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Only a few weeks ago, Liverpool seemed set to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and potentially another Champions League crown. The team's ability to secure victories without optimal displays seemed like the mark of genuine champions.

However, then the momentum turned. The Anfield side continued with average performances and started dropping points. At the same time, Arsenal, known for their stubborn defense and strength in depth, began narrowing the distance at the summit.

Defining a Crisis in Today's Game

Does a trio of consecutive defeats represent a crisis? As with many sporting discussions, it hinges completely on your definition of the key term. Is Paul Scholes elite? What does "world class" actually signify? Are Aston Villa a big team? What constitutes "big"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Alright, maybe that is a question we might settle.

At a team of Liverpool's stature and previous campaign's excellence, a mini crisis seems a fair assessment. On a recent broadcast, ex- forward Neil Mellor was questioned how many defeats in a row would cause alarm. His reply was six. At present, they are halfway to that threshold.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Issues

One can observe obvious tactical issues. Assimilating new additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a distinct style to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a difficulty. Similarly, blending in a gifted playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the engine room. Observers of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a technical talent who elevates those around him, connecting play seamlessly rather than forcing himself on the game.

Additionally, a host of individuals who excelled last season—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently underperforming. In fact, the majority of the squad is. Yet every one of them share one significant, fresh experience: the tragic death of their colleague and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Loss on the Field

We are now just more than three months since the devastating loss of their friend. Although the wider world moves on quickly, diverting attention to global matters, Liverpool's squad continue training and playing day after day without their mate.

This is not possible to gauge how every player and member of the backroom team is coping on any given day. It requires a great deal of speculation. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a particular match because he lacked energy. But maybe his performance level is down a few per cent due to the fact he misses his friend.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke insightfully before a recent, making a parallel to his personal experience of losing a teammate, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are performing this season is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after the tragedy. I went through exactly the same thing when I was a player two decades past."

"It is difficult for the players, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the coach when you arrive at the training ground and you find every day that place empty. So you must be very strong. And this is the explanation why for me they are doing not good, even better than good. Because they are trying to handle a problem that is not easy."

As summarized succinctly on a well-known supporter's show, the reminders are ongoing. The players are reminded by his chant in the first half, they notice his empty locker in the changing room. Even during games, a pass might be made and the realization arises: 'Oh, Diogo would have been there.' When the Egyptian showed emotion in front of the Kop a few games ago, it indicates that all is not all right.

The Boundaries of Punditry and Personal Grief

Having covering football for twenty years, one realizes there is a fundamental lack of depth in most punditry. We simply cannot know how an individual is coping at any specific time and how that affects their play. Jota's death is one of the clearest examples. We know a tragic event happened, and we understand the nature of sorrow. But further lies an immeasurable layer of effect on various people at the club. It is highly likely that a few of the squad personally don't truly grasp its influence from one moment to the next.

The way the media covers this and how fans dissect performances is obviously far from the most important thing. On a practical basis, mentioning Jota's passing is difficult to accomplish in a brief soundbite before transitioning to tactical concerns. Beyond this particular tragedy and outside Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface each critique 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.

A former professional footballer, Nedum Onuoha, lately talked on a broadcast about how his mother's passing midway through his career affected his love for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he stated. "Some of the highs and the lows that come with it didn't really feel the same after that." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three short months.

The Final Point

So, regardless of what Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—if it's something or failure—whether or not we omit reference to it every time we discuss their fixtures, and even if it isn't the reason for their final outcome, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they lost not merely a exceptional player, but, more importantly, they lost a friend.