There’s no point sugarcoating it: Liverpool are in a spot of bother.
This is not a crisis in the overblown sense it has been made out to be across some pockets of punditry and social media, but Liverpool and Arne Slot are in a spot of bother nonetheless.
The beauty of football is that the football never stops. Liverpool slumped to a fourth successive defeat at Anfield against Manchester United last weekend, but a confident win over Eintracht Frankfurt this week before taking on Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday could rewrite the script and settle more than a few stomachs.
Of course, the Reds need to turn up, and their bleak Champions League defeat in Istanbul against Galatasaray will remain freshly pressed in the club and their fanbase’s memories.
All eyes will be on team selection. Will Slot persist with the horribly out-of-form Mohamed Salah? How will the Dutch tactician deal with his side’s glaring weaknesses across the defensive flanks?
There’s an even graver problem to contend with, though. Ryan Gravenberch’s injury-threatened campaign could see him sit this one out.
The latest on Ryan Gravenberch's fitness
In the build-up to Liverpool’s recent loss against Manchester United, Slot confirmed Gravenberch was fully fit after being substituted at half-time of the Netherlands’ 4-0 win over Finland during the October international break.
But he was forced off with an ankle issue against the Red Devils, and now Liverpool may need to find a new solution at number six, a big concern given the pre-existing imbalances across central midfield.
Alexis Mac Allister, in particular, has flattered to deceive, with analyst Raj Chohan even claiming the Argentina star “cannot” address these current difficulties in regard to build-up play and physicality across the engine room.
As much as Liverpool have struggled this season, Gravenberch has developed his game even further after playing such a pivotal role in Slot’s success last year.
Matches (starts)
37 (37)
7 (7)
Goals
0
2
Assists
4
1
Touches*
66.5
75.4
Pass completion
89%
88%
Key passes*
0.9
0.9
Dribbles*
1.0
1.0
Ball recoveries*
5.2
4.0
Tackles + interceptions*
3.5
3.2
Total duels (won)*
5.0 (57%)
5.1 (65%)
Replacing him will be no easy task, and though Mac Allister’s tough-tackling faculties suggest he could move into the deep berth he has held before, there’s another Liverpool star whose skillset lends itself to Gravenberch’s duty, and he must start in Frankfurt.
The Liverpool star who could replace Gravenberch
Mac Allister has been well out of sorts since his disrupted summer break, but Liverpool’s issues are endemic, and Dominik Szoboszlai’s services may be required at right-back for this trip to Germany.
If that is to be the case, Mac Allister may well reprise his role. But what of Gravenberch? Well, Liverpool have a solution in Curtis Jones, who could fit into the anchoring role in midfield and perhaps open up new possibilities for Liverpool’s hat-wearing talent.
A boyhood red and an academy graduate, Jones has played 189 times for Liverpool, and came into his own last year as Slot’s side cantered to the Premier League title, playing 33 times in the league and notching seven goal contributions.
Jones, 24, is criminally underrated in his dynamism and controlled approach in the middle of the park, notably hailed by Jamie Carragher as “Wijnaldum-esque” a few years ago.
According to FBref’s data, he ranks among the top 2% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, but also the top 14% for through balls, the top 7% for goal-creating actions and the top 14% for progressive passes per 90.
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent’s goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
As well as this, Jones’ athleticism and ball-carrying quality make for another string to the bow.
But the real marker of the England international’s bearing in this Liverpool squad is his passion. With Trent Alexander-Arnold now plying his trade with Real Madrid, Jones is the Scouser in the team.
A dynamic and committed midfielder, he has played here, there, and everywhere, but ample game time in the six role suggests he could fill in for Gravenberch and maybe free Mac Allister up while doing so.
Without question, Liverpool’s wretched form cannot continue, with the poor performances stemming further back than this recent winless run. Indeed, Liverpool were reliant on late goals and tenacity throughout the early weeks of the campaign, and that wellspring has since dried up.
Analyst Sam McGuire said after the United defeat that Jones’ introduction during the second half “helped with our intensity”. Moreover, he’s been noted in the past as a “physical machine” by Jurgen Klopp’s former assistant Pep Lijnders.
These are two elements of Liverpool’s midfield play that have left plenty to be desired this term, and Slot might restore a semblance of balance and robustness to his Liverpool team by placing Jones in the deep, connective role, rather than a Mac Allister who has fallen by the wayside this year and has shown little to suggest he is the solution to the woes.
Plenty of food for thought for Mr Slot. For Liverpool to slump to a fifth defeat on the bounce would be incomprehensible, and a bitter blow to their Champions League aspirations.
Jones has been entrusted with nothing more than a bit-part role so far this year, starting only once in the Premier League (at St. James’ Park).
That needs to change, lest Liverpool’s poor patch devolve into something far more critical.