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Just a couple of weeks ago, Liverpool seemed set to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and possibly a further Champions League trophy. The team's ability to win without optimal displays felt like the hallmark of true title-winners.

However, subsequently the momentum turned. Liverpool continued with average performances and started dropping points. Meanwhile, Arsenal, renowned for their resolute backline and squad depth, began closing the gap at the summit.

Defining a Crisis in Today's Game

Can a trio of consecutive defeats constitute a collapse? Like most sporting discussions, it hinges completely on your definition of the central word. Is Paul Scholes elite? How do you define "world class" actually mean? Are Aston Villa a big team? What defines "major"? Are Manchester United back? Well, maybe that is one we can settle.

At a team of this club's stature and last season's brilliance, a mini crisis appears a reasonable description. During a radio show, ex- striker Neil Mellor was questioned how many defeats in a row would cause alarm. His answer was six. Currently, they are halfway to that particular point.

Identifying the Tactical Problems

One can observe clear footballing problems. Integrating recent additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a different style to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a challenge. Likewise, blending in a talented attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the midfield. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a technical talent who elevates those beside him, linking play effortlessly rather than imposing himself upon the game.

Furthermore, a number of players who excelled last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently underperforming. Actually, most of the team is. Yet they all have one profound, recent event: the passing of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Loss on the Field

We are now just more than three short months since the tragic loss of their teammate. Although the wider world progresses rapidly, diverting focus to global events, Liverpool's squad carry on training and playing day after day in the absence of their friend.

It is impossible to gauge how each individual and staff member is coping on any given day. There is a great deal of projection. Maybe Salah didn't track back in a recent match because he lacked energy. Or maybe his form is down a few percentage points due to the fact he misses his friend.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented insightfully before a recent, making a comparison to his own situation of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are performing this campaign is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after Jota's tragedy. I lived exactly the same thing when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It is difficult for the players, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the manager when you arrive at the training complex and you see daily that spot vacant. So you have to be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are doing not well, even better than good. Because they are attempting to deal with a situation that is not easy."

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

The Boundaries of Punditry and Human Emotion

Having covering football for two decades, one comes to believe there is a inherent lack of depth in most analysis. We simply cannot know how an player is feeling at any given time and how that affects their performance. Jota's death is one of the most stark examples. We know a tragic thing occurred, and we understand the concept of sorrow. But further lies an intangible layer of impact on various individuals at the club. It is very possible that some of the players themselves do not fully understand its effect from one moment to the next.

How the media reports on this and how supporters analyze displays is obviously far from the most important factor. On a functional basis, mentioning Jota's death is difficult to accomplish in a brief segment before moving on to tactical issues. Beyond this particular tragedy and outside Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface every critique of a footballer with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their family relationships, personal challenges, or marital difficulties.

A former pro player, Nedum Onuoha, lately talked on radio about how his mother's death midway through his playing days affected his passion for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he stated. "The highs and the lows that come with it didn't really feel the same any more." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three short months.

The Final Thought

So, whatever Liverpool achieve this season—be it success or failure—even if we don't mention it whenever we discuss their fixtures, and even if it is not the sole cause for their eventual result, we must remember that a short time ago they suffered the loss of not merely a exceptional footballer, but, crucially, they said goodbye to a friend.