Jamie Carragher reserved praise for one Liverpool player who he feels has been transformed since Arne Slot took over the reins from Jurgen Klopp during the summer.
The head coach made a couple of changes to his starting line-up for last night’s Champions League opener against AC Milan, but one of those to keep his place – and maintain his 100% record for starts in the early weeks of the campaign – was Ryan Gravenberch.
The Dutch midfielder had to be content with a bit-part role for much of last season, but he’s been ever-present so far this term, and he’s rewarding the faith from his new boss with a series of fine performances.
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Speaking on CBS Sports on Paramount+ (17 September, 22:10), Carragher hailed the 22-year-old’s recent renaissance, with the ex-Liverpool defender stating: “This happens with every new manager and every team. They come on and have an effect on a player who you maybe thought was not good enough or the last manager didn’t really like.
“I think that player is Gravenberch in midfield. He looks a completely different player now under this manager than he did under Jurgen Klopp, so that has been a real plus for Liverpool.”
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If one statistic sums up Gravenberch’s new-found importance to Slot’s Liverpool team, it’s that his tally of minutes from this season (450) is already just under a quarter of what he racked up in the entirety of last term (1,839).
In the Premier League, his pass accuracy has improved from 82.3% in 2023/24 to 88.5% in the first month of the current campaign, while his tackle success rate has shot up from 41.4% to 75%, and he’s won 66.7% of his aerial duels so far in 2024/25 compared to 41.7% under Klopp (FBref).
Those figures illustrate the strong impact he’s making in the number 6 berth for the Reds, and his display against Milan last night was characterised by his crucial interception and sublime pass to instigate the move which led to Dominik Szoboszlai putting us 3-1 in front midway through the second half.
Gravenberch would’ve had his doubters after not having a starring role in his first year at Liverpool, off the back of an abortive spell at Bayern Munich, but in Slot he now has a coach who’s found a place for him in the team which helps to get the best out of his abilities.
If the 22-year-old can extrapolate his superb form of late over a full season and beyond, Klopp’s last signing at Anfield will go on to become an indispensable figure at the club.
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