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Only a few weeks back, the Merseyside club appeared set to secure back-to-back Premier League titles and potentially a further Champions League crown. Their capacity to secure victories despite not peak performances seemed like the hallmark of genuine title-winners.

However, subsequently the tide shifted. Liverpool continued with average showings and began dropping matches. At the same time, Arsenal, known for their resolute defense and squad depth, began closing the distance at the summit.

Defining a Slump in Modern Football

Can three consecutive defeats represent a collapse? Like most football debates, it depends completely on your interpretation of the key word. Is Paul Scholes world class? What does "elite" actually mean? Is the Birmingham club a major team? What defines "big"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Well, perhaps that is a question we might answer.

At a team of Liverpool's size and last season's excellence, a minor setback seems a fair description. On a recent broadcast, ex- striker Neil Mellor was questioned how many losses in a row would trigger alarm. His reply was six. At present, they are halfway to that threshold.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Problems

One can observe obvious tactical issues. Assimilating new 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 talented playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the midfield. Experts of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a technical talent who improves those around him, linking play effortlessly rather than forcing himself upon the game.

Furthermore, a host of players who excelled last campaign—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently underperforming. In fact, most of the squad is. And every one of them share one significant, recent experience: the tragic death of their teammate and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Effect: Loss on the Pitch

It has been just more than three short months since the devastating passing of their friend. Although the outside world moves on quickly, shifting attention to other matters, Liverpool's squad carry on going to work day after day without their friend.

It is impossible to know how each individual and member of the backroom team is dealing from one day to the next. There is a great deal of projection. Perhaps Salah didn't track back in a particular match because he was tired. But perhaps his performance level is down a small percentage points due to the fact he misses his pal.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke insightfully before a recent, making a comparison to his personal experience of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are performing this season is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after the tragedy. I went through a very similar experience when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It's not easy for the players, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the coach when you come to 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 well, but exceptionally well. Because they are trying to deal with a situation that is not easy."

Just as explained succinctly on a well-known fan podcast, the reminders are ongoing. The players hear his chant in the 20th minute, they see his unused locker in the changing room. In the middle of games, a pass might be made and the thought arises: 'Ah, Jota would have been there.' When the Egyptian was seen crying in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that everything is not all right.

The Limits of Punditry and Personal Grief

Having reporting on football for two decades, one realizes there is a fundamental superficiality in most punditry. We genuinely do not 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 illustrations. We know a terrible event happened, and we comprehend the concept of sorrow. But further lies an immeasurable layer of effect on various people at the organization. It is very possible that some of the squad themselves do not fully understand its influence from one moment to the next.

How the media covers this and how fans analyze performances is obviously far from the primary factor. On a functional basis, bringing up Jota's passing is difficult to accomplish in a short soundbite before moving on to tactical concerns. Beyond this particular event and outside Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface each criticism of a footballer with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their personal lives—be it their parental relationships, personal struggles, or relationship difficulties.

An ex- professional footballer, the defender, recently spoke on a broadcast about how his mother's passing halfway through his playing days impacted his love for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he said. "Some of the highs and the low points that accompany it didn't really feel 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 Thought

Therefore, regardless of what Liverpool achieve in the coming months—be it success or failure—whether or not we don't mention it every time we analyze their matches, even if it isn't the cause for their eventual outcome, we must remember that a short time ago they suffered the loss of not merely a exceptional player, but, crucially, they said goodbye to a dear friend.