It’s been a topic of conversation among Liverpool fans all summer and it’ll likely dominate the discussion ahead of their next Premier League game at home to Nottingham Forest. Questions remain over the midfield, and there’s now more scrutiny than ever on that area of the team following the 2-2 draw with Newcastle United.
Liverpool needed a 99th-minute penalty away at St James’ Park to secure a point against a much-changed Newcastle side. The Magpies lost Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali in the summer, while Joelinton and Dan Burn missed Sunday’s game through injury. New manager Matthias Jaissle, who replaced Eddie Howe earlier this month, selected Lewis Miley and Sean Steur in a double pivot and the duo, with an average age of just 19, did an admirable job against the reigning champions’ midfield pairing of Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai.
The fact the Reds failed to dominate a weakened Newcastle side has led many to question whether the double pivot selected by Andoni Iraola is viable in the long term, with Jamie Carragher tweeting: “LFC Midfield all bombing forward happened all pre-season, madness!” after the Magpies took an early lead through Anthony Elanga’s blistering counter-attack.
Szoboszlai emphatically converted from the penalty spot late on with a finish that helped mask his overall performance. As a result, Gravenberch, his midfield partner on the day, has become the main talking point, with some now questioning whether his new long-term deal at Anfield was smart business.
Lightning strikes twice
Gravenberch was almost flawless in possession, finding a teammate with close to 92% of his attempted passes at St James’ Park. However, he misplaced four passes and two of those led directly to goals for the hosts.
Early in the game, the Dutchman carried the ball forward well and had several options ahead of him. He could have tried to slide Alexander Isak through on goal or picked out Szoboszlai to his right as the No.8 raced into the penalty area. Instead, he played a pass that was too far ahead of Florian Wirtz, behind Isak and nowhere near Cody Gakpo.
Newcastle dealt with it and, in the blink of an eye, Elanga was through on goal after the Magpies had raced through the middle of the pitch, left vacant by Gravenberch and Szoboszlai.
Just moments after the Reds equalised, with Gravenberch claiming an assist, the Dutchman played another questionable pass. Again, Newcastle hit them on the break. Several players failed to do their jobs in the aftermath before Joe Willock curled an effort beyond Alisson, but it all started with another poor pass from the former Ajax man.
He failed in two key moments and then wasn’t in position to help defend the counter. It has left some fans questioning whether he is suited to the role he currently occupies.
Square pegs in round holes
The elephant in the room is that neither Gravenberch nor Szoboszlai are what you would call natural double-pivot midfielders, especially not in an Iraola system. Last term, the Spanish tactician paired Alex Scott and Tyler Adams with great success. Bournemouth had a clear balance to that midfield. It’s a balance that is noticeably lacking at Liverpool.
Neither player has strong defensive instincts. Neither naturally wants to dominate the space that would allow the Reds to control possession. Both would benefit from a more defensively minded midfielder behind them, but that isn’t possible in Iraola’s 4-2-3-1.
Right now, Gravenberch is being shoehorned into a role that doesn’t necessarily suit him. That is partly because options are limited following the sale of Curtis Jones, while Alexis Mac Allister returned late to pre-season after his World Cup exploits. His new, bumper contract also adds another layer to the situation.
The Reds aren’t in a position to bench a high earner. Through no fault of his own, Gravenberch is being judged on things he has never been a natural at doing.
During Liverpool’s title-winning season, Gravenberch wasn’t a defensive midfielder. He operated as a pressure release valve, tasked with breaking the lines in possession when the Reds couldn’t progress play through Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Deja vu in midfield
The game against Newcastle United felt eerily similar to several matches from last season. Liverpool had plenty of possession and created more chances but struggled to deal with counter-attacks. Neither midfielder dominated their duels, which only exposed the issue further.
This is the problem Slot couldn’t solve and one Iraola will now need to address. If he wants a long-term future at Anfield, he must find a solution.
He recognises the issue and addressed it in his post-match interview.
“I think it’s just not personnel, I understand, you are telling me basically that Ryan Gravenberch is the six and he is on the edge of the box, but if he shoots and he scores we are saying ‘what a play from Ryan Gravenberch’.
“I also don’t want to take this from his game, but we have to adapt as a team to these situations and we have to know that these situations can happen.
“The second goal probably, we did better in terms of having the numbers to defend, we don’t make the foul, go to the first challenge, probably reduce the distance with the ball-carrier, so it’s an incredible goal. Situations [are] just not because one person is playing there, [it] is something that we have to correct between a lot of players.”
Liverpool can hide individual weaknesses when they defend effectively as a team. But Gravenberch has never been a natural defensive midfielder, and there’s little to suggest that will suddenly become the strongest part of his game.