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Only a few weeks back, Liverpool appeared destined to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially a further Champions League trophy. Their capacity to win without optimal performances seemed like the hallmark of genuine title-winners.

But, then the momentum turned. The Anfield side continued with average showings and started losing points. At the same time, Arsenal, known for their stubborn backline and strength in depth, began closing the distance at the top.

Understanding a Slump in Modern Football

Does a trio of straight losses represent a crisis? As with many sporting discussions, it hinges completely on your definition of the central word. Was the United midfielder elite? How do you define "world class" even signify? Is the Birmingham club a major club? What defines "major"? Are Manchester United back? Alright, perhaps that is one we might answer.

At a team of this club's stature and last season's excellence, a minor crisis appears a reasonable description. On a recent broadcast, former striker Neil Mellor was questioned how many losses in a row would trigger alarm. His reply was six. At present, they are midway to that particular point.

Pinpointing the Tactical Issues

One can observe clear footballing problems. Assimilating new signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different style to previous key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a difficulty. Likewise, incorporating a gifted playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the engine room. Observers of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a creative player who improves those around him, linking play effortlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Furthermore, a number of players who shone last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. In fact, most of the team is. And every one of them share one profound, fresh event: the tragic death of their colleague and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Impact: Loss on the Field

We are now just more than three months since the devastating loss of their teammate. Although the wider world progresses rapidly, shifting attention to global matters, the club's squad carry on training and playing day after day without their friend.

It is impossible to gauge how every individual and member of the backroom team is dealing from one day to the next. It requires a significant amount of projection. Perhaps Salah didn't track back in a recent match because he was tired. Or maybe his form is down a few per cent due to the fact he misses his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented eloquently before a recent, drawing a comparison to his personal situation of the loss of a teammate, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are performing this campaign is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's loss. I lived a very similar thing when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It's not easy for the players, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the coach when you come to the training complex and you find every day that spot empty. So you have to be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are doing not well, even better than good. Because they are trying to handle a situation that is not easy."

As explained well on a popular supporter's show, the reminders are constant. The players hear his song in the first half, they see his empty peg in the changing room. In the middle of matches, a pass might be made and the thought arises: 'Oh, Jota would have reached that.' If Salah was seen crying in front of the Kop a few games ago, it signals that all is far from normal.

The Limits of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

Having covering football for two decades, one comes to believe there is a fundamental lack of depth in most punditry. We simply do not know how an player is coping at any specific moment and how that affects their performance. Jota's passing is one of the clearest examples. We know a tragic thing occurred, and we comprehend the nature of sorrow. But further lies an intangible layer of impact on various individuals at the organization. It is very possible that a few of the squad personally don't fully understand its influence from one moment to the next.

How the media reports on this and how fans dissect performances is obviously far from the primary factor. On a practical basis, bringing up Jota's death is difficult to do in a brief soundbite before transitioning to on-field issues. Beyond this particular event and outside Liverpool, it would seem strange to qualify every critique of a player with an admission that we are largely ignorant about their personal lives—be it their family relationships, health challenges, or marital difficulties.

A former professional player, Nedum Onuoha, lately spoke 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 lows that accompany 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 months.

The Concluding Thought

Therefore, whatever Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—be it success or if it's nothing—even if we don't mention it whenever we discuss their fixtures, even if it is not the sole cause for their eventual outcome, we must remember that a short time ago they suffered the loss of not just a brilliant player, but, more importantly, they said goodbye to a friend.