Ryan Gravenberch

[Buzzo]

Great that he’s signed. Easy to forget he is only 23, and was a huge reason as to why we won the League last season getting young player of the season.

[Le Chef]

Reports he got 280k. Seems a lot to me, given how he's performed this season.

Would be shocked at that, unless that includes all bonuses and title/cup bonus - I recall all contracts inc a CL clause to help hem achieve those numbers.

[Charly]

Extra personnel wont help imho. Its purely tactical and how we are positioning leaving big gaps to play through.

Even **** teams in the PL are still very good tactically and athletically. It seems boring because the standards are really high now. Dutch football is nowhere near as competitive.

[labourRed]

Reports he got 280k. Seems a lot to me, given how he's performed this season.

[Paul12]

Our midfield was fantastic last year. It looks utterly disfunctional this. Most of our defensive problems are related to the shape of the midfield

Agreed. Grav is playing further forward and no longer a secret weapon, and Macca has been pretty poor (and looks so slow) most of the time, yet Curtis has been very curate's egg, and Wataru is past his sell-by-date. Trey looks a prospect but it is early days still. So we need more man power to be able to change things up, and we need a bit of a tactical rethink for the midfield because they are consistently caufght too far forward.

Going back to the Grav contract renewal, it is worth bearing in mind that, although we all know that Ibou and Robbo's contract ends at the end of this season, Trey's does too I think (as well as Woodman's and Williams', which are less important).

[Charly]

Our midfield was fantastic last year. It looks utterly disfunctional this. Most of our defensive problems are related to the shape of the midfield

[Irishnev]

I think it’s good. He should be Macca’s replacement, get in a dedicated #6 and give him a bit more freedom.

Sorry Rich, he cannot be Mac's replacement

Mac at his best is tenacious, a great passer and a tough ****er. Grav is none of those things, he is brilliant at carrying the ball when the opposition press him. He does not use his size or lacks the aggression needed to really live up to his talent level. Opposition sides now stand off him and he is not effective, press him and he'll kill you.

[Rich]

I think it’s good. He should be Macca’s replacement, get in a dedicated #6 and give him a bit more freedom.

[Mark79]

[ame]https://twitter.com/i/status/2030297504248455411[/ame]

[peterbread]

New deal for the Gravenberch

https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/ryan-gravenberch-signs-new-long-term-liverpool-contract

[danperkins]

Thats tactical though.

Grav has licence to get forward rather than play as a proper DM

Yeah this is true.

[Charly]

Thats tactical though.

Grav has licence to get forward rather than play as a proper DM

[danperkins]

There has been alot of criticism aimed at players and rightly so, I do think Grav hasn't gotten away with it this season. Our midfield has genuinely been terrible this season and offered little or no protection for our fragile backline. Imo he's been really poor and has had a ridiculous drop off from last season.

[Doc_Piptorious]

The Inter players were really getting up close when our players were receiving the ball, I think that suited Grav as he can use special turn to spin away. He seems to struggle more when players stand off him when he receives the ball - think premier league teams have sussed this.

Yeah a lot of teams do not try and press him or put him under pressure as he is just too good at breaking a press.

As you said, they will let him come to them by standing off or just mark the channels that he could pass into.

It's where we imo need players on our team to then show more for Grav when he is on the ball or maybe for a defender to move up with him and force the other team to then commit players.

Will be interesting in the middle against Brighton as they seem to have Baleba and Wieffer striking up a similar sort of partnership to the one MacAllister and Caicedo had, but with a difference in that both Weiffer and Baleba can do the more physical side of the game along with the hard running so makes no diffeence which one advances forward as the one that sits deeper can bring the same defensive qualities as the other guy in the event of a counter.

Plus they have that Gomez guy that looks like he can do all the defensive stuff along with playing in more advanced attacking roles.

[Norbs]

Wonder why he just doesn't do the turn even if there's no on near him