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Only a few weeks back, Liverpool seemed destined to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and potentially a further Champions League trophy. The team's capacity to secure victories without optimal displays seemed like the mark of genuine champions.

But, subsequently the momentum turned. The Anfield side persisted with mediocre performances and began dropping matches. Meanwhile, Arsenal, known for their resolute backline and squad depth, started narrowing the distance at the summit.

Understanding a Crisis in Today's Game

Can a trio of consecutive defeats constitute a crisis? Like many football debates, it hinges entirely on your interpretation of the key word. Was the United midfielder world class? What does "world class" even mean? Is the Birmingham club a major club? What constitutes "major"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Well, maybe that's a question we might settle.

At a team of Liverpool's size and previous campaign's excellence, a minor setback seems a fair description. On a recent broadcast, ex- striker Neil Mellor was asked how many defeats in a row would trigger panic. His answer was six. Currently, they are midway to that threshold.

Identifying the Tactical Issues

There are obvious footballing problems. Assimilating new additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a distinct skill set to departed key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Similarly, incorporating a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the midfield. Experts of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a creative player who improves those around him, linking play seamlessly rather than forcing himself upon the game.

Additionally, a number of players who shone 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 every one of them share one profound, recent experience: the tragic death of their teammate and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Effect: Loss on the Field

It has been just over three months since the devastating loss of their teammate. Although the wider world progresses quickly, shifting focus to other matters, Liverpool's squad continue training and playing each day in the absence of their mate.

This is impossible to know how every individual and staff member is dealing from one day to the next. There is a great deal of projection. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a particular match simply he lacked energy. But maybe his performance level is down a small percentage points due to the fact he is grieving for his friend.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke insightfully before a recent, making a parallel to his own experience of the loss of a teammate, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "The way they are doing this campaign is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after the tragedy. I went through a very similar experience when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It is difficult for the squad, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the manager when you come to the training complex and you find daily that place empty. So you have to be very strong. And this is the explanation why for me they are performing not good, but exceptionally well. Because they are trying to deal with a situation that is not easy."

As explained succinctly on a well-known fan podcast, the memory triggers are ongoing. The players hear his song in the first half, they see his empty peg in the dressing room. Even during matches, a pass might be played and the realization arises: 'Ah, Jota would have been there.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a few games ago, it signals that everything is not all right.

The Limits of Punditry and Personal Grief

After covering football for two decades, one comes to believe there is a fundamental superficiality in the majority of punditry. We genuinely cannot know how an player is coping at any specific moment and how that affects their performance. Jota's passing is one of the most stark examples. We are aware a terrible thing occurred, and we understand the concept of grief. But further lies an immeasurable level of effect on various individuals at the club. It is highly likely that a few of the squad personally do not truly understand its effect from one moment to the next.

How the press covers this and how fans dissect displays is clearly not the primary thing. On a functional level, mentioning Jota's death is difficult to do in a brief soundbite before moving on to tactical issues. Beyond this particular event and outside Liverpool, it would seem strange to qualify every criticism of a footballer with an admission that we know so little about their personal lives—be it their family relationships, health struggles, or marital problems.

An ex- pro player, Nedum Onuoha, recently spoke on radio about how his mother's death midway through his playing days impacted his passion for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he said. "The highs and the lows that accompany it didn't really feel the same any more." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three short months.

The Final Point

So, whatever Liverpool achieve this season—if it's something or failure—even if we omit reference to it whenever we discuss their matches, and even if it isn't the cause for their eventual outcome, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they suffered the loss of not just a exceptional footballer, but, crucially, they said goodbye to a dear friend.