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Only a couple of weeks back, the Merseyside club appeared destined to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and possibly a further Champions League trophy. Their ability to secure victories without optimal performances seemed like the mark of true title-winners.

However, then the momentum shifted. Liverpool persisted with average performances and started dropping matches. At the same time, Arsenal, known for their resolute backline and squad depth, started narrowing the distance at the summit.

Defining a Slump in Modern Football

Can a trio of consecutive losses represent a collapse? As with most sporting discussions, it depends completely on your interpretation of the central word. Was the United midfielder world class? How do you define "elite" actually signify? Are Aston Villa a major club? What defines "major"? Is the Old Trafford outfit back? Well, maybe that's one we might settle.

At a team of Liverpool's stature and last season's brilliance, a minor setback appears a fair assessment. During a radio show, former striker Neil Mellor was questioned how many defeats in a row would trigger alarm. His answer was six. Currently, they are midway to that particular threshold.

Identifying the Tactical Issues

One can observe clear footballing problems. Assimilating recent signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct skill set to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a difficulty. Similarly, incorporating a talented playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the engine room. Observers of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative talent who elevates those beside him, linking play seamlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Additionally, a host of individuals who shone last season—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently underperforming. In fact, most of the team are. Yet every one of them have one significant, recent event: the passing of their teammate and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Grief on the Pitch

It has been just more than three months since the tragic loss of their teammate. While the outside world moves on quickly, shifting focus to global events, Liverpool's squad carry on training and playing day after day in the absence of their friend.

It is not possible to know how every player and staff member is dealing on any given day. There is a significant amount of projection. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a particular match because he was tired. Or maybe his form is down a few percentage points due to the fact he misses his friend.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke insightfully before a fixture, drawing a comparison to his own situation of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are performing this campaign is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after Jota's loss. 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 club, it's not easy for the manager when you arrive at the training complex and you see daily that spot vacant. So you have to be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are performing not well, but exceptionally well. Because they are attempting to handle a problem that is not easy."

Just as explained succinctly on a well-known supporter's show, the memory triggers are ongoing. The players hear his song in the first half, they see his unused peg in the dressing room. In the middle of matches, a pass might be played and the realization arises: 'Ah, Jota would have been there.' When the Egyptian was seen crying in front of the Kop a few games ago, it indicates that all is far from all right.

The Limits of Punditry and Personal Grief

Having covering football for twenty years, one realizes there is a inherent superficiality in most analysis. We simply do not know how an player is feeling at any given moment and how that impacts their performance. Jota's death is one of the most stark illustrations. We are aware a tragic event happened, and we understand the nature of sorrow. But further lies an immeasurable level of effect on various individuals at the organization. It is very possible that some of the squad personally don't truly grasp its effect from one moment to the next.

How the press reports on this and how supporters dissect performances is clearly not the most important factor. On a functional level, bringing up Jota's passing is difficult to do in a short soundbite before moving on to on-field issues. Beyond this specific tragedy and beyond 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 relationships, health challenges, or marital problems.

An ex- pro player, the defender, lately talked on a broadcast about how his mother's passing midway through his playing days impacted his passion for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he stated. "The high points and the low points that accompany it no longer felt the same after that." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three short months.

The Final Thought

So, regardless of what Liverpool achieve in the coming months—if it's something or failure—whether or not we omit reference to it whenever we discuss their matches, even if it is not the sole reason for their final outcome, we must remember that a few weeks ago they lost not merely a exceptional player, but, more importantly, they said goodbye to a dear friend.