Gravenberch Was Tremendous, However, The Need for a Destroyer Remains

During the summer of 2023, I was entirely underwhelmed by Liverpool’s £35m capture of the former Ajax prodigy, Ryan Gravenberch. That acquisition represented the recruitment of an exciting young talent, though one that had failed to deliver on his early promise when signing for German super club Bayern Munich in 2022. Despite a phenomenal rise and a tremendous couple of seasons in Amsterdam (before his move to Bayern), even his final year at his boyhood club, Ajax was a disappointment. That circumstance could of course be related to the move he was set to make; however, it still presented a question mark to all potential suitors.

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After arriving in the Bundesliga in the summer of 2022, The Dutch midfielder was unable to adapt or solidify himself under either Julian Nagelsmann or (later) Thomas Tuchel. As formations shifted from a three-man midfield to a double pivot, it appeared that his arrival at the world-famous club came too quickly for that young player, one who was still learning the varying attributes required to operate in an elite environment. Following his departure from the Allianz Arena (last summer), his arrival at Anfield seemed like an opportunistic venture in the wake of a failed bid for the former Brighton in enforcer, Moisés Caicedo. At that point in time, there is no way that a then-21-year-old Gravenberch could have been compared to the ferocious Ecuadorian, based upon the differing bodies of work. A year (and three games) later, there seems to have been an uplift in performance and attitude within the 6ft 3inch Dutch international, who may well have finally found the correct tonic to succeed at a major club

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What Circumstances Have Improved the Form of Ryan Gravenberch…?

Under the previous leadership of the former Liverpool manager, Jürgen Klopp, there was always a sprinkling of chaos spread throughout his preferred systems of play. Last season, we saw a complete overhaul of the midfield area (in the summer transfer window) that meant that new players were plugged into roles that they were not ideally suited for. This predicament created sporadic performances at varying points of the campaign, from the likes of Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Curtis Jones. Following the departure of their illustrious German manager and the arrival of his successor, Arne Slot, a double-pivot midfield emerged within a far more regimented system of play. This endeavour is specifically designed to limit opportunities to the opposition and give balance to the central areas. When considering the new central pairing (Mac Allister and Gravenberch) and the roaming midfielder ahead of them (Szoboszlai), there is now far more refinement and organisation to the red’s patterns of play.

At Old Trafford this past Sunday, the fanbase witnessed a complete demolition and dismantling of Erik ten Hag’s side, with the tactical breakdown explained by the Reds Head Coach after the final whistle. Despite the clear desire to recruit a specialist defensive midfielder in the past summer window, those efforts to sign Real Sociedad star Martín Zubimendi collapsed at the final hurdle. In failing to identify and sign an adequate secondary target, it appears that the new Liverpool decision-makers preferred to maintain the assets within, at least until the winter window.

Why Is There Still a Need for A Holding Midfielder…?

During the game against Manchester United, it was often the Argentine World Cup winner, Alexis Mac Allister, who was the deepest-lying midfielder, much like last season. As a more senior and experienced player who is comfortable in that holding position, it is something that allowed both players to become somewhat of a hybrid between a six and an eight. Given the lacklustre display of the Red Devils midfield, it enabled the Redmen to swarm and overrun a shellshocked opponent. With three good performances undertaken in the midfield thus far this season, it is now clear that the 22-year-old Gravenberch is a firm part of the stable of players that can consistently play in that two-man controlling group. Despite this and the clear uplift in form and versatility, it should not halt the pursuit of a specialist defensive midfielder for the new year.

Steven Smith