Slot reveals Liverpool star has ‘lots to prove’ as new Reds boss shrugs off Anfield ‘nerves’

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot says Ryan Gravenberch still has “a lot to prove” in his new position as the team’s holding midfielder.

The 22-year-old, the last signing of the Jurgen Klopp era, was handed the pivotal number six role in last weekend’s victory over Ipswich.

Although he has played all across the centre of the park in his relatively short career with Ajax and Bayern Munich he had not been tested in the role at Anfield until this summer when Slot took over.

A couple of appearances in pre-season enabled him to move ahead of Wataru Endo, a genuine deep-lying midfielder, in the pecking order in the position which Liverpool had earmarked for Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi before the Spain international had a change of heart over a move.

But despite a promising second half at Portman Road – matched by the performance of the team – Slot knows there is plenty of work for both him and his fellow Dutchman to do.

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“I think he brings in certain qualities which we like in that position,” he said.

“But he only played three games in that position and he did really well against Man United, against Sevilla and against Ipswich.

“Now only one of them was a game that matters in terms of a Premier League game, so he has a lot to prove in that position still.

“But (in the) first games he did well but, like with all of them, it’s not about the individual, it’s always what the team around them do for him to play a good game.

“Because if all the other 10 would have been s*** at Ipswich, I don’t think Ryan would have been able to play a great game.

“He has running capacity, so he can keep on running, he has a nice height and he is really comfortable with the ball.

“So he has some attributes that he could play in that position. We have other options in that position as well. Interesting competition in many positions.”

Centre-back is one of those areas, where Jarell Quansah was picked to partner Virgil van Dijk at Ipswich only to be replaced with Ibrahima Konate at half-time for tactical reasons.

The 21-year-old, who made his breakthrough last season, looked dejected sitting on the bench for the second half but Slot was impressed with the player’s attitude.

“He reacted in a way every player should have reacted,” he added.

“I spoke to him immediately after the game, I spoke to him the day after on Sunday and at the end of that conversation he asked if he could train on the Sunday.

“Normally he should have done recovery. He wanted to train.”

Slot will make his competitive Anfield debut at home to Brentford on Sunday.

“I’m not nervous at all, certainly not at this moment because I’m in the middle of preparing the team,” he said.

“No, nerves are not there. It wouldn’t be a good thing. If you’ve got nerves then you probably don’t trust what you did before, you just don’t trust your team.

“I trust what we as a staff do during the whole week to prepare the team in the best possible way and I trust the team a lot as well – again on Sunday.”

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