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Only a couple of weeks back, Liverpool seemed destined to secure back-to-back Premier League titles and possibly a further Champions League trophy. The team's capacity to secure victories without peak performances seemed like the hallmark of true title-winners.

However, subsequently the momentum turned. The Anfield side continued with average showings and began dropping matches. Meanwhile, the North London club, renowned for their resolute backline and squad depth, started closing the gap at the summit.

Defining a Slump in Today's Game

Can a trio of straight losses constitute a crisis? As with most football debates, it hinges entirely on your interpretation of the central word. Was the United midfielder world class? What does "world class" even signify? Are Aston Villa a big team? What constitutes "big"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Alright, maybe that is a question we can answer.

For a club of Liverpool's size and last season's brilliance, a minor setback seems a reasonable description. On a recent broadcast, ex- forward Neil Mellor was asked how many defeats in a row would trigger alarm. His reply was six. Currently, they are halfway to that threshold.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Problems

There are obvious tactical problems. Integrating new signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a different skill set to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Likewise, blending in a gifted playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the midfield. Observers of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative player who elevates those beside him, connecting play effortlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Additionally, a number of players who excelled last season—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. Actually, the majority of the team are. Yet they all have one significant, fresh event: the tragic death of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Effect: Loss on the Field

We are now just more than three months since the tragic loss of their friend. Although the wider world moves on rapidly, shifting focus to global events, the club's squad carry on going to work day after day in the absence of their friend.

It is impossible to know how each individual and member of the backroom team is dealing from one day to the next. There is a great deal of speculation. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a particular match because he was tired. But 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 recent, making a parallel to his own experience of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "The way they are performing this campaign is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after the tragedy. I lived a very similar experience when I was a player 20 years ago."

"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 ground and you find every day that place vacant. So you have to be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are performing not good, but exceptionally well. Because they are attempting to handle a situation that is not easy."

Just as summarized well on a popular supporter's show, the reminders are constant. They are reminded by his chant in the 20th minute, they notice his empty locker in the dressing room. In the middle of matches, a through ball might be made and the thought arises: 'Oh, Diogo would have been there.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that all is not normal.

The Limits of Punditry and Human Emotion

After reporting on football for two decades, one comes to believe there is a inherent lack of depth in most punditry. We simply cannot know how an individual is coping at any given moment and how that affects their performance. Jota's passing is one of the clearest examples. We are aware a tragic thing occurred, and we understand the concept of grief. But further lies an immeasurable layer of effect on different individuals at the club. It is highly likely that some of the players themselves don't truly grasp its effect from one day to the next.

The way the media reports on this and how supporters analyze displays is clearly far from the primary thing. On a practical basis, bringing up Jota's passing is difficult to do in a short soundbite before moving on to tactical issues. Beyond this particular event and beyond Liverpool, it would seem strange to preface every criticism of a player with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their personal lives—be it their parental relationships, health struggles, or marital problems.

An ex- professional player, the defender, recently talked on radio about how his mother's death midway through his career impacted his passion for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he said. "Some of the high points 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 only three months.

The Concluding Thought

Therefore, whatever Liverpool accomplish this season—if it's something or if it's nothing—even if we don't mention it every time we analyze their matches, even if it is not the sole reason for their eventual result, we should not forget that a short time ago they lost not just a brilliant player, but, more importantly, they said goodbye to a friend.