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Just a couple of weeks back, the Merseyside club seemed set to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and possibly a further Champions League crown. Their ability to win despite not optimal displays felt like the hallmark of genuine title-winners.

But, then the momentum turned. Liverpool persisted with mediocre performances and started losing matches. Meanwhile, the North London club, renowned for their stubborn backline and strength in depth, started closing the distance at the summit.

Defining a Crisis in Modern Football

Does three consecutive defeats constitute a crisis? Like many football debates, it hinges completely on your definition of the central term. Was the United midfielder world class? What does "elite" even mean? Is the Birmingham club a major team? What constitutes "big"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Well, maybe that is a question we can answer.

At a team of this club's stature and last season's brilliance, a minor setback appears a reasonable assessment. On a recent radio show, ex- forward Neil Mellor was questioned how many defeats in a row would cause panic. His answer was six. Currently, they are midway to that point.

Identifying the Tactical Issues

One can observe obvious footballing issues. Integrating new additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a distinct skill set to departed key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Likewise, blending in a talented attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a creative player who elevates those beside him, connecting play effortlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Additionally, a host of individuals who shone last campaign—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. Actually, most of the squad are. And they all share one profound, recent experience: the passing of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Impact: Loss on the Pitch

It has been just over three months since the tragic passing of their friend. While the outside world progresses quickly, shifting focus to other events, the club's squad continue training and playing day after day without their friend.

This is not possible to gauge how every player and member of the backroom team is dealing from one day to the next. There is a great deal of projection. Perhaps Salah didn't track back in a particular match because he was tired. But maybe his performance level is down a small per cent because he is grieving for his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented insightfully before a fixture, drawing a parallel to his personal situation of the loss of a teammate, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are doing this season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after the loss. I went through a very similar thing when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It is difficult 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 find daily that place empty. So you have to be very strong. And this is the explanation why for me they are performing not good, but exceptionally well. Because they are trying to handle a situation that is not easy."

Just as explained well on a popular fan podcast, the memory triggers are constant. They hear his chant in the first half, they see his unused peg in the changing room. In the middle of games, a pass might be played and the realization arises: 'Ah, Diogo would have reached that.' When the Egyptian was seen crying in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that everything is far from all right.

The Limits of Punditry and Personal Grief

Having covering football for twenty years, one comes to believe there is a fundamental lack of depth in most analysis. We genuinely do not know how an individual is coping at any specific moment and how that affects their play. Jota's passing is one of the clearest examples. We know a tragic thing happened, and we comprehend the concept of sorrow. Beyond that lies an immeasurable layer of effect on different people at the organization. It is highly likely that some of the squad personally do not truly understand its influence from one day to the next.

The way the press covers this and how fans analyze displays is clearly far from the primary factor. On a practical basis, mentioning Jota's passing is challenging to do in a short segment before transitioning to tactical concerns. Outside of this specific tragedy and outside Liverpool, it would seem strange to qualify every criticism of a footballer with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their personal lives—be it their parental situation, health challenges, or marital problems.

An ex- pro footballer, the defender, lately talked on radio about how his mother's death halfway through his playing days affected his love for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he stated. "The highs and the low points that accompany it didn't really feel the same after that." 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 this season—be it success or if it's nothing—even if we don't mention it whenever we analyze their matches, and even if it is not the sole reason for their eventual outcome, we must remember that a few weeks ago they lost not just a brilliant player, but, crucially, they said goodbye to a friend.