, it hinges completely on your interpretation of the key word. Was the United midfielder elite? How do you define "world class" even mean? Is the Birmingham club a major club? What defines "major"? Is the Old Trafford outfit back? Well, perhaps that is one we can settle.

At a team of Liverpool's size and previous campaign's excellence, a mini setback appears a reasonable description. During a radio show, ex- striker Neil Mellor was questioned how many losses in a row would trigger panic. His answer was six. At present, they are halfway to that point.

Identifying the On-Pitch Issues

There are clear tactical issues. Assimilating recent additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a different skill set to previous key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Likewise, incorporating a talented playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a technical talent who improves those beside him, linking play seamlessly rather than forcing himself upon the game.

Furthermore, a number of players 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 is. Yet they all have one significant, recent experience: the tragic death of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Effect: Loss on the Field

We are now just over three short months since the tragic loss of their teammate. Although the wider world moves on quickly, shifting attention to other matters, the club's squad continue going to work day after day without their friend.

This is impossible to gauge how each individual and staff member is dealing on any given day. There is a significant amount of projection. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a particular match simply he was tired. Or maybe his form is down a small percentage points because he misses his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke insightfully before a fixture, making a parallel to his own situation of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "The way they are performing this campaign is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's tragedy. I lived exactly the same experience when I was a player two decades past."

"It's not easy for the squad, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the coach when you come to the training complex and you see every day that place empty. So you have to be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are performing not well, but exceptionally well. Because they are attempting to handle a problem that is not easy."

As summarized succinctly on a popular fan podcast, the reminders are ongoing. They are reminded by his song in the first half, they notice his empty peg in the changing room. Even during games, a through ball might be made and the realization arises: 'Oh, Jota would have reached that.' If Salah was seen crying in front of the Kop a matches ago, it signals that everything is not normal.

The Limits of Punditry and Personal Grief

After covering football for twenty years, one realizes there is a fundamental superficiality in most punditry. We simply cannot 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 know a tragic thing occurred, and we understand the nature of grief. But further lies an immeasurable level of impact on various individuals at the club. It is highly likely that a few of the players themselves don't fully understand its influence from one day to the next.

The way the press reports on this and how fans analyze displays is obviously far from the primary thing. On a practical basis, bringing up Jota's passing is difficult to accomplish in a brief segment before transitioning to on-field issues. Outside of this particular tragedy and outside Liverpool, it would seem strange to preface each criticism of a footballer with an admission that we know so little about their personal lives—be it their parental relationships, health challenges, or marital difficulties.

A former pro footballer, Nedum Onuoha, 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 said. "The highs and the lows that come with it didn't really feel the same any more." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three months.

The Final Thought

So, regardless of what Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—if it's something or if it's nothing—even if we don't mention it every time we discuss their fixtures, and even if it isn't the reason for their final outcome, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they lost not merely a exceptional footballer, but, crucially, they lost a dear friend.