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Only a couple of weeks back, Liverpool seemed set to secure back-to-back Premier League titles and potentially a further Champions League crown. Their ability to secure victories despite not peak performances felt like the mark of genuine title-winners.

But, subsequently the momentum shifted. The Anfield side continued with mediocre performances and began losing points. At the same time, the North London club, renowned for their resolute backline and strength in depth, began narrowing the gap at the summit.

Understanding a Crisis in Today's Game

Does a trio of straight defeats constitute a crisis? Like many sporting discussions, it depends entirely on your definition of the central term. Is Paul Scholes elite? What does "world class" actually mean? Are Aston Villa a big club? What defines "major"? Are Manchester United back? Well, maybe that's one we can settle.

At a team of Liverpool's size and previous campaign's excellence, a mini crisis appears a fair description. On a recent radio show, ex- forward Neil Mellor was questioned how many losses in a row would cause alarm. His answer was six. At present, they are midway to that point.

Identifying the Tactical Problems

There are obvious footballing issues. Integrating new signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different skill set to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a difficulty. Likewise, blending in a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a creative player who improves those beside him, linking play effortlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Additionally, a number of individuals who shone last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. In fact, the majority of the team is. And every one of them have one profound, fresh experience: the passing of their colleague and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Impact: Grief on the Field

We are now just more than three short months since the tragic loss of their teammate. Although the wider world moves on rapidly, shifting attention to other events, Liverpool's squad continue training and playing each day in the absence of their friend.

It is impossible to gauge how every individual and staff member is dealing on any given day. There is a great deal of speculation. Maybe Salah didn't track back in a particular match simply he lacked energy. Or maybe his performance level is down a small percentage points because he misses his pal.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented eloquently before a fixture, making a parallel to his own experience of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are performing this season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after the loss. I lived a very similar experience when I was a player two decades past."

"It's not easy for the squad, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the manager when you come to the training complex and you see every day that spot empty. So you must be incredibly resilient. And this is the reason why for me they are doing not good, even better than good. Because they are attempting to handle a situation that is not easy."

As explained succinctly on a well-known supporter's show, the memory triggers are constant. They hear his song in the first half, they see his empty peg in the changing room. Even during games, a pass might be played and the realization arises: 'Ah, Jota would have reached that.' When the Egyptian was seen crying in front of the Kop a matches ago, it signals that all is not all right.

The Limits of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

Having covering football for two decades, one comes to believe there is a inherent lack of depth in most punditry. We genuinely do not know how an player is coping at any specific time and how that impacts their play. Jota's death is one of the most stark examples. We are aware a tragic thing occurred, and we understand the nature of grief. But further lies an intangible layer of impact on various people at the organization. It is highly likely that some of the players themselves do not truly understand its influence from one moment to the next.

How the media covers this and how fans analyze displays is obviously not the most important factor. On a practical level, mentioning Jota's death is difficult to accomplish in a brief soundbite before transitioning to tactical issues. Beyond this specific event and beyond Liverpool, it would seem strange to preface each criticism of a player with an admission that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their parental relationships, personal challenges, or marital difficulties.

An ex- professional player, Nedum Onuoha, lately spoke on radio about how his mother's passing midway through his career impacted his love for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he said. "The high points and the lows that come with it no longer felt the same any more." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three short months.

The Final Point

Therefore, 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 matches, even if it isn't the reason for their eventual result, we must remember that a few weeks ago they suffered the loss of not just a brilliant footballer, but, more importantly, they said goodbye to a friend.