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Only a few weeks back, the Merseyside club appeared set to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and potentially another Champions League trophy. The team's capacity to win despite not optimal displays seemed like the mark of true title-winners.

But, subsequently the tide turned. Liverpool persisted with mediocre performances and started dropping points. At the same time, Arsenal, known for their resolute defense and strength in depth, began narrowing the distance at the top.

Understanding a Crisis in Today's Game

Can three consecutive losses constitute a collapse? Like many sporting discussions, it hinges completely on your definition of the key term. Was the United midfielder world class? How do you define "elite" actually mean? Is the Birmingham club a big team? What defines "big"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Well, maybe that's one we can answer.

For a club of Liverpool's stature and previous campaign's excellence, a mini setback appears a fair assessment. On a recent broadcast, ex- striker Neil Mellor was asked how many defeats in a row would cause alarm. His reply was six. Currently, they are midway to that threshold.

Identifying the On-Pitch Issues

There are clear tactical problems. Assimilating recent signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different style to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Similarly, incorporating a gifted playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the midfield. Experts of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a technical talent who improves those around him, linking play effortlessly rather than forcing himself on the game.

Additionally, a number of players who shone last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now underperforming. Actually, the majority of the squad is. And they all have one profound, fresh experience: the tragic death of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Impact: Grief on the Field

It has been just more than three short months since the devastating loss of their teammate. Although the wider world moves on quickly, diverting attention to global events, Liverpool's squad carry on training and playing each day in the absence of their friend.

This is not possible to know how each individual and member of the backroom team is coping on any given day. It requires a great deal of projection. Perhaps Salah failed to defend in a particular match because he lacked energy. Or perhaps his performance level is down a small percentage points due to the fact he is grieving for his friend.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke eloquently before a recent, drawing a parallel to his personal experience of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are doing this season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after Jota's tragedy. I lived exactly the same thing when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It's not easy for the players, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the manager when you arrive at the training complex and you find daily that spot empty. So you have to be very strong. And this is the explanation why for me they are performing not good, even better than good. Because they are attempting to deal with a problem that is not easy."

Just as summarized well on a popular fan podcast, the reminders are constant. The players hear his chant in the 20th minute, they see his unused peg in the changing room. Even during matches, a pass 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 few games ago, it indicates that all is not normal.

The Boundaries of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

After reporting on football for twenty years, one comes to believe there is a fundamental lack of depth in most analysis. We genuinely do not know how an individual is coping at any specific moment and how that impacts their performance. Jota's death is one of the most stark illustrations. We are aware a tragic event happened, and we understand the concept of grief. But further lies an immeasurable layer of impact on various people at the organization. It is very possible that some of the squad themselves don't truly grasp its effect from one day to the next.

How the press covers this and how supporters analyze performances is obviously far from the most important thing. On a functional level, bringing up Jota's passing is difficult to do in a brief segment before transitioning to tactical issues. Outside of this particular event and outside Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify each criticism of a player with an acknowledgment that we know so little about their private circumstances—be it their family situation, personal struggles, or marital difficulties.

An ex- professional footballer, the defender, lately spoke on a broadcast about how his mother's passing midway through his playing days affected his love for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he stated. "The highs and the low points that come with it didn't really feel the same after that." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three months.

The Final Point

So, whatever Liverpool achieve in the coming months—if it's something or failure—even if we omit reference to it whenever we discuss their matches, and even if it isn't the cause for their eventual outcome, we must remember that a short time ago they suffered the loss of not just a exceptional footballer, but, more importantly, they said goodbye to a friend.