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Only a few weeks back, Liverpool seemed set to secure back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially another Champions League crown. Their capacity to secure victories despite not peak displays felt like the mark of genuine title-winners.

But, subsequently the momentum shifted. Liverpool persisted with mediocre showings and started losing matches. Meanwhile, Arsenal, known for their stubborn backline and squad depth, started closing the distance at the summit.

Defining a Crisis in Today's Game

Can a trio of straight defeats constitute a collapse? As with most sporting discussions, it hinges completely on your interpretation of the key term. Is Paul Scholes world class? What does "elite" actually signify? Are Aston Villa a major team? What defines "big"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Alright, maybe that is a question we might answer.

For a club of this club's size and previous campaign's brilliance, a mini setback appears a fair assessment. During a radio show, ex- striker Neil Mellor was questioned how many losses in a row would cause alarm. His answer was six. At present, they are midway to that particular threshold.

Pinpointing the Tactical Issues

One can observe clear footballing issues. Assimilating recent additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct skill set to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a challenge. Similarly, blending in a talented attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative talent who elevates those beside him, linking play seamlessly rather than imposing himself upon the game.

Furthermore, a host of individuals who excelled last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently underperforming. Actually, the majority of the team is. And every one of them have one significant, fresh experience: the tragic death of their colleague and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Impact: Grief on the Field

We are now just over three months since the tragic loss of their friend. While the outside world progresses rapidly, shifting focus to global matters, Liverpool's squad continue going to work day after day in the absence of their mate.

This is impossible to gauge how each individual and staff member is dealing from one day to the next. It requires a great deal of speculation. Perhaps Salah failed to defend in a recent match because he lacked energy. Or perhaps his form is down a small percentage points due to the fact he misses his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke insightfully before a recent, making a comparison to his own experience of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are doing this campaign is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after Jota's tragedy. I went through exactly the same thing 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 coach 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 performing not good, but exceptionally well. Because they are attempting to deal with a situation that is not easy."

Just as summarized succinctly on a popular supporter's show, the reminders are constant. They hear his song in the first half, they notice his unused peg in the changing room. In the middle of matches, a through ball might be played and the thought arises: 'Oh, Jota would have reached that.' When the Egyptian was seen crying in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that all is not normal.

The Boundaries of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

After reporting on football for two decades, one realizes there is a inherent superficiality in the majority of analysis. We genuinely cannot know how an individual is feeling at any specific time and how that affects their performance. Jota's passing is one of the most stark examples. We are aware a tragic event occurred, and we understand the nature of sorrow. But further lies an immeasurable level of impact on different individuals at the club. It is highly likely that some of the players themselves do not truly grasp its influence from one day to the next.

How the press reports on this and how supporters analyze displays is obviously far from the most important thing. On a practical level, mentioning Jota's passing is challenging to accomplish in a brief segment before moving on to on-field issues. Outside of this specific tragedy and outside Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface every criticism of a footballer with an admission that we know so little about their private circumstances—be it their family situation, personal struggles, or marital problems.

A former pro player, Nedum Onuoha, lately spoke on radio about how his mother's passing midway through his playing days impacted his love for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he stated. "Some of the highs and the lows that come with it no longer felt the same any more." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three short months.

The Concluding Thought

Therefore, regardless of what Liverpool accomplish this season—if it's something or failure—even if we omit reference to it every time we analyze their fixtures, even if it isn't the reason for their eventual outcome, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they suffered the loss of not just a brilliant player, but, crucially, they said goodbye to a friend.