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Only a couple of weeks back, Liverpool appeared destined to secure back-to-back Premier League titles and possibly a further Champions League trophy. The team's ability to win without peak displays felt like the mark of true champions.

But, then the momentum turned. Liverpool persisted with mediocre showings and began dropping points. Meanwhile, the North London club, renowned for their stubborn defense and squad depth, started closing the distance at the summit.

Understanding a Slump in Modern Football

Does three consecutive defeats constitute a collapse? As with most sporting discussions, it depends entirely on your interpretation of the key term. Is Paul Scholes elite? How do you define "elite" even mean? Are Aston Villa a major club? What constitutes "major"? Are Manchester United back? Well, perhaps that is one we might settle.

For a club of Liverpool's stature and previous campaign's excellence, a mini crisis appears a fair description. During a radio show, former forward Neil Mellor was questioned how many defeats in a row would trigger panic. His answer was six. Currently, they are midway to that particular threshold.

Identifying the Tactical Problems

One can observe clear tactical problems. Integrating recent additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a different style to previous key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a difficulty. Similarly, incorporating a gifted playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the midfield. Observers of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative talent who improves those beside him, connecting play effortlessly rather than forcing himself upon the game.

Furthermore, a host of individuals who excelled last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently below their best. In fact, the majority of the squad is. And they all have one significant, fresh experience: the tragic death of their teammate and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Effect: Loss on the Field

It has been just more than three months since the tragic loss of their teammate. While the outside world progresses rapidly, shifting focus to other matters, Liverpool's players carry on training and playing each day without their friend.

This is impossible to gauge how every individual and member of the backroom team is coping from one day to the next. There is a great deal of speculation. Perhaps Salah didn't track back in a recent match because he lacked energy. Or maybe his performance level is down a few per cent because he is grieving for his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke eloquently before a fixture, drawing a parallel to his personal experience of the loss of a teammate, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "The way they are performing this campaign is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after the loss. I lived a very similar experience when I was a player two decades past."

"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 spot vacant. So you have to be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are doing not good, even better than good. Because they are attempting to handle a problem that is not easy."

Just as summarized well on a popular fan podcast, the memory triggers are ongoing. They hear his song in the 20th minute, they notice his empty locker in the changing room. Even during games, a through ball might be made and the thought arises: 'Ah, Diogo would have reached that.' If Salah was seen crying in front of the Kop a matches ago, it signals that all is far from all right.

The Boundaries of Punditry and Personal Grief

Having reporting on football for twenty years, one comes to believe there is a fundamental lack of depth in the majority of analysis. We genuinely cannot know how an player is coping at any given time and how that affects their play. Jota's passing is one of the most stark examples. We know a tragic event happened, and we understand the nature of grief. Beyond that lies an immeasurable layer of effect on various people at the organization. It is highly likely that some of the squad personally don't fully understand its effect from one moment to the next.

How the press reports on this and how fans analyze displays is clearly not the most important factor. On a functional level, bringing up Jota's death is challenging to accomplish in a brief soundbite before transitioning to on-field concerns. Beyond this particular tragedy and beyond Liverpool, it would seem strange to preface each critique 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, Nedum Onuoha, lately spoke on radio about how his mother's passing midway through his playing days impacted his love for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he stated. "Some of the highs and the lows that come with it didn't really feel the same any more." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three short months.

The Concluding Point

Therefore, whatever Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—be it success or if it's nothing—whether or not we don't mention it every time we discuss their fixtures, and even if it is not the sole cause for their final result, we must remember that a short time ago they lost not just a brilliant footballer, but, crucially, they said goodbye to a friend.