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Just a few weeks ago, the Merseyside club seemed set to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and possibly another Champions League crown. The team's capacity to win despite not optimal displays felt like the mark of true title-winners.

However, then the tide turned. Liverpool persisted with average performances and started losing points. At the same time, the North London club, known for their stubborn defense and squad depth, began narrowing the distance at the top.

Defining a Slump in Modern Football

Can three consecutive defeats constitute a collapse? Like many sporting discussions, it depends entirely on your definition of the central term. Was the United midfielder elite? How do you define "world class" even signify? Are Aston Villa a major team? What constitutes "big"? Is the Old Trafford outfit back? Well, maybe that is one we might answer.

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

Pinpointing the Tactical Issues

There are obvious footballing issues. Integrating recent signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different skill set to previous key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Similarly, incorporating a talented playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the midfield. Observers of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a technical player who elevates those around him, connecting play effortlessly rather than imposing himself upon the game.

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

The Invisible Impact: Loss on the Field

We are now just over three short months since the tragic passing of their friend. While the wider world moves on rapidly, shifting focus to other matters, the club's squad continue going to work each day in the absence of their mate.

It is impossible to know how each individual and staff member is dealing on any given day. There is a significant amount of projection. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a recent match simply he lacked energy. Or perhaps his form is down a small per cent because he misses his friend.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented insightfully before a fixture, making a comparison to his own situation of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are performing this campaign is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after the tragedy. I lived a very similar thing when I was a player two decades past."

"It's not easy for the squad, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the manager when you arrive at the training ground and you see daily that place empty. So you have to be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are performing not good, but exceptionally well. Because they are attempting to handle a situation that is not easy."

As summarized well on a popular fan podcast, the reminders are constant. They hear his song in the 20th minute, they notice his empty peg in the changing room. Even during matches, a through ball might be made and the thought arises: 'Ah, Diogo would have reached that.' If Salah was seen crying in front of the Kop a few games ago, it signals that everything is not all right.

The Limits of Punditry and Personal Grief

Having covering football for twenty years, one comes to believe there is a fundamental superficiality in most analysis. We simply do not know how an individual is feeling at any given time and how that affects their performance. Jota's death is one of the clearest illustrations. We are aware a terrible thing happened, and we comprehend the nature of sorrow. But further lies an immeasurable level of impact on various individuals at the organization. It is very possible that a few of the players personally do not fully understand its influence from one moment to the next.

The way the media covers this and how supporters dissect displays is clearly far from the most important thing. On a functional basis, bringing up Jota's death is difficult to do in a brief segment before transitioning to on-field concerns. Outside of this specific event and outside Liverpool, it would seem strange to qualify every criticism of a player with an acknowledgment that we know so little about their private circumstances—be it their family relationships, personal struggles, or marital difficulties.

A former pro footballer, Nedum Onuoha, lately talked on radio about how his mother's passing midway through his career affected his love for the game. "I lost some joy in 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 many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three months.

The Final Point

So, regardless of what Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—if it's something or failure—whether or not we omit reference to it whenever we analyze their matches, and even if it is not the sole reason for their eventual result, we must remember that a few weeks ago they suffered the loss of not merely a exceptional player, but, crucially, they said goodbye to a dear friend.