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Only a few weeks back, Liverpool appeared destined to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially another Champions League trophy. Their ability to secure victories despite not peak displays seemed like the hallmark of true champions.

But, subsequently the momentum turned. The Anfield side continued with average showings and began dropping points. At the same time, Arsenal, renowned for their stubborn defense and strength in depth, started narrowing the gap at the top.

Defining a Slump in Modern Football

Does three consecutive losses constitute a collapse? As with many football debates, it hinges entirely on your definition of the central word. Was the United midfielder elite? How do you define "world class" even signify? Are Aston Villa a major club? What defines "big"? Are Manchester United back? Well, perhaps that's a question we might answer.

At a team of Liverpool's size and previous campaign's excellence, a mini crisis seems a fair description. On a recent broadcast, 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 point.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Issues

There are clear tactical problems. Assimilating new signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct style to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a difficulty. Similarly, incorporating a talented playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the midfield. Observers of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a creative talent who improves those around him, linking play seamlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Additionally, a number of individuals who excelled last campaign—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. In fact, most of the squad is. Yet every one of them share one significant, recent event: the passing of their colleague and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Impact: Loss on the Pitch

It has been just more than three months since the tragic passing of their teammate. Although the wider world moves on quickly, shifting focus to other events, the club's players continue going to work day after day in the absence of their friend.

It is impossible to gauge how each individual and staff member is dealing on any given day. There is a significant amount of speculation. Perhaps Salah failed to defend in a particular match simply he was tired. Or perhaps his performance level is down a few per cent due to the fact he misses his friend.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented insightfully before a fixture, drawing a comparison to his own situation of losing a teammate, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are performing this campaign is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after the loss. I went through a very similar thing when I was a player two decades past."

"It's not easy for the players, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the manager when you come to the training complex and you find every day that spot vacant. So you have to be incredibly resilient. And this is the explanation why for me they are performing not well, even better than good. Because they are attempting to handle a problem that is not easy."

As summarized well on a popular supporter's show, the memory triggers are constant. The players hear his chant in the 20th minute, they see his unused locker in the changing room. Even during games, a pass might be made and the realization arises: 'Ah, Jota would have reached that.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that all is not all right.

The Boundaries of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

Having covering football for twenty years, one comes to believe there is a fundamental lack of depth in most punditry. We simply cannot know how an individual is coping at any specific time and how that impacts their play. Jota's passing is one of the clearest examples. We know a terrible thing occurred, and we comprehend the nature of grief. Beyond that lies an immeasurable layer of effect on different people at the organization. It is highly likely that some of the squad personally don't fully grasp its effect from one day to the next.

The way the media covers this and how fans dissect displays is obviously far from the most important thing. On a practical basis, mentioning Jota's passing is difficult to do in a brief soundbite before moving on to on-field concerns. Beyond this particular tragedy and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface every criticism of a footballer with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their personal lives—be it their parental situation, personal challenges, or marital problems.

A former pro player, Nedum Onuoha, lately spoke 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 stated. "Some of the highs and the lows that accompany it didn't really feel the same after that." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three short months.

The Concluding Point

Therefore, whatever Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—be it success or if it's nothing—whether or not we omit reference to it whenever we discuss their fixtures, and even if it isn't the cause for their final result, we must remember that a short time ago they suffered the loss of not just a brilliant footballer, but, more importantly, they said goodbye to a dear friend.