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

But, subsequently the tide turned. Liverpool persisted with mediocre showings and began losing points. Meanwhile, the North London club, renowned for their stubborn backline and strength in depth, started narrowing the distance at the summit.

Defining a Slump in Modern Football

Can three consecutive losses represent a crisis? As with most sporting discussions, it depends completely on your definition of the central word. Is Paul Scholes world class? How do you define "elite" actually mean? Is the Birmingham club a big team? What constitutes "big"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Well, perhaps that's one we can settle.

For a club of this club's stature and previous campaign's brilliance, a mini crisis seems a reasonable description. On a recent broadcast, former forward Neil Mellor was asked how many defeats in a row would trigger alarm. His reply was six. Currently, they are halfway to that point.

Pinpointing the Tactical Issues

There are obvious footballing problems. Assimilating new additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different skill set to previous key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a difficulty. Likewise, blending in a talented attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the engine room. Observers of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative player who elevates those around him, linking play effortlessly rather than forcing himself on the game.

Additionally, a host of players who excelled last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently below their best. In fact, most of the team is. And every one of them have one significant, recent experience: the passing of their teammate and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Loss on the Field

We are now just over three months since the tragic loss of their teammate. Although the wider world moves on quickly, shifting attention to other matters, Liverpool's squad carry on training and playing each day without their friend.

It is impossible to gauge how each individual and member of the backroom team is coping on any given day. There is a great deal of projection. Perhaps Salah failed to defend in a particular match because he lacked energy. But perhaps his form is down a small per cent due to the fact he misses his friend.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke insightfully before a fixture, drawing a parallel to his own situation of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "The way they are doing this season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's tragedy. I lived exactly the same experience when I was a player two decades past."

"It is difficult for the squad, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the manager when you come to the training complex and you see daily that spot vacant. So you have to be very strong. And this is the explanation why for me they are doing not good, even better than good. Because they are attempting to handle a problem that is not easy."

Just as summarized succinctly on a popular fan podcast, the reminders are constant. They are reminded by his song in the 20th minute, they notice his unused locker in the changing room. Even during matches, a through ball might be played and the thought arises: 'Ah, Jota would have reached that.' If Salah was seen crying in front of the Kop a few games ago, it indicates that all is not all right.

The Boundaries of Punditry and Personal Grief

Having covering football for two decades, one realizes there is a fundamental superficiality in most punditry. We simply do not know how an individual is coping at any specific time and how that impacts their performance. Jota's passing is one of the clearest examples. We know a tragic event happened, and we understand the nature of grief. Beyond that lies an immeasurable level of effect on different people at the organization. It is very possible that some of the squad personally don't truly understand its effect from one moment to the next.

The way the media covers this and how fans analyze displays is clearly not the most important factor. On a functional level, mentioning Jota's passing is challenging to accomplish in a brief segment before transitioning to on-field issues. Outside of this specific tragedy and outside Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface every criticism of a player with an admission that we know so little about their personal lives—be it their family situation, personal struggles, or relationship difficulties.

A former pro footballer, Nedum Onuoha, recently spoke on radio about how his mother's passing midway through his playing days impacted his passion 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 just three short months.

The Concluding Thought

Therefore, whatever Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—if it's something or if it's nothing—whether or not we omit reference to it every time we analyze their fixtures, even if it is not the sole cause for their final result, we should not forget that a short time ago they suffered the loss of not just a brilliant footballer, but, crucially, they lost a friend.