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Just a few weeks ago, Liverpool appeared destined to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially a further Champions League trophy. The team's ability to secure victories without optimal performances seemed like the hallmark of genuine title-winners.

But, subsequently the momentum shifted. Liverpool continued with average showings and started losing matches. Meanwhile, Arsenal, renowned for their stubborn defense and strength in depth, started narrowing the gap at the summit.

Defining a Crisis in Modern Football

Can a trio of straight losses constitute a crisis? Like many football debates, it hinges completely on your definition of the central word. Was the United midfielder elite? What does "elite" actually mean? Is the Birmingham club a major team? What constitutes "big"? Is the Old Trafford outfit back? Alright, perhaps that is one we might answer.

At a team of Liverpool's stature and last season's brilliance, a minor crisis appears a fair assessment. On a recent radio show, ex- forward Neil Mellor was asked how many losses in a row would cause panic. His reply was six. At present, they are midway to that particular threshold.

Pinpointing the Tactical Problems

One can observe obvious tactical issues. Integrating new additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct style to previous key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a difficulty. Likewise, incorporating a talented playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the engine room. Observers of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a creative player who improves those beside him, linking play seamlessly rather than forcing himself upon the game.

Additionally, a number of individuals who excelled last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently below their best. Actually, most of the team are. And every one of them have one significant, fresh event: the passing of their colleague and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Impact: Grief on the Pitch

It has been just more than three months since the devastating passing of their friend. Although the outside world progresses quickly, shifting focus to other matters, the club's squad continue training and playing day after day in the absence of their mate.

This is impossible to know how every individual and staff member is dealing from one day to the next. It requires a significant amount of speculation. Perhaps Salah didn't track back in a recent match simply he was tired. But perhaps his form is down a small percentage points because he misses his friend.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke eloquently before a fixture, making a comparison to his personal situation of the loss of a teammate, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "The way they are performing this season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after the 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 coach when you come to the training complex and you find every day that place vacant. So you have to be incredibly resilient. And this is the reason why for me they are doing not good, but exceptionally well. Because they are trying to deal with a problem that is not easy."

Just as explained succinctly on a well-known fan podcast, the memory triggers are ongoing. They hear his song in the 20th minute, they notice his unused locker in the changing room. Even during matches, a through ball might be made and the realization arises: 'Ah, Diogo would have reached that.' When the Egyptian showed emotion in front of the Kop a few games ago, it signals that everything is not normal.

The Boundaries of Punditry and Human Emotion

Having covering football for two decades, one comes to believe there is a fundamental superficiality in most punditry. We simply do not know how an individual is feeling at any specific moment and how that affects their performance. Jota's passing is one of the most stark illustrations. We are aware a terrible thing happened, and we understand the nature of sorrow. Beyond that lies an immeasurable level of effect on various people at the organization. It is highly likely that a few of the squad personally don't fully understand its effect from one day to the next.

The way the media reports on this and how supporters dissect performances is obviously far from the most important factor. On a functional level, mentioning Jota's death is difficult to accomplish in a short segment before moving on to tactical issues. Beyond this particular tragedy and beyond Liverpool, it would seem strange to preface each criticism of a footballer with an admission that we know so little about their personal lives—be it their family situation, health struggles, or relationship difficulties.

A former professional player, the defender, recently talked on radio about how his mother's death halfway through his playing days impacted his love for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he said. "The high points and the low points 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 only three short months.

The Concluding Thought

So, whatever Liverpool accomplish this season—if it's something or if it's nothing—even if we omit reference to it whenever we analyze their matches, and even if it is not the sole cause for their eventual result, we should not forget that a short time ago they suffered the loss of not merely a exceptional player, but, crucially, they lost a dear friend.