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Only a couple of weeks back, Liverpool appeared destined to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and possibly a further Champions League trophy. Their ability to secure victories without optimal displays felt like the mark of genuine title-winners.

But, then the momentum turned. Liverpool persisted with average showings and began losing matches. At the same time, Arsenal, known for their stubborn backline and squad depth, began narrowing the gap at the summit.

Understanding a Slump in Today's Game

Does three straight defeats represent a crisis? As with most football debates, it hinges entirely on your definition of the key word. Was the United midfielder world class? How do you define "world class" actually mean? Is the Birmingham club a big team? What constitutes "major"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Well, maybe that's one we can answer.

For a club of this club's size and last season's brilliance, a minor setback appears a reasonable description. On a recent radio show, ex- striker Neil Mellor was asked how many defeats in a row would trigger alarm. His answer was six. Currently, they are midway to that particular threshold.

Identifying the On-Pitch Issues

There are obvious tactical issues. Assimilating recent signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different style to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a difficulty. Similarly, incorporating a talented playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a creative player who elevates those beside him, connecting play effortlessly rather than forcing himself upon the game.

Furthermore, a number of individuals who excelled last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently underperforming. In fact, the majority of the squad are. Yet every one of them share one profound, fresh experience: the passing of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Effect: Grief on the Pitch

We are now just more than three months since the tragic passing of their teammate. While the wider world moves on quickly, diverting attention to other events, the club's players continue going to work each day in the absence of their friend.

It is impossible to know how every player and member of the backroom team is dealing on any given day. It requires a significant amount of projection. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a recent match simply he was tired. Or maybe his performance level is down a few percentage points because he is grieving for his friend.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented eloquently before a fixture, making a comparison to his own situation of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "How they are doing this campaign is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's loss. I lived exactly the same thing when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It is difficult for the players, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the manager when you come to the training ground and you find daily that place empty. So you have to be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are doing not well, even better than good. Because they are trying to deal with a problem that is not easy."

As summarized succinctly on a popular fan podcast, the memory triggers are constant. They hear his chant in the first half, they see his unused locker in the changing room. Even during games, a through ball might be made and the realization arises: 'Ah, Diogo would have been there.' If Salah 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 Human Emotion

After reporting on football for twenty years, one comes to believe there is a inherent lack of depth in the majority of punditry. We simply cannot know how an individual is feeling at any given moment and how that impacts their performance. Jota's death is one of the clearest illustrations. We are aware a tragic event happened, and we comprehend the concept of sorrow. But further lies an immeasurable layer of effect on different individuals at the organization. It is very possible that some of the players themselves do not fully understand its effect from one moment to the next.

The way the press reports on this and how supporters dissect displays is obviously not the primary thing. On a functional basis, mentioning Jota's passing is difficult to do in a brief soundbite before moving on to tactical issues. Outside of this particular tragedy and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify each criticism of a player with an admission that we know so little about their personal lives—be it their family relationships, health challenges, or relationship problems.

An ex- pro footballer, the defender, 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 said. "The highs and the lows that come with it didn't really feel the same after that." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three short months.

The Concluding Point

Therefore, whatever Liverpool achieve this season—be it success or failure—whether or not we omit reference to it whenever we discuss their matches, even if it is not the sole cause for their final result, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they lost not just a brilliant player, but, crucially, they lost a dear friend.