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Only a few weeks ago, Liverpool seemed set to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially a further Champions League trophy. Their capacity to win despite not optimal performances felt like the hallmark of genuine champions.

However, then the momentum shifted. Liverpool persisted with mediocre performances and started losing points. At the same time, the North London club, renowned for their stubborn backline and squad depth, began narrowing the distance at the summit.

Defining a Crisis in Today's Game

Can three straight losses represent a crisis? As with most sporting discussions, it hinges completely on your definition of the key word. Was the United midfielder world class? What does "world class" even mean? Are Aston Villa a big team? What constitutes "major"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Alright, maybe that's a question we can answer.

At a team of this club's stature and previous campaign's brilliance, a minor crisis appears a fair description. During a broadcast, former forward Neil Mellor was asked how many losses in a row would cause panic. His reply was six. At present, they are midway to that particular threshold.

Identifying the Tactical Issues

There are obvious footballing issues. Assimilating recent additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a distinct skill set to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Similarly, incorporating a gifted playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the midfield. Observers of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a technical talent who elevates those around him, linking play effortlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Additionally, a host of individuals who shone last campaign—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. Actually, the majority of the squad are. Yet every one of them share one profound, fresh event: the tragic death of their teammate and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Impact: Loss on the Pitch

It has been just over three months since the devastating passing of their friend. While the wider world progresses rapidly, diverting focus to other matters, Liverpool's players carry on training and playing day after day without their friend.

It is not possible to know how each player and member of the backroom team is dealing on any given day. There is a great deal of projection. Perhaps Salah failed to defend in a particular match because he lacked energy. But perhaps his performance level is down a few per cent 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 the loss of a teammate, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are doing this campaign is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's tragedy. I went through 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 coach when you arrive at the training complex and you see every day that spot empty. So you must be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are doing not well, even better than good. Because they are trying to handle a situation that is not easy."

Just as summarized well on a well-known supporter's show, the memory triggers are ongoing. The players hear his song in the first half, they see his empty peg in the dressing room. Even during games, a pass might be made and the realization arises: 'Oh, Diogo would have reached that.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a few games ago, it signals that all is far from all right.

The Limits of Punditry and Human Emotion

After covering football for two decades, one comes to believe there is a inherent lack of depth in most punditry. We genuinely do not know how an individual is coping at any specific moment and how that impacts their performance. Jota's passing 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 intangible layer of impact on different people at the club. It is highly likely that a few of the squad personally don't fully grasp its influence from one moment to the next.

How the press covers this and how fans analyze performances is clearly not the primary thing. On a functional level, mentioning Jota's death is difficult to accomplish in a short segment before transitioning to on-field issues. Outside of this particular event and beyond Liverpool, it would seem strange to preface each criticism of a footballer with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their personal lives—be it their parental situation, health struggles, or marital problems.

A former pro player, Nedum Onuoha, lately talked on radio about how his mother's passing halfway through his playing days affected his love for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he said. "Some of the high points and the low points that come with it didn't really feel the same any more." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three months.

The Concluding Thought

So, whatever Liverpool achieve in the coming months—if it's something or if it's nothing—even if we omit reference to it whenever we analyze their matches, and even if it isn't the cause for their final outcome, we must remember that a few weeks ago they lost not just a brilliant player, but, crucially, they lost a dear friend.