Ryan Gravenberch has struggled to show the version of himself which won the Premier League’s Young Player of the Year with Liverpool last season.
Having arrived at Anfield as something of a box-to-box midfielder, Arne Slot’s decision to transform his countryman into one of the division’s best number sixes remains an inspired one.
However, this season has seen Gravenberch‘s limitations in the role exposed. For all of his positive contributions, the 23-year-old is still not as defensively-minded as he could be.
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Curtis Jones in action during Liverpool's UEFA Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
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What he does excel in is carrying the ball forward from deep. As ESPN revealed on Friday, Gravenberch actually rates as the highest-ranked player in the whole of the Premier League for ball-carry grade. In fact, nobody really comes close.
It is the second consecutive season in which Gravenberch has topped the metric, while also sitting joint-top of the statistics for receiving the ball while opening his body. If this comes as a surprise to Liverpool supporters it is because we are still seeing far too much of the Dutchman’s weaknesses being exposed in Slot’s system. Put simply, the Reds need a proper number six to get the best out of Gravenberch.
Liverpool need Ryan Gravenberch to be more advanced
Although he is nominally Liverpool’s deepest-lying midfielder, that doesn’t mean that Gravenberch does not have the chance to open his legs and run with the ball. The stats clearly demonstrate that.
Nevertheless, in moments when Liverpool are without the ball, Gravenberch is the player tasked with closing the gap between defence and midfield. This is not his forte.
Ryan Gravenberch pictured running with the ball during Liverpool's Premier League match against Newcastle United at Anfield.
Photo by Kate McShane/Getty Images
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As a result of pushing him further back the pitch, Liverpool are not effectively using what is one of the biggest advantages in the league at the moment: Gravenberch’s dribbling.
Allowing the Netherlands international more freedom in midfield can only maximise the areas in which he travels with the ball, improving Liverpool’s chances of winning any given game.
Simultaneously, bringing in a natural number six will make the Reds better from a defensive point of view, bolstering two massive areas for improvement.
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Jordan Henderson of Liverpool lifts The Emirates FA Cup trophy after their sides victory during The FA Cup Final match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium
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Gravenberch is the future of Liverpool’s midfield
Although Liverpool supporters have been frustrated with him at times this season, it is worth noting that Gravenberch is still only 23.
Consistently topping a metric as important as ball-carrying across the whole of the Premier League is impressive at his young age.
It could be that Slot is happy with keeping Gravenberch as his deepest lying midfielder, and the underlying numbers suggest that he is doing a passable job.
But to truly get the most out of a really special footballer, surely the Liverpool head coach will see that he needs to bring in a new player alongside him and alter Gravenberch’s role.
Having the best ball-carrier in the division and failing to use him correctly is a crime Slot absolutely got away with last season, but with the chickens starting to come home to roost, it is time to unleash Gravenberch once and for all.
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