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Only a couple of weeks ago, Liverpool seemed set to secure back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially another Champions League trophy. Their ability to secure victories despite not peak displays felt like the mark of true champions.

However, then the tide turned. Liverpool persisted with average showings and started losing points. At the same time, the North London club, known for their stubborn defense and squad depth, began closing the gap at the top.

Understanding a Crisis in Modern Football

Can three consecutive defeats represent a collapse? As with many football debates, it hinges entirely on your definition of the key word. Was the United midfielder world class? How do you define "world class" even mean? Are Aston Villa a big club? What defines "major"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Well, maybe that is one we might settle.

At a team of this club's size and previous campaign's brilliance, a minor crisis seems a reasonable assessment. During a broadcast, ex- striker Neil Mellor was questioned how many losses in a row would trigger alarm. His reply was six. At present, they are midway to that point.

Identifying the Tactical Issues

There are clear tactical problems. Integrating new additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct skill set to previous key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a difficulty. Similarly, incorporating a talented playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the midfield. Experts of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a technical player who elevates those beside him, linking play effortlessly rather than forcing himself upon the game.

Additionally, a number of players 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 team are. Yet every one of them have one significant, recent event: the tragic death of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Loss on the Field

We are now just over three short months since the tragic passing of their friend. While the outside world moves on quickly, shifting attention to other matters, the club's players carry on training and playing day after day in the absence of their friend.

This is not possible to gauge how each individual and staff member is coping on any given day. There is a significant amount of speculation. Perhaps Salah didn't track back in a particular match because he lacked energy. But perhaps his form is down a few percentage points due to the fact he misses his pal.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke insightfully before a fixture, making a parallel to his own experience of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are performing this season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's tragedy. I went through a very similar experience 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 manager when you come to the training complex and you see every day that spot empty. So you must be incredibly resilient. And this is the reason why for me they are doing not good, but exceptionally well. Because they are attempting to handle a situation that is not easy."

Just as summarized well on a popular fan podcast, the reminders are ongoing. They are reminded by his song in the 20th minute, they notice his empty locker in the dressing room. Even during matches, a pass might be played and the thought arises: 'Ah, Jota would have been there.' When the Egyptian showed emotion in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that all is not all right.

The Limits of Punditry and Personal Grief

Having reporting on football for twenty years, one realizes there is a inherent superficiality in most analysis. We genuinely cannot know how an player is feeling at any given moment and how that affects their play. Jota's death is one of the clearest examples. We know a tragic event occurred, and we understand the concept of grief. But further lies an immeasurable level of impact on different individuals at the organization. It is highly likely that some of the squad personally do not fully understand its influence from one day to the next.

The way the media reports on this and how fans dissect displays is clearly far from the primary factor. On a practical level, mentioning Jota's passing is challenging to accomplish in a brief segment before moving on to tactical issues. Outside of this particular tragedy and outside Liverpool, it would seem strange to qualify each critique of a footballer with an acknowledgment that we know so little about their private circumstances—be it their family relationships, personal challenges, or relationship difficulties.

An ex- pro player, Nedum Onuoha, recently talked on a broadcast about how his mother's death midway through his career impacted his passion for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he stated. "The highs and the low points that come with it didn't really feel the same any more." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three short months.

The Final Thought

Therefore, regardless of what Liverpool achieve in the coming months—be it success or failure—even if we don't mention it every time we discuss their fixtures, even if it isn't the reason for their eventual result, we should not forget that a short time ago they suffered the loss of not just a brilliant footballer, but, crucially, they said goodbye to a friend.