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Only a few weeks ago, Liverpool seemed destined to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially a further Champions League crown. The team's ability to win without peak performances felt like the mark of genuine champions.

But, then the momentum turned. The Anfield side persisted with mediocre performances and began dropping points. At the same time, the North London club, known for their resolute backline and squad depth, began closing the gap at the summit.

Defining a Slump in Modern Football

Can three consecutive losses represent a crisis? Like most sporting discussions, it depends completely on your definition of the key term. Is Paul Scholes world class? How do you define "elite" actually signify? Are Aston Villa a major team? What defines "major"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Well, maybe that is a question we can settle.

At a team of Liverpool's stature and previous campaign's excellence, a mini crisis appears a reasonable description. On a recent radio show, ex- forward Neil Mellor was asked how many losses in a row would trigger alarm. His answer was six. Currently, they are halfway to that particular threshold.

Identifying the Tactical Issues

There are obvious tactical issues. Integrating recent additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct style to departed key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a challenge. Likewise, blending in a gifted playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the engine room. Observers of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a creative talent who improves those beside him, linking play effortlessly rather than forcing himself on the game.

Furthermore, a host of individuals who excelled last campaign—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently underperforming. Actually, most of the squad is. Yet they all have one significant, fresh event: the tragic death of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Grief on the Field

It has been just over three short months since the devastating passing of their teammate. Although the outside world moves on rapidly, shifting focus to other events, the club's players carry on going to work day after day without their friend.

It is not possible to gauge how each individual and staff member is dealing from one day to the next. There is a great deal of projection. Perhaps Salah failed to defend in a particular match because he was tired. Or maybe his performance level is down a few percentage points due to the fact he is grieving for his pal.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke eloquently before a recent, drawing a parallel to his personal situation of the loss of a teammate, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are performing 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 players, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the manager when you come to the training complex and you find every day that spot empty. So you have to be very strong. And this is the explanation why for me they are doing not good, even better than good. Because they are trying to handle a situation that is not easy."

Just as summarized succinctly on a popular fan podcast, the memory triggers are ongoing. The players are reminded by his song in the first half, they notice his empty peg in the changing room. Even during games, a through ball might be played and the realization arises: 'Ah, Jota would have been there.' When the Egyptian was seen crying in front of the Kop a few games ago, it signals that everything is not normal.

The Limits of Punditry and Personal Grief

Having reporting on football for twenty years, one comes to believe there is a fundamental superficiality in the majority of punditry. We simply cannot know how an individual is feeling at any specific time and how that impacts their performance. Jota's passing is one of the clearest 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 organization. It is highly likely that a few of the players personally don't truly understand its influence from one moment to the next.

How the media reports on this and how supporters dissect displays is obviously far from the primary factor. On a functional basis, mentioning Jota's passing is difficult to do in a brief segment before transitioning to on-field concerns. Outside of this particular tragedy and outside Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify every criticism of a player with an acknowledgment that we know so little about their personal lives—be it their parental relationships, personal challenges, or marital problems.

A former pro footballer, Nedum Onuoha, recently talked on a broadcast about how his mother's passing halfway through his career impacted his passion for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he stated. "Some of 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 just three short months.

The Final Thought

So, regardless of what Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—be it success or failure—whether or not we omit reference to it every time we discuss their matches, and even if it isn't the reason for their final result, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they lost not just a brilliant footballer, but, crucially, they lost a dear friend.