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Only a few weeks ago, Liverpool seemed set to secure back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially a further Champions League crown. The team's ability to secure victories without optimal performances seemed like the mark of genuine title-winners.

But, then the tide shifted. The Anfield side persisted with mediocre showings and started losing points. At the same time, the North London club, renowned for their stubborn backline and strength in depth, started closing the distance at the top.

Understanding a Slump in Today's Game

Can a trio of consecutive defeats represent a collapse? Like most sporting discussions, it hinges entirely on your interpretation of the central term. Is Paul Scholes elite? How do you define "world class" actually mean? Are Aston Villa a major club? What constitutes "major"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Well, perhaps that's a question we might settle.

At a team of Liverpool's size and previous campaign's excellence, a minor crisis seems a reasonable description. During a radio show, former forward Neil Mellor was asked how many losses in a row would cause panic. His reply was six. At present, they are midway to that particular threshold.

Identifying the On-Pitch Issues

One can observe obvious tactical problems. Assimilating new additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a different skill set to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a difficulty. Likewise, blending in a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the midfield. Observers of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a technical talent who elevates those around him, linking play seamlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Additionally, a host of individuals who excelled last season—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. Actually, the majority of the squad are. Yet every one of them share one profound, fresh event: the tragic death of their colleague and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Loss on the Field

It has been just more than three months since the devastating loss of their friend. Although the wider world moves on rapidly, shifting attention to global events, Liverpool's players carry on training and playing each day without their mate.

This is impossible to know how each individual and member of the backroom team is dealing from one day to the next. There is a significant amount of projection. Perhaps Salah failed to defend in a recent match because he was tired. Or maybe his performance level is down a small percentage points due to the fact he misses his friend.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke insightfully before a fixture, drawing a comparison to his personal experience of losing a teammate, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are performing this campaign is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's tragedy. I lived exactly the same 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 ground and you see daily that spot vacant. So you must be very strong. And this is the explanation why for me they are doing not good, but exceptionally well. Because they are attempting to handle a problem that is not easy."

Just as summarized well on a well-known fan podcast, the reminders are ongoing. The players are reminded by his song in the first half, they notice his empty peg in the changing room. In the middle of games, a pass might be played and the thought arises: 'Ah, Diogo would have been there.' If Salah was seen crying in front of the Kop a few games ago, it signals that everything is far from normal.

The Boundaries of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

Having covering football for twenty years, one comes to believe there is a inherent lack of depth in most analysis. We simply do not know how an player is feeling at any given time and how that impacts their performance. Jota's death is one of the most stark examples. We know a terrible event happened, and we comprehend the nature of grief. Beyond that lies an intangible layer of impact on various people at the club. It is highly likely that some of the squad themselves don't truly understand its effect from one day to the next.

How the media reports on this and how fans dissect performances is obviously far from the most important thing. On a practical basis, mentioning Jota's passing is difficult to do in a short soundbite before moving on to tactical issues. Outside of this specific event and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify each critique of a footballer with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their family relationships, personal challenges, or relationship difficulties.

A former professional footballer, Nedum Onuoha, recently spoke on a broadcast about how his mother's death halfway through his playing days impacted his passion for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he stated. "The highs and the low points that accompany it didn't really feel the same any more." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three short months.

The Concluding Point

Therefore, whatever Liverpool achieve this season—if it's something or if it's nothing—whether or not we don't mention it whenever we analyze their fixtures, even if it is not the sole cause for their final outcome, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they suffered the loss of not just a exceptional footballer, but, crucially, they said goodbye to a friend.