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Only a few weeks ago, the Merseyside club seemed set to secure back-to-back Premier League championships and possibly a further Champions League trophy. Their ability to win without peak performances seemed like the hallmark of genuine title-winners.

But, then the momentum turned. The Anfield side persisted with average showings and started dropping matches. Meanwhile, Arsenal, known for their resolute backline and strength in depth, began narrowing the gap at the top.

Defining a Crisis in Today's Game

Can a trio of straight defeats constitute a collapse? Like most football debates, it depends completely on your definition of the key word. Was the United midfielder elite? How do you define "world class" even mean? Is the Birmingham club a major club? What constitutes "big"? Are Manchester United back? Well, maybe that is a question we can settle.

At a team of this club's stature and previous campaign's brilliance, a minor crisis seems a fair description. On a recent broadcast, ex- striker Neil Mellor was asked how many losses in a row would trigger alarm. His reply was six. Currently, they are halfway to that threshold.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Problems

There are clear footballing problems. Integrating new additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a distinct style to previous key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a challenge. Similarly, incorporating a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the midfield. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a technical player who elevates those beside him, connecting play effortlessly rather than forcing himself on the game.

Additionally, a number of players who excelled last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. Actually, most of the squad are. And they all have one significant, fresh experience: the passing of their teammate and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Impact: Loss on the Field

It has been just over three months since the devastating loss of their friend. Although the outside world progresses quickly, shifting attention to global matters, Liverpool's players carry on going to work each day in the absence of their friend.

This is impossible to know how each individual and staff member is coping from one day to the next. It requires a great deal of speculation. Maybe Salah didn't track back in a recent match because he lacked energy. Or maybe his performance level is down a few percentage points due to the fact he is grieving for his friend.

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

"It's not easy for the players, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the coach when you arrive at the training complex and you find every day that place vacant. So you must be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are doing not good, but exceptionally well. Because they are trying to deal with a situation that is not easy."

As explained well on a popular fan podcast, the memory triggers are constant. They are reminded by his song in the first half, they notice his unused peg in the changing room. Even during games, a through ball might be played and the realization arises: 'Oh, Diogo would have reached that.' When the Egyptian showed emotion in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that all is far from all right.

The Limits of Punditry and Human Emotion

After reporting on football for two decades, one comes to believe there is a fundamental superficiality in the majority of punditry. We simply cannot know how an individual is coping at any specific time and how that impacts their play. Jota's passing is one of the most stark examples. We know a tragic thing occurred, and we comprehend the concept of grief. Beyond that lies an intangible layer of effect on different individuals at the organization. It is very possible that a few of the squad personally don't truly grasp its influence from one moment to the next.

The way the press reports on this and how supporters analyze displays is clearly far from the most important factor. On a practical level, bringing up Jota's death is difficult to accomplish in a short soundbite before moving on to tactical issues. Beyond this particular tragedy and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface every criticism of a player with an admission that we know so little about their personal lives—be it their family situation, health struggles, or relationship difficulties.

A former professional player, the defender, lately spoke on radio about how his mother's passing halfway through his career impacted his passion for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he stated. "The highs and the lows that accompany 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 Final Point

Therefore, regardless of what Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—be it success or failure—whether or not we omit reference to it whenever we discuss their matches, and even if it isn't the reason for their final outcome, we must remember that a short time ago they lost not merely a brilliant footballer, but, crucially, they said goodbye to a dear friend.