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Only a couple of weeks ago, Liverpool seemed set to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and possibly another Champions League trophy. Their capacity to win despite not peak displays felt like the mark of true champions.

However, then the tide shifted. The Anfield side persisted with mediocre performances and started losing matches. Meanwhile, the North London club, known for their resolute backline and strength in depth, began narrowing the distance at the top.

Defining a Crisis in Modern Football

Can a trio of straight losses represent a collapse? Like most football debates, it depends completely on your interpretation of the central word. Is Paul Scholes world class? How do you define "elite" even signify? Are Aston Villa a major club? What defines "big"? Are Manchester United back? Well, perhaps that is one we can answer.

At a team of Liverpool's size and last season's brilliance, a minor crisis appears a reasonable description. During a broadcast, former striker Neil Mellor was questioned how many losses in a row would trigger panic. His reply was six. At present, they are halfway to that particular point.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Problems

There are obvious tactical issues. Assimilating recent 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, blending in a talented playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the midfield. Observers of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a technical talent who elevates those beside him, linking play effortlessly rather than forcing himself upon the game.

Additionally, a host of individuals who shone last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. Actually, the majority of the team are. Yet every one of them have one significant, fresh experience: the passing of their teammate and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Loss on the Field

It has been just over three months since the devastating loss of their teammate. Although the outside world progresses quickly, shifting attention to global events, Liverpool's players carry on training and playing day after day in the absence of their friend.

This is impossible to know how each player and staff member is coping from one day to the next. It requires a significant amount of speculation. Perhaps Salah failed to defend in a recent match simply he was tired. Or maybe his performance level is down a few percentage points because he is grieving for his pal.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented insightfully before a fixture, making a parallel to his personal experience of the loss of a teammate, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are performing this season is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's loss. I lived a very similar thing when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It is difficult for the players, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the coach when you come to the training ground and you find daily that spot vacant. So you must be incredibly resilient. 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 situation that is not easy."

As summarized well on a popular supporter's show, the reminders are ongoing. They are reminded by his song in the first half, they notice his empty peg in the changing room. In the middle of games, a through ball might be made and the thought arises: 'Ah, Diogo would have been there.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a few games ago, it signals that everything is far from all right.

The Limits of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

Having covering football for two decades, one realizes there is a inherent superficiality in most analysis. We simply do not know how an individual is feeling at any specific time and how that affects their performance. Jota's death is one of the most stark examples. We are aware a tragic event occurred, and we comprehend the nature of sorrow. But further lies an intangible layer of effect on different individuals at the organization. It is very possible that a few of the players personally don't fully grasp its effect from one moment to the next.

How the press reports on this and how supporters analyze performances is obviously far from the most important thing. On a practical level, mentioning Jota's death is difficult to do in a brief segment before transitioning to on-field issues. Beyond this specific event and outside Liverpool, it would seem strange to qualify each criticism of a footballer with an admission that we know so little about their private circumstances—be it their family situation, personal struggles, or marital difficulties.

A former professional player, Nedum Onuoha, recently spoke on radio about how his mother's death halfway through his career impacted 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 half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three months.

The Concluding Point

Therefore, regardless of what Liverpool accomplish this season—be it success or if it's nothing—even if we omit reference to it every time we discuss their fixtures, even if it isn't the reason for their eventual result, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they lost not just a exceptional footballer, but, more importantly, they lost a dear friend.