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Only a couple of weeks ago, Liverpool seemed destined to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially another Champions League trophy. Their capacity to secure victories despite not optimal displays seemed like the hallmark of true title-winners.

However, subsequently the tide turned. Liverpool persisted with average showings and started dropping matches. At the same time, the North London club, renowned for their stubborn backline and strength in depth, began narrowing the distance at the summit.

Defining a Crisis in Modern Football

Can a trio of consecutive defeats constitute a crisis? As with most sporting discussions, it depends completely on your definition of the key word. Was the United midfielder world class? What does "elite" actually mean? Are Aston Villa a major team? What defines "big"? Is the Old Trafford outfit back? Well, perhaps that's one we can settle.

For a club of this club's size and last season's brilliance, a mini crisis appears a reasonable description. On a recent broadcast, former striker Neil Mellor was asked how many defeats in a row would cause alarm. His answer was six. At present, they are midway to that particular threshold.

Pinpointing the Tactical Issues

There are obvious tactical problems. Integrating recent signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct skill set to departed key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Similarly, blending in a gifted playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a technical player who elevates those beside him, connecting play seamlessly rather than forcing himself upon the game.

Furthermore, a number of players who excelled last campaign—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 profound, recent event: the tragic death of their teammate and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Effect: Grief on the Field

We are now just over three months since the tragic loss of their friend. While the wider world moves on quickly, diverting focus to global events, Liverpool's players continue training and playing day after day in the absence of their friend.

This is impossible to know how every player and member of the backroom team is dealing on any given day. There is a significant amount of speculation. Perhaps Salah didn't track back in a particular match simply he was tired. But maybe his performance level is down a few per cent due to the fact he is grieving for his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke insightfully before a fixture, making a parallel to his own experience of the loss of a teammate, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "The way they are performing this campaign is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's tragedy. I lived a very similar experience when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It's not easy for the squad, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the coach when you come to the training complex and you see daily that place empty. So you must be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are doing not well, but exceptionally well. Because they are trying to deal with a problem that is not easy."

Just as summarized succinctly on a well-known supporter's show, the reminders are constant. The players hear his chant in the 20th minute, they see his unused peg in the dressing room. In the middle of games, a through ball might be made and the realization 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 not all right.

The Boundaries of Football Analysis and Human Emotion

Having reporting on football for two decades, one realizes there is a inherent lack of depth in most punditry. We simply cannot know how an player is coping at any given moment and how that impacts their play. Jota's death is one of the most stark illustrations. We are aware a terrible event happened, and we understand the concept of grief. Beyond that lies an intangible level of effect on various individuals at the organization. It is very possible that some of the squad themselves do not truly understand its effect from one moment to the next.

The way the media covers this and how fans dissect displays is clearly not the most important factor. On a functional level, bringing up Jota's death is challenging to do in a brief segment before moving on to on-field issues. Beyond this specific tragedy and outside Liverpool, it would seem strange to preface every criticism of a footballer with an admission that we are largely ignorant about their personal lives—be it their parental relationships, health struggles, or relationship difficulties.

An ex- professional footballer, Nedum Onuoha, recently talked on radio about how his mother's passing midway through his career impacted his love for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he stated. "The highs and the lows 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 short months.

The Concluding Thought

Therefore, whatever Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—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 isn't the reason for their eventual outcome, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they lost not merely a brilliant footballer, but, more importantly, they lost a friend.