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Just a few weeks ago, Liverpool appeared destined to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and possibly another Champions League trophy. The team's ability to secure victories without peak performances seemed like the hallmark of genuine champions.

However, subsequently the tide shifted. Liverpool continued with average performances and started losing matches. Meanwhile, the North London club, known for their resolute defense and strength in depth, started narrowing the distance at the top.

Understanding a Crisis in Modern Football

Does a trio of straight defeats constitute a collapse? As with many sporting discussions, it depends completely on your interpretation of the central word. Is Paul Scholes elite? How do you define "elite" actually mean? Is the Birmingham club a major club? What defines "big"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Alright, maybe that is a question we might answer.

At a team of Liverpool's stature and previous campaign's brilliance, a mini crisis seems a fair description. During a broadcast, former forward Neil Mellor was questioned how many losses in a row would trigger alarm. His answer was six. Currently, they are halfway to that point.

Pinpointing the Tactical Problems

There are clear footballing issues. Assimilating recent additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different style to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Likewise, incorporating a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the midfield. Observers of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative player who improves those beside him, connecting play seamlessly rather than forcing himself upon the game.

Furthermore, a number of players who excelled last campaign—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. In fact, most of the team is. Yet they all have one profound, recent event: the tragic death of their colleague and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Effect: Grief on the Field

It has been just more than three short months since the devastating passing of their teammate. While the outside world moves on quickly, diverting attention to other events, the club's players carry on going to work each day without their friend.

It is not possible to know how each player and member of the backroom team is coping on any given day. There is a great deal of speculation. Perhaps Salah failed to defend in a particular match because he was tired. Or perhaps his performance level is down a small percentage points because he misses his friend.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke eloquently before a fixture, drawing a comparison to his personal situation of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are doing this season is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's tragedy. I lived a very similar 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 complex and you see every day that spot empty. So you have to be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are performing not well, even better than good. Because they are trying to handle a situation that is not easy."

As explained well on a well-known fan podcast, the memory triggers are ongoing. They hear his chant in the 20th minute, they notice his empty locker in the dressing room. Even during games, a pass might be made and the thought arises: 'Ah, Jota would have been there.' If Salah was seen crying in front of the Kop a few games ago, it signals that all is far from normal.

The Limits of Football Analysis and Human Emotion

After reporting on football for twenty years, one realizes there is a inherent superficiality in most analysis. We simply do not know how an individual is coping at any specific time and how that affects their play. Jota's death is one of the clearest illustrations. We know a terrible event occurred, and we comprehend the concept of grief. But further lies an intangible layer of impact on different individuals at the organization. It is very possible that some of the players themselves do not fully grasp its influence from one moment to the next.

The way the press covers this and how supporters dissect displays is obviously not the most important thing. On a functional level, bringing up Jota's passing is challenging to do in a short soundbite before transitioning to on-field issues. Beyond this particular event and outside Liverpool, it would seem strange to qualify each critique of a footballer with an admission that we know so little about their private circumstances—be it their family relationships, health challenges, or relationship difficulties.

An ex- pro footballer, the defender, lately spoke on radio 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 said. "The high points and the low points that come with it no longer felt the same after that." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three short months.

The Final Thought

So, regardless of what Liverpool achieve in the coming months—if it's something or if it's nothing—even if we don't mention it whenever we discuss their matches, even if it is not the sole cause for their final outcome, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they lost not merely a brilliant footballer, but, crucially, they said goodbye to a friend.