Ryan Gravenberch‘s efficiency as a holding midfielder was arguably the largest revelation of the 2024/25 season, as Arne Slot gave him a house to thrive on this Liverpool facet.
Some persons are simply made to be on a soccer pitch.
It’s in the best way they transfer, as if hovering an inch above the grass; it’s how they manipulate the ball prefer it’s hooked up to an invisible string; it’s in the best way they simply make all of it look really easy, as if enjoying with the velocity slowed down to provide them an additional second on everybody else.
An oasis of calm in chaotic environment, the 23-year-old Dutchman, Gravenberch – voted because the Premier League Younger Participant of the Yr – is one in all these footballing anomalies.
He’s the kind of participant you watch and simply wish to see on the ball many times, working in a stratosphere you possibly can understand however by no means actually perceive.
Gravenberch belongs on a soccer pitch. But what’s most compelling about his 2024/25 season is that we maybe discovered the place precisely he finest belongs.
RYAN GRAVENBERCH, 2024/25
Began: 49 (all competitions)
On instead: 0
Targets: 0
Assists: 4
Total Season Score: 9
Imperious in a brand new place
One of many first massive strikes by Slot at his new membership was to take everybody unexpectedly along with his use of the previous Ajax and Bayern Munich man.
An enormous speaking level from a quiet summer season switch window had been the rejection of Liverpool by Spanish defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi. This confirmed two issues, that Slot wished a specialist defensive midfielder and that he didn’t assume Waturo Endo was the reply.
It was a real space of concern going into the marketing campaign, but Slot had an ace up his sleeve along with his plans for Gravenberch, who joined as a box-to-box midfielder and had performed within the defensive midfield position for a mere 45 minutes beneath Jurgen Klopp and solely as soon as in Germany.
What seemed like a short-term repair developed over a collection of spectacular opening months into an important factor of Liverpool’s rising title cost and development within the Champions League.
Within the first half of the season Gravenberch was imperious, significantly in wins over the 2 Manchester golf equipment and Chelsea, in addition to a pivotal draw away to Arsenal.
He was conducting Liverpool’s European symphony too, akin to within the wins in opposition to AC Milan, Bayer Leverkusen and most notably Actual Madrid, in opposition to whom he outclassed Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga.
It demonstrated not solely Gravenberch’s pure class and flexibility however the wonderful judgement, decision-making and training of Slot.
A masterstroke from the supervisor
Is Slot’s choice to shift Gravenberch additional again one of the vital impactful tactical strikes in current Premier League historical past?
Because the season progressed, Gravenberch seemed like a participant who had spent his complete profession selecting the ball up deep from defenders, intercepting by way of balls and placing his foot into tackles.
All of it aligned with the attributes we already knew he possessed in abundance: the flexibility to maintain the ball beneath stress, to identify a progressive cross and to hold the ball ahead into area.
We additionally noticed his aerial energy – underrated given his 6’2″ body – and witnessed much more of that profound adaptability, with Slot typically dropping him even deeper into the centre-back place on the uncommon event Liverpool have been chasing a sport.
Over the course of the season, Gravenberch developed top-of-the-line central midfield partnerships in Europe with Alexis Mac Allister.
Discounting a one-match Mac Allister suspension, they began collectively in 34 of 37 league matches, with the three outliers coming solely as soon as the title had already been secured.
This factors to Gravenberch’s invaluable bodily endurance. It’s exceptional that in such a busy calendar and in such a bodily taxing position, he didn’t decide up a single harm, finishing the complete 90 minutes on 37 events.
It says rather a lot that by the season’s finish, followers had nearly forgotten their holding-midfield issues from pre-season. Come the shut, Gravenberch led the best way for Premier League midfielders in interceptions. He was additionally fifth within the league for the variety of instances he received again possession.
For Liverpool, he ranked third in duels and tackles made. In keeping with FBRefwhich analyses gamers within the 5 ‘massive leagues and European competitions’ throughout the final three hundred and sixty five days, Gravenberch’s variety of interceptions per 90 minutes put him proper on the very prime within the 96th percentile.
His all-round sport and contribution is proven by his equally excessive rankings for cross completion, profitable take-ons and progressive carries. In an excellent all-action season, he was each protector and supplier, concurrently conducting the orchestra while preserving the aisles clear.
How can Ryan Gravenberch get even higher?
It feels flawed to be crucial of a younger participant nevertheless, will probably be attention-grabbing to see if he can improve his purpose output in 2025/26, having scored none in any respect this marketing campaign.
That may appear harsh for a deep-lying midfielder, however as Rodri has proven at Man Metropolis, gamers in that position can chip in with key targets.
In a crew as dominant as Liverpool’s and with the likes of Florian Wirtz probably including to an assortment of attacking choices, there must be alternatives for Gravenberch to extend these numbers.
In the meantime, that purple card in opposition to Crystal Palace could be attributed to a drained slip of the thoughts, but it surely did present that there’s nonetheless room for some enchancment within the decision-making division when beneath stress.
Naturally, he’s nonetheless studying the tips of the commerce within the place, although the necessities of the standard holding participant have modified from the times of Claude Makelele and Gravenberch has confirmed that he can match the fashionable mould.
It is going to be fascinating to see if Slot does determine to attempt once more to put money into a defensive midfielder this summer season. If Gravenberch is now certainly undroppable, wouldn’t it imply him enjoying additional ahead? Solely time will inform.
Greatest second: An excellent efficiency at centre-back when Liverpool had 10 males in opposition to Fulham at Anfield.
Worst second: The unlucky purple card in opposition to Crystal Palace.
Position subsequent season: Identical once more, hopefully, whereas sustaining his consistency proper till the top of the marketing campaign.
