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Just a couple of weeks ago, the Merseyside club appeared set to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and possibly a further Champions League trophy. Their capacity to secure victories without peak displays felt like the mark of genuine title-winners.

However, subsequently the tide shifted. The Anfield side persisted with mediocre showings and started dropping matches. Meanwhile, the North London club, known for their stubborn backline and squad depth, began narrowing the gap at the top.

Defining a Crisis in Modern Football

Can three straight defeats constitute a crisis? Like most football debates, it hinges completely on your interpretation of the key word. Was the United midfielder elite? How do you define "world class" even mean? Are Aston Villa a major club? What defines "major"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Well, maybe that is a question we might answer.

At a team of Liverpool's stature and previous campaign's excellence, a minor crisis appears a fair assessment. During a radio show, ex- forward Neil Mellor was asked how many defeats in a row would trigger alarm. His answer was six. Currently, they are halfway to that particular threshold.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Problems

One can observe obvious footballing issues. Integrating new signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct skill set to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Similarly, blending in a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the midfield. Experts of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a creative player who elevates those beside him, linking play seamlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Furthermore, a number of players who shone last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. In fact, most of the team are. Yet every one of them have one profound, fresh event: the passing of their colleague and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Effect: Grief on the Field

It has been just over three months since the tragic passing of their teammate. Although the outside world moves on rapidly, diverting attention to global events, the club's players continue training and playing each day in the absence of their mate.

It is not possible to gauge how each player and staff member is dealing from one day to the next. It requires a great deal of speculation. Perhaps Salah failed to defend in a particular match simply he lacked energy. Or maybe his performance level is down a small per cent because he misses his friend.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented eloquently before a fixture, making a parallel to his personal situation of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "How 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 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 see daily that spot empty. So you have to be very strong. And this is the explanation why for me they are performing not well, but exceptionally well. Because they are trying to handle a problem that is not easy."

Just as explained succinctly on a popular supporter's show, the reminders are constant. They are reminded by his chant in the first half, they notice his unused peg in the changing 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 signals that everything is far from normal.

The Limits of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

Having reporting on football for twenty years, one realizes there is a inherent lack of depth in the majority of analysis. We genuinely cannot know how an individual is feeling at any given moment and how that affects their play. Jota's death is one of the most stark illustrations. We know a tragic thing occurred, and we comprehend the nature of sorrow. Beyond that lies an intangible layer of impact on different individuals at the club. It is highly likely that a few of the players personally do not truly grasp its influence from one moment to the next.

The way the press covers this and how supporters dissect displays is clearly far from the most important factor. On a functional level, bringing up Jota's passing is difficult to accomplish in a short soundbite before transitioning to tactical concerns. Outside of this specific event and outside Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify every critique of a footballer with an admission that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their family situation, personal challenges, or relationship problems.

An ex- pro player, Nedum Onuoha, lately spoke on radio about how his mother's passing halfway through his career impacted his love 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 only three short months.

The Final Thought

So, regardless of what Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—if it's something or if it's nothing—even if we omit reference to it every time we discuss their fixtures, and even if it isn't the cause for their eventual outcome, we must remember that a few weeks ago they lost not merely a brilliant player, but, crucially, they said goodbye to a friend.