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Just a couple of weeks ago, the Merseyside club seemed destined to secure back-to-back Premier League championships and possibly another Champions League trophy. The team's ability to secure victories without peak displays seemed like the mark of true title-winners.

But, subsequently the tide turned. Liverpool continued with average performances and began dropping matches. At the same time, Arsenal, renowned for their resolute backline and squad depth, started closing the gap at the summit.

Defining a Crisis in Modern Football

Does three consecutive losses constitute a crisis? Like most sporting discussions, it hinges completely on your definition of the key term. Was the United midfielder world class? What does "elite" actually signify? Are Aston Villa a major team? What defines "big"? Is the Old Trafford outfit back? Alright, maybe that's a question we can answer.

At a team of Liverpool's size and last season's excellence, a mini crisis appears a reasonable description. During a radio show, ex- striker Neil Mellor was asked how many losses in a row would trigger panic. His reply was six. Currently, they are midway to that point.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Problems

There are obvious footballing problems. Assimilating recent additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a distinct style to departed key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a challenge. Similarly, blending in a talented attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the midfield. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative player who improves those beside him, connecting play effortlessly rather than forcing himself on the game.

Furthermore, a number of individuals who excelled last campaign—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now underperforming. In fact, most of the squad is. Yet they all share one profound, recent event: the passing of their colleague and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Grief on the Field

We are now just over three months since the tragic passing of their friend. While the wider world moves on rapidly, diverting focus to other events, the club's squad carry on training and playing each day in the absence of their mate.

It is impossible to know how every player and member of the backroom team is dealing on any given day. It requires a great deal of projection. Perhaps Salah didn't track back in a recent match simply he lacked energy. Or perhaps his form is down a small percentage points because he is grieving for his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke insightfully before a recent, drawing a comparison to his personal experience of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are doing this campaign is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after the loss. I went through exactly the same experience when I was a player two decades past."

"It's not easy for the players, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the coach when you come to the training complex and you find daily that place vacant. So you have to be very strong. And this is the explanation why for me they are performing not well, even better than good. Because they are trying to deal with a situation that is not easy."

As summarized succinctly on a well-known supporter's show, the reminders are ongoing. They hear his song in the first half, they notice his unused locker in the dressing room. Even during games, a through ball might be played and the realization arises: 'Oh, Diogo would have reached that.' If Salah was seen crying in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that all is not all right.

The Limits of Football Analysis and Human Emotion

Having reporting on football for two decades, one comes to believe there is a inherent lack of depth in the majority of analysis. We genuinely cannot know how an player is coping at any specific moment and how that impacts their performance. Jota's passing is one of the clearest examples. We are aware a terrible thing happened, and we understand the nature of sorrow. Beyond that lies an intangible layer of effect on various individuals at the organization. It is highly likely that some of the squad personally don't truly grasp its influence from one day to the next.

The way the media reports on this and how supporters dissect performances is obviously far from the most important factor. On a functional basis, mentioning Jota's death is challenging to do in a brief soundbite before transitioning to on-field concerns. Beyond this particular event and outside Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify each critique of a footballer with an admission that we know so little about their private circumstances—be it their parental relationships, health challenges, or relationship problems.

An ex- professional player, Nedum Onuoha, recently talked on radio about how his mother's death midway through his career impacted his love for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he stated. "Some of the high points and the lows that come with it no longer felt the same any more." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three short months.

The Concluding Thought

Therefore, regardless of what Liverpool achieve this season—be it success or if it's nothing—whether or not we don't mention it every time we analyze their fixtures, even if it is not the sole reason for their eventual outcome, we must remember that a short time ago they suffered the loss of not merely a exceptional player, but, more importantly, they said goodbye to a dear friend.