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Just a few weeks back, Liverpool appeared destined to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and possibly another Champions League crown. The team's capacity to win despite not peak displays seemed like the mark of genuine title-winners.

However, subsequently the tide shifted. The Anfield side persisted with average showings and started dropping points. Meanwhile, Arsenal, renowned for their resolute defense and squad depth, started closing the gap at the top.

Defining a Crisis in Modern Football

Can a trio of straight losses constitute a collapse? Like most sporting discussions, it hinges entirely on your definition of the key term. Was the United midfielder elite? How do you define "world class" even signify? Is the Birmingham club a big club? What constitutes "major"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Well, perhaps that is one we can answer.

For a club of Liverpool's size and last season's brilliance, a minor setback appears a reasonable description. On a recent radio show, former striker Neil Mellor was asked how many defeats in a row would cause panic. His answer was six. At present, they are midway to that particular threshold.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Issues

One can observe obvious tactical issues. Integrating recent additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a different skill set to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a challenge. Similarly, incorporating a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative player who elevates those around him, linking play seamlessly rather than forcing himself upon the game.

Furthermore, a host of individuals who excelled last season—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently underperforming. Actually, the majority of the squad is. And every one of them share one profound, fresh experience: the tragic death of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Effect: Loss on the Pitch

It has been just over three short months since the devastating passing of their friend. While the wider world moves on rapidly, shifting focus to global matters, Liverpool's players carry on training and playing day after day without their mate.

It is impossible to know how each player and member of the backroom team is dealing on any given day. There is a great deal of speculation. Perhaps Salah failed to defend in a recent match simply he lacked energy. Or perhaps his performance level is down a small percentage points due to the fact he is grieving for his friend.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented eloquently before a recent, drawing a parallel to his own situation of losing a teammate, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "The way they are performing this season is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after the tragedy. I lived a very similar experience when I was a player 20 years ago."

"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 ground and you find every day that place empty. So you must be very strong. And this is the explanation why for me they are doing not well, but exceptionally well. Because they are attempting to handle a situation that is not easy."

As summarized well on a popular supporter's show, the memory triggers are constant. The players hear his chant in the first half, they notice his empty peg in the changing room. Even during games, a pass might be played and the thought arises: 'Oh, Diogo would have been there.' If Salah was seen crying in front of the Kop a matches ago, it signals that everything is not all right.

The Boundaries of Punditry and Personal Grief

Having reporting on football for two decades, one comes to believe there is a fundamental lack of depth in most punditry. We simply do not know how an individual is feeling at any given moment and how that affects their play. Jota's passing is one of the clearest illustrations. We are aware a terrible thing occurred, and we understand the nature of sorrow. But further lies an intangible level of impact on different individuals at the club. It is highly likely that a few of the players personally don't truly grasp its effect from one moment to the next.

How the press reports on this and how fans dissect displays is clearly far from the most important factor. On a functional basis, mentioning Jota's death is challenging to accomplish in a brief segment before moving on to on-field issues. Outside of this particular tragedy and beyond Liverpool, it would seem strange to qualify every criticism of a footballer with an admission that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their parental relationships, personal struggles, or marital difficulties.

A former pro footballer, Nedum Onuoha, lately talked on a broadcast about how his mother's death midway through his playing days impacted his love for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he stated. "The high points and the low points 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 Final Thought

So, regardless of what Liverpool accomplish this season—be it success or if it's nothing—whether or not we don't mention it whenever we discuss their fixtures, even if it isn't the cause for their final result, we must remember that a short time ago they suffered the loss of not merely a brilliant footballer, but, more importantly, they lost a friend.