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Just a couple of weeks ago, the Merseyside club seemed set to secure back-to-back Premier League titles and potentially another Champions League trophy. Their ability to secure victories without optimal displays felt like the mark of true champions.

However, subsequently the momentum shifted. The Anfield side persisted with mediocre performances and began dropping matches. Meanwhile, Arsenal, renowned for their stubborn defense and strength in depth, began closing the distance at the top.

Defining a Crisis in Today's Game

Does three consecutive losses constitute a crisis? Like most sporting discussions, it hinges entirely on your interpretation of the central term. Was the United midfielder world class? What does "world class" actually signify? Is the Birmingham club a big team? What constitutes "major"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Well, perhaps that is a question we might answer.

At a team of this club's size and last season's excellence, a minor crisis seems a fair assessment. On a recent radio show, ex- forward Neil Mellor was questioned how many defeats in a row would trigger alarm. His answer was six. Currently, they are midway to that particular point.

Identifying the On-Pitch Problems

There are obvious footballing problems. Assimilating new additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a distinct skill set to departed key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a difficulty. Likewise, blending in a talented attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the midfield. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative player who improves those beside him, connecting play seamlessly rather than forcing himself on the game.

Additionally, a host of individuals who excelled last campaign—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently underperforming. In fact, the majority of the team is. Yet every one of them have one significant, recent experience: the tragic death of their teammate and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Impact: Grief on the Pitch

It has been just over three short months since the devastating loss of their friend. Although the outside world progresses quickly, diverting attention to other events, Liverpool's squad carry on training and playing each day in the absence of their mate.

It 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 projection. Perhaps Salah didn't track back in a recent match because he lacked energy. But maybe his performance level is down a few per cent due to the fact he misses his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented insightfully before a fixture, making a parallel to his personal situation of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "The way they are performing this campaign is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after the loss. I went through a very similar thing when I was a player two decades past."

"It's not easy for the players, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the manager when you come to the training ground and you find every day that spot empty. So you must be incredibly resilient. And this is the explanation why for me they are doing not well, but exceptionally well. Because they are trying to deal with a situation that is not easy."

As explained succinctly on a popular supporter's show, the reminders are constant. They hear his chant in the 20th minute, they see his unused peg in the dressing room. In the middle of games, a through ball might be made and the realization arises: 'Oh, Diogo would have been there.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that everything is not normal.

The Limits of Punditry and Personal Grief

After covering football for two decades, one realizes there is a inherent lack of depth in most punditry. We genuinely cannot know how an individual is coping at any specific time and how that impacts their performance. Jota's passing is one of the most stark examples. We are aware a tragic event occurred, and we understand the concept of grief. But further lies an immeasurable layer of effect on various people at the club. It is very possible that some of the players personally do not truly grasp its influence from one day to the next.

How the media reports on this and how fans analyze displays is obviously not the most important thing. On a functional basis, mentioning Jota's death is challenging to accomplish in a short soundbite before transitioning to tactical issues. Beyond this particular tragedy and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify every critique of a player with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their parental situation, personal challenges, or relationship problems.

A former professional footballer, Nedum Onuoha, recently talked on radio about how his mother's death midway through his career affected his love for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he stated. "Some of the high points and the lows that accompany it didn't really feel the same any more." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three months.

The Concluding Thought

So, whatever Liverpool achieve in the coming months—if it's something or failure—even if we don't mention it every time we discuss their fixtures, even if it is not the sole reason for their final outcome, we should not forget that a short time ago they lost not merely a brilliant footballer, but, more importantly, they lost a friend.