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Just a few weeks ago, Liverpool appeared set to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially another Champions League crown. Their capacity to secure victories despite not optimal displays seemed like the hallmark of true title-winners.

However, then the tide shifted. The Anfield side continued with mediocre performances and started losing points. Meanwhile, Arsenal, known for their resolute defense and strength in depth, started closing the distance at the summit.

Understanding a Crisis in Today's Game

Can a trio of straight losses constitute a crisis? Like most football debates, it depends entirely on your interpretation of the key word. Is Paul Scholes elite? What does "elite" even mean? Is the Birmingham club a big team? What defines "big"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Well, maybe that's one we can settle.

At a team of Liverpool's stature and previous campaign's brilliance, a mini setback appears a reasonable description. During a radio show, ex- striker Neil Mellor was asked how many defeats in a row would cause panic. His reply was six. At present, they are midway to that particular threshold.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Issues

There are obvious tactical issues. Assimilating recent signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct skill set to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Likewise, incorporating a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the midfield. Observers of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a technical talent who improves those around him, connecting play effortlessly rather than forcing himself upon the game.

Additionally, a number of individuals who shone last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. In fact, the majority of the squad is. Yet every one of them share one significant, fresh event: the passing of their teammate and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Effect: Grief on the Field

We are now just more than three months since the tragic loss of their friend. Although the wider world progresses rapidly, shifting attention to other events, the club's players continue training and playing each day in the absence of their mate.

It is not possible to gauge how each individual and member of the backroom team is coping from one day to the next. There is a significant amount of speculation. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a recent match because he lacked energy. Or maybe his performance level is down a few per cent due to the fact he is grieving for his pal.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented eloquently before a fixture, drawing a parallel to his own experience of the loss of a teammate, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are doing this season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's loss. I lived 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 club, it's not easy for the coach when you arrive at the training complex and you see daily that spot empty. So you must be incredibly resilient. And this is the explanation why for me they are doing not well, even better than good. Because they are attempting to handle a problem that is not easy."

As explained succinctly on a well-known fan podcast, the memory triggers are constant. The players are reminded by his song in the first half, they notice his unused peg in the dressing room. Even during games, a through ball might be played and the thought arises: 'Ah, Jota would have reached that.' When the Egyptian was seen crying in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that everything is far from normal.

The Boundaries of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

Having covering football for two decades, one realizes there is a inherent superficiality in the majority of analysis. We genuinely do not know how an individual is feeling at any specific time and how that impacts their performance. Jota's death is one of the clearest examples. We know a terrible event occurred, and we understand the nature of grief. But further lies an immeasurable level of impact on different individuals at the club. It is very possible that a few of the players personally do not fully grasp its influence from one day to the next.

The way the media reports on this and how fans analyze performances is obviously not the most important thing. On a functional basis, mentioning Jota's death is difficult to do in a brief soundbite before moving on to tactical issues. Beyond this specific tragedy and outside Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify each critique of a player with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their personal lives—be it their parental situation, health struggles, or relationship difficulties.

An ex- pro footballer, the defender, lately talked on a broadcast about how his mother's death midway through his career impacted his passion for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he said. "The high points and the lows that come with 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 Thought

So, regardless of what Liverpool accomplish this season—be it success or if it's nothing—even if we don't mention it every time we discuss their matches, even if it isn't the reason for their final outcome, we should not forget that a short time ago they suffered the loss of not just a brilliant player, but, crucially, they lost a dear friend.