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Only a few weeks ago, Liverpool seemed destined to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and potentially a further Champions League crown. Their ability to win despite not peak performances seemed like the hallmark of genuine champions.

However, subsequently the tide turned. Liverpool continued with mediocre performances and started dropping points. Meanwhile, Arsenal, renowned for their stubborn backline and strength in depth, began closing the distance at the summit.

Defining a Slump in Modern Football

Can three consecutive losses represent a collapse? Like many football debates, it depends completely on your definition of the key term. Was the United midfielder world class? What does "world class" actually signify? Is the Birmingham club a major club? What defines "major"? Are Manchester United back? Alright, perhaps that is one we can answer.

At a team of Liverpool's size and previous campaign's excellence, a minor setback seems a fair assessment. On a recent radio show, ex- striker Neil Mellor was questioned how many defeats in a row would trigger panic. His reply was six. Currently, they are midway to that point.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Issues

One can observe clear tactical issues. Integrating new signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a distinct skill set to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a difficulty. Similarly, incorporating a gifted playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the midfield. Experts of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a technical player who elevates those around him, connecting play effortlessly rather than forcing himself on the game.

Additionally, a host of players who excelled last campaign—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now underperforming. Actually, most of the squad is. And they all have one significant, recent experience: the passing of their teammate and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Grief on the Field

We are now just more than three short months since the tragic loss of their friend. Although the wider world progresses rapidly, diverting attention to other events, Liverpool's squad carry on going to work day after day in the absence of their friend.

This is not possible to know how every player and member of the backroom team is coping on any given day. It requires a significant amount of projection. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a particular match because he was tired. But perhaps his form is down a few per cent because he is grieving for his friend.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented insightfully before a fixture, drawing a parallel to his personal situation of the loss of a teammate, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "The way they are doing this campaign is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's tragedy. I lived exactly the same experience when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It is difficult for the players, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the coach when you arrive at the training ground and you see every day that place vacant. So you have to be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are performing not good, even better than good. Because they are trying to deal with a problem that is not easy."

As summarized succinctly on a popular fan podcast, the memory triggers are constant. They hear his song in the 20th minute, they notice his empty peg in the dressing room. In the middle of matches, a pass might be made and the thought arises: 'Ah, Jota would have reached that.' When the Egyptian showed emotion in front of the Kop a matches ago, it signals that everything is not normal.

The Limits of Football Analysis and Human Emotion

Having covering football for two decades, one realizes there is a inherent superficiality in most analysis. We simply do not know how an player is feeling at any given time and how that affects their performance. Jota's passing is one of the most stark illustrations. We know a tragic event happened, and we understand the concept of sorrow. But further lies an intangible level of impact on different people at the organization. It is very possible that a few of the players personally don't truly grasp its influence from one day to the next.

The way the media reports on this and how supporters dissect displays is clearly not the primary factor. On a functional basis, mentioning Jota's death is challenging to do in a short soundbite before moving on to tactical issues. Beyond this particular tragedy and outside Liverpool, it would seem strange to qualify every critique of a player with an acknowledgment that we know so little about their personal lives—be it their family situation, personal challenges, or marital problems.

A former pro footballer, the defender, lately talked on a broadcast about how his mother's passing midway through his playing days impacted his passion for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he said. "Some of the highs and the lows that come with it no longer felt the same any more." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three short months.

The Final Thought

Therefore, regardless of what Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—be it success or failure—even if we omit reference to it whenever we discuss their matches, and even if it is not the sole reason for their eventual result, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they lost not merely a brilliant player, but, crucially, they said goodbye to a friend.