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Just a few weeks back, the Merseyside club appeared destined to secure back-to-back Premier League championships and possibly another Champions League crown. The team's capacity to win without peak performances felt like the hallmark of true champions.

However, then the momentum turned. The Anfield side continued with mediocre performances and started losing points. Meanwhile, the North London club, known for their resolute backline and strength in depth, started closing the gap at the top.

Understanding a Slump in Today's Game

Does a trio of straight losses constitute a collapse? As with most sporting discussions, it depends entirely on your definition of the key word. Is Paul Scholes elite? How do you define "elite" actually signify? Is the Birmingham club a major team? What constitutes "major"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Alright, maybe that is a question we might settle.

For a club of this club's stature and previous campaign's brilliance, a minor crisis appears a fair description. On a recent radio show, ex- striker Neil Mellor was asked how many defeats in a row would trigger alarm. His reply was six. At present, they are midway to that point.

Identifying the Tactical Problems

There are clear footballing problems. Integrating new additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a distinct style to previous key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a difficulty. Likewise, incorporating a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the midfield. Observers of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a creative player who improves those beside him, connecting play seamlessly rather than forcing himself on the game.

Furthermore, a number of individuals who excelled last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently underperforming. Actually, most of the team are. Yet they all have one significant, recent experience: the tragic death of their teammate and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Impact: Loss on the Field

We are now just over three months since the tragic loss of their teammate. Although the wider world moves on rapidly, shifting attention to global matters, Liverpool's squad continue training and playing day after day without their mate.

It is not possible to gauge how every player and staff member is dealing from one day to the next. It requires a significant amount of projection. Maybe Salah didn't track back in a particular match because he was tired. But maybe his form is down a few per cent due to the fact he misses his friend.

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

"It's not easy for the players, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the manager when you arrive at the training complex and you see daily that place empty. So you must be incredibly resilient. And this is the explanation why for me they are doing not well, but exceptionally well. Because they are trying to handle a problem that is not easy."

Just as explained succinctly on a well-known fan podcast, the reminders are ongoing. They are reminded by his chant in the first half, they see his unused peg in the changing room. Even during matches, a through ball might be played and the realization arises: 'Oh, Diogo would have reached that.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a few games ago, it indicates that all is not all right.

The Boundaries of Punditry and Human Emotion

Having reporting on football for two decades, one comes to believe there is a fundamental lack of depth in the majority of punditry. We simply cannot know how an individual is feeling at any given moment and how that impacts their performance. Jota's death is one of the most stark illustrations. We are aware a terrible thing occurred, and we understand the concept of grief. Beyond that lies an immeasurable level of effect on different people at the club. It is very possible that some of the squad personally don't fully understand its influence from one day to the next.

How the media covers this and how supporters analyze performances is obviously not the primary factor. On a functional level, bringing up Jota's passing is difficult to accomplish in a brief soundbite before transitioning to tactical issues. Outside of this particular event and outside 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 parental situation, health challenges, or marital problems.

A former professional player, the defender, recently 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. "The high points and the low points that come with it no longer felt the same any more." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three months.

The Concluding Thought

Therefore, whatever Liverpool achieve in the coming months—be it success or failure—even if we omit reference to it every time we analyze their matches, and even if it is not the sole cause for their final outcome, we must remember that a short time ago they lost not just a exceptional footballer, but, more importantly, they said goodbye to a friend.