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Just a couple of weeks back, Liverpool appeared set to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially a further Champions League trophy. The team's ability to secure victories despite not optimal performances felt like the hallmark of genuine title-winners.

But, subsequently the tide shifted. The Anfield side continued with mediocre showings and began losing points. Meanwhile, the North London club, renowned for their stubborn backline and squad depth, started narrowing the distance at the summit.

Understanding a Slump in Today's Game

Does a trio of straight defeats represent a crisis? As with many sporting discussions, it depends completely on your definition of the central word. Was the United midfielder world class? How do you define "elite" even signify? Is the Birmingham club a major club? What constitutes "major"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Well, maybe that is a question we might settle.

For a club of this club's stature and previous campaign's brilliance, a minor setback appears a fair assessment. On a recent broadcast, ex- forward Neil Mellor was questioned how many defeats in a row would trigger panic. His answer was six. At present, they are midway to that particular point.

Identifying the On-Pitch Issues

There are obvious tactical problems. Integrating recent signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different style to departed key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Similarly, incorporating a talented playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the engine room. Observers of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a technical player who improves those beside him, connecting play effortlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Furthermore, a host of individuals who excelled last campaign—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently below their best. In fact, most of the squad is. And every one of them share one profound, fresh experience: the tragic death of their colleague and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Loss on the Field

It has been just more than three short months since the devastating passing of their friend. While the wider world moves on quickly, shifting focus to global events, the club's players continue training and playing day after day without their mate.

It is impossible to gauge how every individual and staff member is coping on any given day. There is a significant amount 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 per cent due to the fact he misses his friend.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke eloquently before a recent, drawing a comparison to his own situation of the loss of a teammate, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are performing this campaign is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's tragedy. I went through exactly the same experience when I was a player two decades past."

"It is difficult for the squad, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the coach when you come to the training ground and you see daily that place vacant. So you must be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are performing not good, but exceptionally well. Because they are trying to handle a situation that is not easy."

Just as explained well on a popular fan podcast, the reminders are ongoing. The players hear his chant in the 20th minute, they notice his unused peg in the changing room. In the middle of matches, a pass might be made and the realization arises: 'Oh, Diogo would have been there.' When the Egyptian was seen crying in front of the Kop a matches ago, it signals that all is not all right.

The Boundaries of Punditry and Human Emotion

Having reporting on football for two decades, one comes to believe there is a fundamental superficiality in the majority of analysis. We genuinely cannot know how an individual is coping at any given time and how that affects their performance. Jota's death is one of the most stark examples. We know a terrible event occurred, and we understand the nature of sorrow. But further lies an immeasurable level of impact on different individuals at the organization. It is highly likely that some of the players themselves don't truly understand its effect from one moment to the next.

How the press covers this and how fans dissect displays is obviously not the primary thing. On a practical level, bringing up Jota's passing is difficult to accomplish in a brief soundbite before moving on to on-field issues. Outside of this specific event and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify each criticism of a player with an admission that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their parental relationships, health challenges, or relationship difficulties.

A former pro footballer, the defender, lately talked on a broadcast about how his mother's passing midway through his playing days affected his passion for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he stated. "The high points and the low points that accompany it no longer felt the same any more." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three months.

The Final Point

So, regardless of what Liverpool achieve in the coming months—be it success or failure—even if we omit reference to it every time we analyze their matches, and even if it isn't the reason for their final result, we must remember that a few weeks ago they suffered the loss of not merely a brilliant player, but, crucially, they said goodbye to a dear friend.