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Only a few weeks back, Liverpool appeared set to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and possibly another Champions League crown. Their ability to win without optimal performances seemed like the hallmark of genuine title-winners.

However, subsequently the momentum turned. The Anfield side persisted with average performances and began dropping points. At the same time, Arsenal, renowned for their resolute backline and strength in depth, began closing the gap at the top.

Understanding a Slump in Modern Football

Does three straight losses represent a crisis? Like many football debates, it hinges completely on your definition of the key term. Was the United midfielder elite? How do you define "elite" actually signify? Is the Birmingham club a big team? What defines "major"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Well, maybe that is one we might answer.

For a club of Liverpool's size and last season's excellence, a mini setback appears a fair description. During a radio show, former forward Neil Mellor was questioned how many defeats in a row would trigger alarm. His reply was six. Currently, they are midway to that particular threshold.

Identifying the Tactical Problems

One can observe clear tactical problems. Integrating new signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a different style to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a difficulty. Similarly, incorporating a gifted playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the midfield. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a technical talent who improves those around him, linking play seamlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Additionally, a host of players who excelled last season—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now underperforming. Actually, most of the team are. And every one of them share one significant, recent event: the passing of their teammate and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Impact: Loss on the Pitch

It has been just over three short months since the tragic loss of their friend. While the outside world moves on quickly, diverting attention to other events, the club's squad continue training and playing day after day in the absence of their friend.

It is not possible to know how every individual and member of the backroom team is dealing from one day to the next. It requires a significant amount of speculation. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a recent match simply he lacked energy. Or perhaps his form is down a small percentage points due to the fact he misses his pal.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented eloquently before a fixture, making a parallel to his own situation of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "How they are doing this season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after the loss. I lived exactly the same thing when I was a player two decades past."

"It is difficult for the players, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the manager when you arrive at the training ground and you find every day that place empty. So you must be very strong. And this is the explanation why for me they are performing not well, even better than good. Because they are trying to deal with a situation that is not easy."

Just as explained well on a well-known fan podcast, the memory triggers are constant. The players are reminded by his song in the first half, they notice his empty locker in the dressing room. In the middle of matches, a through ball might be played and the realization arises: 'Ah, Diogo would have been there.' When the Egyptian showed emotion in front of the Kop a few games ago, it signals that everything is far from all right.

The Boundaries of Punditry and Human Emotion

After reporting on football for twenty years, one realizes there is a fundamental lack of depth in the majority of punditry. We genuinely do not know how an player is feeling at any given time and how that impacts their performance. Jota's passing is one of the most stark illustrations. We know a terrible thing occurred, and we understand the nature of sorrow. But further lies an intangible layer of effect on different individuals at the club. It is very possible that some of the players personally do not truly understand its effect from one moment to the next.

The way the media covers this and how fans analyze performances is clearly not the most important thing. On a functional basis, bringing up Jota's death is difficult to accomplish in a brief segment before moving on to on-field concerns. Outside of this specific tragedy and outside Liverpool, it would seem strange to qualify every criticism of a player with an admission that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their parental situation, personal struggles, or marital difficulties.

A former professional footballer, the defender, lately spoke on a broadcast about how his mother's death midway through his career impacted his love for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he stated. "Some of the highs and the lows that accompany it no longer felt 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 Thought

So, whatever Liverpool achieve this season—be it success or if it's nothing—whether or not we don't mention it whenever we analyze their fixtures, and 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, more importantly, they lost a dear friend.