“I Knew I Could do it” – Ryan Gravenberch on his New Liverpool Role Under Arne Slot | OneFootball

Ryan Gravenberch Thrives in Surprise Role Under Arne Slot’s Liverpool Revolution

Arne Slot’s arrival at Liverpool was always likely to bring change. What few expected was that one of his most successful moves in a Premier League title-winning campaign would involve repositioning Ryan Gravenberch — a move as bold as it was brilliant.

The Dutch midfielder arrived with a reputation for carrying the ball and linking play. He was never viewed as a defensive pivot. Yet, in Slot’s vision, that’s exactly where he was deployed, and the results were transformational for both player and club.

Positional Switch Sparks Breakout Season

Gravenberch featured in 37 of Liverpool’s 38 Premier League fixtures during their title-winning season, only missing out against Chelsea once the crown had already been secured. His consistency wasn’t just about availability, it was about adaptation.

Slot’s decision to move Gravenberch into a deeper role puzzled many initially. Fans and pundits alike questioned whether the 23-year-old had the defensive instincts required for such a task. But the midfielder himself embraced the idea immediately.

Photo: IMAGO

“When the coach told me about where he wanted me to play, I just thought ‘when can I start?’ I knew I could do it, even though defensively I sometimes had my doubts. I do think I took a big step forward because it actually went naturally,” Gravenberch told The Mirror.

This wasn’t a case of fitting a player into a role out of necessity. It was a tactical recalibration. As opposition sides adjusted, Slot’s Liverpool evolved, using Gravenberch’s intelligence and movement to unpick more compact defences.

“From the first training session it went pretty well. As the season went on, opponents started to put a different pressure on us and closed us down through the middle. But that created space somewhere else. It was up to us to find the free players,” Gravenberch added.

In a team where flexibility became a strength, his role as a holding midfielder was fundamental to Liverpool’s balance. The ghost of failed pursuits for Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo was finally laid to rest.

Squad Depth Key to Sustaining Success

Even as Gravenberch swept the Premier League Young Player of the Year award, questions remain over Liverpool’s depth in this crucial position. Wataru Endo, dependable yet not dominant, struggled to displace him even during dips in form caused by fatigue.

Slot must now weigh up how to manage Gravenberch’s workload across all competitions. Liverpool’s system heavily relies on tempo and precision in the middle of the park. Any drop-off risks exposing vulnerabilities, especially in matches decided by fine margins.

Photo: IMAGO

Identifying a suitable understudy will not be easy. High-quality holding midfielders do not come cheap, and few are willing to accept a support role. That opens the door to internal solutions.

Curtis Jones could be one such option. Slot’s willingness to rotate, and his trust in younger players, may offer the flexibility needed to give Gravenberch breathers during less demanding fixtures.

Arne Slot’s Influence on Player Evolution

The broader point here is the success of Slot’s player development ethos. Rather than buying for every problem, he has shown a remarkable ability to extract new dimensions from existing talent.

Gravenberch’s transformation is the clearest example of that. Under Slot, he has gone from peripheral figure under Jürgen Klopp to essential gear in a title-winning machine. More importantly, he has become a player with a higher ceiling than ever imagined at the start of the season.

With Liverpool targeting more trophies in the season ahead, the strategic use of players like Gravenberch — and smart management of their minutes — will be crucial. This campaign might have belonged to him, but sustaining that brilliance will depend as much on planning as performance.