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Only a few weeks ago, the Merseyside club appeared set to secure back-to-back Premier League championships and possibly another Champions League crown. Their capacity to win without optimal performances felt like the mark of true title-winners.

But, then the momentum shifted. Liverpool persisted with mediocre showings and began dropping matches. Meanwhile, the North London club, renowned for their stubborn defense and squad depth, started narrowing the gap at the top.

Understanding a Slump in Today's Game

Does three straight losses constitute a collapse? Like many football debates, it hinges completely on your interpretation of the key term. Was the United midfielder elite? What does "world class" actually mean? Is the Birmingham club a major team? What constitutes "major"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Alright, maybe that's one we can settle.

At a team of this club's stature and previous campaign's excellence, a minor setback seems a reasonable description. On a recent radio show, ex- forward Neil Mellor was asked how many losses in a row would cause alarm. His reply was six. Currently, they are halfway to that particular point.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Issues

There are clear footballing problems. Assimilating new signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different skill set to departed key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a difficulty. Similarly, incorporating a gifted playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the midfield. Observers of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative talent who elevates those around him, connecting play seamlessly rather than forcing himself on the game.

Furthermore, a number of individuals who excelled last campaign—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. In fact, the majority of the squad is. And they all have one significant, fresh experience: the passing of their colleague and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Impact: Grief on the Field

It has been just over three months since the devastating passing of their friend. Although the outside world progresses quickly, shifting focus to other matters, Liverpool's squad continue going to work each day in the absence of their friend.

It is impossible to gauge how every individual and staff member is coping from one day to the next. It requires a great deal of projection. Maybe Salah didn't track back in a particular match simply he lacked energy. Or maybe his performance level is down a few percentage points due to the fact he misses his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented eloquently before a recent, making a parallel to his own situation of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "How they are performing this season is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after Jota's tragedy. I lived a very similar experience when I was a player two decades past."

"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 ground and you find every day that place vacant. So you have to be incredibly resilient. And this is the explanation why for me they are doing not well, but exceptionally well. Because they are attempting to deal with a situation that is not easy."

As summarized succinctly on a well-known supporter's show, the memory triggers are ongoing. The players are reminded by his chant in the 20th minute, they see his empty locker in the dressing room. In the middle of matches, a through ball might be made and the realization arises: 'Ah, Diogo would have been there.' If Salah was seen crying in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that everything is far from all right.

The Boundaries of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

Having reporting on football for two decades, one realizes there is a inherent superficiality in the majority of analysis. We simply cannot know how an player is feeling at any specific moment and how that impacts their performance. Jota's death is one of the clearest illustrations. We know a terrible event occurred, and we understand the concept of sorrow. Beyond that lies an intangible layer of effect on various individuals at the club. It is very possible that some of the players themselves don't fully understand its effect from one day to the next.

The way the press covers this and how supporters dissect performances is clearly far from the primary thing. On a functional basis, mentioning Jota's passing is challenging to do in a short soundbite before transitioning to tactical issues. Outside of this particular event and outside Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify each criticism of a footballer with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their parental relationships, health struggles, or relationship difficulties.

An ex- professional footballer, the defender, lately talked on radio about how his mother's passing halfway through his playing days impacted his love for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he stated. "The high points 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 only three short months.

The Final Point

Therefore, whatever Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—be it success or if it's nothing—even if 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 brilliant footballer, but, more importantly, they lost a friend.