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Just a couple of weeks ago, the Merseyside club appeared destined to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and potentially another Champions League trophy. Their capacity to secure victories without optimal performances felt like the mark of genuine champions.

But, subsequently the momentum shifted. Liverpool continued with mediocre performances and started dropping points. Meanwhile, the North London club, known for their stubborn defense and strength in depth, started narrowing the distance at the summit.

Understanding a Crisis in Modern Football

Can three straight losses represent a collapse? Like most sporting discussions, it depends entirely on your interpretation of the key word. Was the United midfielder elite? How do you define "world class" even mean? Are Aston Villa a major team? What constitutes "major"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Alright, perhaps that is one we might answer.

For a club of Liverpool's size and previous campaign's brilliance, a mini setback seems a reasonable assessment. On a recent broadcast, former forward Neil Mellor was asked how many defeats in a row would trigger alarm. His reply was six. Currently, they are midway to that threshold.

Identifying the Tactical Problems

There are obvious tactical issues. Assimilating new signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a distinct style to departed key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Similarly, incorporating a talented attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the midfield. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a technical player who improves those around him, connecting play seamlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Additionally, a number of individuals who excelled last campaign—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. In fact, most of the team are. Yet every one of them share one profound, recent event: the passing of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Impact: Grief on the Pitch

We are now just over three short months since the devastating passing of their friend. While the outside world moves on quickly, diverting focus to global events, the club's squad continue going to work each day in the absence of their friend.

It is not possible to gauge how every individual and member of the backroom team is dealing on any given day. It requires a great deal of projection. Maybe Salah didn't track back in a recent match because he was tired. Or perhaps his form is down a small percentage points because he is grieving for his pal.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke eloquently before a recent, making a parallel to his personal experience of losing a teammate, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "How they are doing this season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's tragedy. I went through exactly the same experience when I was a player 20 years ago."

"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 ground and you see every day that place vacant. So you must be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are doing not well, even better than good. Because they are trying to deal with a problem that is not easy."

As summarized well on a well-known supporter's show, the reminders are ongoing. They hear his chant in the first half, they notice his empty peg in the changing room. In the middle of games, a through ball might be played and the realization arises: 'Ah, Jota would have been there.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a matches ago, it signals that all is not normal.

The Boundaries of Football Analysis and Human Emotion

After covering football for two decades, one realizes there is a inherent lack of depth in most analysis. We simply do not know how an individual is feeling at any specific moment and how that affects their play. Jota's passing is one of the most stark illustrations. We know a terrible thing happened, and we understand the concept of sorrow. Beyond that lies an immeasurable layer of effect on various individuals at the club. It is highly likely that some of the squad themselves do not truly grasp its effect from one moment to the next.

How the press reports on this and how supporters analyze displays is clearly far from the primary factor. On a functional basis, mentioning Jota's death is difficult to accomplish in a brief soundbite before moving on to on-field concerns. Outside of this particular event and beyond Liverpool, it would seem strange to preface every criticism of a footballer with an acknowledgment that we know so little about their private circumstances—be it their family relationships, health challenges, or relationship difficulties.

A former professional footballer, Nedum Onuoha, recently talked on a broadcast about how his mother's death midway through his playing days affected his passion for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he said. "Some of the high points and the low points that accompany it no longer felt the same after that." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three short months.

The Final Thought

Therefore, whatever Liverpool achieve this season—be it success or if it's nothing—whether or not we don't mention it whenever we analyze their fixtures, even if it is not the sole cause for their final result, we should not forget that a short time ago they suffered the loss of not merely a brilliant footballer, but, crucially, they lost a friend.