Ryan Gravenberch is one of Liverpool's key stars, as shown in the match against Bologna. At Anfield, The Kop fans have repeatedly exclaimed in admiration at the Dutch midfielder's skillful handling. Gradually, the shadows of old names like Jordan Henderson or Fabinho have faded into the past.
Calm, confident, unpretentious and efficient, that was a brief summary of Gravenberch's performance against Bologna. Every time the 22-year-old had the ball at his feet, his confidence was at its peak. Gravenberch made no mistakes and always created momentum for his teammates to move forward.
The early stages of the Arne Slot era at Liverpool have been very successful. They have won 8/9 games and are still unbeaten since the start of the season. Over the past 2 months, there have been many stories to prove Slot’s success, one of which is the remarkable progress of Gravenberch.
Against Bologna, the Dutch midfielder successfully passed 41/45 times (accuracy rate 91%). Of these, 14/18 were successful passes in the opponent's third. Gravenberch also created 2 dangerous opportunities in front of the Serie A representative's goal. Finally, the Liverpool midfielder won the ball 9 times, the most on the pitch.
Gravenberch's change in midfield style has been greatly influenced by coach Arne Slot. The 22-year-old's ability to operate well in tight spaces is very important, it helps Liverpool not to lose every time Bologna organizes a siege. Escaping the pressure well and moving the ball forward well, Gravenberch is likened to a spring that helps Liverpool's formation always tend to move forward.
"One of the best ways to escape pressure and get past opponents is to have a player who can dribble. If that player gets past the opponent, all the pressure is almost eliminated.
Gravenberch stands out with his ability to hold the ball well, which is very important for Liverpool. However, don't just focus on praising him for his good ball holding, Gravenberch's importance in midfield is also shown in many other aspects, which are the movements without the ball and winning the ball back from the opponent. Besides, his second passes are also very impressive" - Slot shared after the win over Bologna.
Gravenberch's first season at Liverpool began with a €45m move from Bayern Munich on deadline day in the summer of 2023. He has made 38 appearances in all competitions, but 17 of those have come as a substitute.
Last season, Jurgen Klopp still preferred Alexis Mac-Allister or Wataru Endo in the "number 6" position. After that, Ryan Gravenberch continued to compete with Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott for a starting position. At that time, endurance was one of the factors that made Gravenberch lose in this race.
This season, the transformation has been clearly felt in the 22-year-old star. He has played the full 90 minutes in all 8 matches since the beginning of the season. The Dutch midfielder is physically stronger, using his strength intelligently in one-on-one battles. In addition, he is also calmer when controlling the ball and his tactical vision has improved day by day.
If Liverpool had successfully recruited Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad last summer, Gravenberch might have continued to be a friend of the bench. However, fate did not let Liverpool own Zubimendi, it called Gravenberch's name and this young star seized the opportunity very well.
When they missed out on Zubimendi, Liverpool did not pursue a backup option in this position. At the time, this was a very bold decision by Arne Slot. The Dutch strategist reserved the view that Gravenberch would play very well in the deep-lying midfield role. In the end, that risk paid off with a perfect version of the "new Fabinho" at Anfield.
In just a few months, Gravenberch has moved from a winger to a central midfielder and has developed rapidly. Perhaps even the Dutch star himself could not believe how quickly things would change. Fortunately, he was not thrown out of the changing machine in a new era at Liverpool.
