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Just a couple of weeks back, Liverpool appeared set to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and possibly a further Champions League crown. Their capacity to win without optimal performances seemed like the mark of genuine title-winners.

However, then the momentum shifted. The Anfield side persisted with average showings and started losing points. At the same time, the North London club, renowned for their stubborn backline and squad depth, began closing the gap at the top.

Understanding a Slump in Today's Game

Does a trio of straight losses constitute a collapse? As with many sporting discussions, it hinges entirely on your interpretation of the central term. Is Paul Scholes world class? How do you define "elite" even mean? Is the Birmingham club a major team? What defines "major"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Alright, perhaps that is one we might settle.

At a team of Liverpool's stature and previous campaign's brilliance, a mini crisis appears a fair assessment. On a recent broadcast, former forward Neil Mellor was questioned how many defeats in a row would cause alarm. His reply was six. Currently, they are midway to that point.

Identifying the On-Pitch Problems

There are obvious footballing issues. Integrating recent signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct style to departed key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Similarly, blending in a gifted playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the engine room. Observers of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a creative talent who improves those beside him, linking play seamlessly rather than imposing himself upon the game.

Furthermore, a host of individuals who shone last season—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. In fact, most of the squad is. Yet they all have one significant, fresh experience: the passing of their teammate and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Loss on the Field

It has been just over three months since the devastating loss of their teammate. Although the wider world progresses quickly, diverting attention to other matters, the club's players carry on training and playing each day without their friend.

This is impossible to know how each individual and member of the backroom team is dealing on any given day. It requires a significant amount of projection. Perhaps Salah failed to defend in a particular match because he was tired. Or perhaps his performance level is down a small per cent because he is grieving for his pal.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke insightfully before a recent, making a parallel to his own situation of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "How they are doing this season is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after the tragedy. I went through a very similar thing when I was a player two decades past."

"It is difficult for the squad, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the coach when you arrive at the training ground and you see every day that spot empty. So you must be very strong. And this is the explanation why for me they are performing not well, but exceptionally well. Because they are attempting to deal with a situation that is not easy."

Just as explained well on a popular supporter's show, the reminders are ongoing. They are reminded by his song in the 20th minute, they notice his unused peg in the changing room. In the middle of games, a pass might be made and the realization arises: 'Ah, Jota would have been there.' If Salah was seen crying in front of the Kop a few games ago, it indicates that all is far from normal.

The Boundaries of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

After reporting on football for twenty years, one comes to believe there is a inherent lack of depth in the majority of analysis. We simply do not know how an individual is feeling at any specific time and how that impacts their performance. Jota's passing is one of the most stark examples. We are aware a tragic event happened, and we comprehend the nature of sorrow. But further lies an intangible layer of impact on different individuals at the organization. It is very possible that some of the players themselves don't fully understand its influence from one moment to the next.

How the media covers this and how fans analyze performances is obviously not the primary thing. On a practical level, mentioning Jota's death is challenging to do in a short soundbite before moving on to on-field issues. Outside of this specific event and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify every criticism of a player with an acknowledgment that we know so little about their private circumstances—be it their family situation, personal struggles, or marital problems.

An ex- pro footballer, Nedum Onuoha, lately spoke 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 said. "The highs and the lows that accompany it didn't really feel the same any more." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three months.

The Final Point

Therefore, whatever Liverpool achieve in the coming months—if it's something or if it's nothing—whether or not we omit reference to it every time we discuss their fixtures, even if it is not the sole reason for their eventual result, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they suffered the loss of not merely a exceptional footballer, but, more importantly, they said goodbye to a friend.