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Only a few weeks ago, the Merseyside club appeared set to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and potentially another Champions League trophy. The team's capacity to secure victories without peak displays felt like the mark of genuine champions.

However, subsequently the momentum shifted. The Anfield side continued with average performances and began dropping matches. Meanwhile, the North London club, renowned for their stubborn defense and strength in depth, began closing the gap at the top.

Understanding a Crisis in Modern Football

Does a trio of consecutive defeats represent a collapse? As with most sporting discussions, it hinges entirely on your definition of the key word. Was the United midfielder world class? What does "world class" actually mean? Are Aston Villa a major club? What defines "big"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Alright, maybe that is a question we can answer.

At a team of Liverpool's size and previous campaign's excellence, a minor crisis appears a fair description. On a recent radio show, former forward Neil Mellor was questioned how many defeats in a row would trigger panic. His reply was six. At present, they are halfway to that point.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Issues

One can observe clear tactical problems. Assimilating new additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct skill set to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a difficulty. Likewise, blending in a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a creative player who improves those beside him, connecting play effortlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Furthermore, a number of players who excelled last campaign—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 share one significant, recent experience: the tragic death of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Effect: Loss on the Pitch

We are now just over three short months since the devastating loss of their teammate. Although the wider world moves on quickly, shifting attention to other matters, Liverpool's players continue training and playing each day without their mate.

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 speculation. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a particular match because he was tired. Or maybe his performance level is down a few per cent because he misses his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented insightfully before a fixture, making a comparison to his personal experience of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are doing this season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after Jota's loss. I went through exactly the same experience when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It's not easy for the squad, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the coach when you arrive at the training complex and you find every day that place empty. So you have to be incredibly resilient. And this is the reason why for me they are performing not good, even better than good. Because they are trying to deal with a situation that is not easy."

As explained well on a popular supporter's show, the reminders are ongoing. The players hear his chant in the 20th minute, they notice his empty peg in the changing room. Even during games, a pass might be made and the thought 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 far from normal.

The Boundaries of Punditry and Human Emotion

Having covering football for twenty years, one realizes there is a inherent lack of depth in the majority of punditry. We simply do not know how an player is feeling at any specific time and how that affects their performance. Jota's death is one of the most stark examples. We know a terrible event happened, and we understand the concept of sorrow. Beyond that lies an immeasurable layer of effect on different people at the club. It is highly likely that a few of the squad themselves don't fully grasp its influence from one day to the next.

How the media covers this and how fans dissect performances is clearly far from the primary factor. On a practical basis, mentioning Jota's passing is challenging to do in a brief segment before moving on to tactical concerns. Beyond this particular tragedy and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify every criticism of a footballer with an acknowledgment that we know so little about their personal lives—be it their family situation, health struggles, or marital difficulties.

An ex- professional player, Nedum Onuoha, lately talked on radio about how his mother's death midway through his playing days impacted his passion for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he said. "Some of the highs and the lows that accompany it no longer felt the same any more." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three short months.

The Final Point

So, whatever Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—if it's something or if it's nothing—whether or not we don't mention it every time we discuss their matches, and even if it isn't the reason for their final result, we must remember that a short time ago they suffered the loss of not merely a exceptional footballer, but, crucially, they lost a dear friend.