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Only a few weeks ago, the Merseyside club seemed set to secure back-to-back Premier League championships and possibly another Champions League crown. Their capacity to secure victories without optimal performances seemed like the hallmark of true champions.

But, then the momentum shifted. The Anfield side continued with mediocre showings and started dropping points. Meanwhile, Arsenal, renowned for their resolute backline and squad depth, began closing the distance at the top.

Understanding a Crisis in Today's Game

Can three consecutive defeats constitute a crisis? Like many sporting discussions, it depends completely on your interpretation of the central word. Was the United midfielder elite? What does "world class" even mean? Are Aston Villa a big club? What defines "major"? Is the Old Trafford outfit back? Alright, maybe that is one we can settle.

At a team of Liverpool's stature and last season's excellence, a minor setback seems a reasonable description. During a broadcast, former forward Neil Mellor was questioned how many losses in a row would trigger panic. His answer was six. At present, they are midway to that threshold.

Identifying the Tactical Problems

There are clear tactical problems. Assimilating new signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a different skill set to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a difficulty. Similarly, incorporating a talented playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the midfield. Observers of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative talent who elevates those beside him, linking play seamlessly rather than imposing himself upon the game.

Furthermore, a host of individuals who shone last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently below their best. Actually, the majority of the squad are. Yet they all share one significant, recent experience: the passing of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Loss on the Pitch

We are now just over three months since the tragic loss of their friend. While the wider world progresses quickly, diverting attention to global matters, the club's players continue going to work each day without their friend.

This is impossible to know how every individual and staff member is coping from one day to the next. It requires a great deal of projection. Perhaps Salah didn't track back in a particular match simply he lacked energy. But perhaps his performance level is down a small per cent because he is grieving for his friend.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented eloquently before a fixture, making a comparison to his personal situation of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are doing this campaign is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's loss. I lived a very similar thing 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 manager when you come to the training complex and you find daily that spot empty. 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 problem that is not easy."

Just as explained well on a well-known supporter's show, the memory triggers are ongoing. They are reminded by his chant in the 20th minute, they see his unused locker in the dressing room. In the middle of games, a through ball might be played and the thought arises: 'Oh, Jota would have reached that.' When the Egyptian showed emotion in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that all is far from all right.

The Limits of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

After reporting on football for twenty years, one realizes there is a inherent lack of depth in the majority of analysis. We genuinely cannot know how an individual is feeling at any given moment and how that affects their performance. Jota's passing is one of the most stark illustrations. We are aware a tragic event happened, and we understand the nature of grief. But further lies an intangible level of effect on different individuals at the club. It is highly likely that a few of the players personally don't truly grasp its effect from one moment to the next.

How the press covers this and how fans dissect displays is clearly far from the primary factor. On a functional level, bringing up Jota's death is difficult to accomplish in a brief segment before moving on to tactical concerns. Outside of this specific tragedy and beyond Liverpool, it would seem strange to qualify each criticism of a player with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their personal lives—be it their family relationships, personal struggles, or marital problems.

A former pro footballer, the defender, recently spoke on a broadcast about how his mother's passing midway through his playing days impacted his passion for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he stated. "The highs and the lows that accompany it didn't really feel the same after that." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three short months.

The Final Point

Therefore, whatever Liverpool accomplish this season—if it's something or failure—even if we don't mention it every time we discuss their matches, and even if it is not the sole reason for their eventual result, we should not forget that a short time ago they suffered the loss of not just a exceptional player, but, more importantly, they lost a dear friend.