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Only a few weeks ago, Liverpool seemed set to secure back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially another Champions League trophy. The team's capacity to win without peak performances seemed like the mark of true champions.

However, subsequently the momentum shifted. Liverpool persisted with mediocre performances and started losing points. Meanwhile, the North London club, known for their resolute defense and strength in depth, began narrowing the distance at the summit.

Defining a Slump in Today's Game

Does a trio of straight losses represent a crisis? As with most football debates, it depends entirely on your definition of the key term. Is Paul Scholes elite? What does "world class" even mean? Is the Birmingham club a major team? What defines "big"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Alright, perhaps that's a question we might settle.

At a team of Liverpool's stature and previous campaign's brilliance, a minor crisis appears a fair description. During a radio show, former forward Neil Mellor was asked how many defeats in a row would cause alarm. His answer was six. At present, they are halfway to that threshold.

Pinpointing the Tactical Problems

One can observe clear tactical issues. Integrating new additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a distinct style to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a difficulty. Likewise, incorporating a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a technical talent who improves those beside him, linking play effortlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Additionally, a number of players who excelled last campaign—such as 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 have one profound, recent experience: the tragic death of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Impact: Grief on the Field

We are now just more than three short months since the tragic loss of their friend. Although the outside world progresses rapidly, diverting attention to other matters, the club's squad carry on going to work each day without their friend.

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

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented eloquently before a recent, drawing a comparison to his own experience of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are doing this season is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after the loss. I lived exactly the same thing when I was a player two decades past."

"It's not easy for the players, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the coach when you come to the training ground and you find every day that spot vacant. So you must be very strong. And this is the reason 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 summarized succinctly on a well-known supporter's show, the reminders are constant. They are reminded by his song in the first half, they notice his unused locker in the dressing room. Even during matches, a through ball might be played and the thought arises: 'Ah, Diogo would have reached that.' When the Egyptian was seen crying in front of the Kop a few games ago, it indicates that all is not normal.

The Boundaries of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

Having reporting on football for twenty years, one realizes there is a fundamental superficiality in most analysis. We simply cannot know how an player is feeling at any given time and how that affects their play. Jota's death is one of the most stark examples. We are aware a terrible event occurred, and we comprehend the concept of grief. But further lies an immeasurable level of impact on various individuals at the organization. It is very possible that some of the players themselves don't fully grasp its influence from one day to the next.

The way the press reports on this and how supporters analyze performances is obviously not the primary factor. On a functional basis, mentioning Jota's passing is difficult to do in a brief soundbite before moving on to tactical concerns. Outside of this particular event and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface every critique of a player with an acknowledgment that we know so little about their private circumstances—be it their parental relationships, personal struggles, or marital difficulties.

A former pro player, Nedum Onuoha, lately talked on a broadcast about how his mother's death midway through his playing days affected his love for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he stated. "The high points and the lows that come with it no longer felt the same after that." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three months.

The Final Point

Therefore, whatever Liverpool achieve in the coming months—be it success or if it's nothing—whether or not we don't mention it every time we analyze their fixtures, and even if it isn't the cause for their eventual outcome, we should not forget that a short time ago they lost not merely a brilliant player, but, crucially, they lost a dear friend.