Gerrard's Warning: Liverpool's Midfield Needs a Specialist Defensive Midfielder
Steven Gerrard has delivered a stark warning to Liverpool’s hierarchy, insisting the squad remains “fundamentally unbalanced” without a specialist defensive midfielder – and that the failure to replace Fabinho could haunt Andoni Iraola’s debut season at Anfield.
The former Liverpool captain, now a regular voice on TNT Sports, did not bother to sugar-coat his view of the current midfield picture as he looked ahead to the Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest.
“There’s one area that hasn’t really had much focus, only really in the last week since the Newcastle game. I believe they need a specialist in the No. 6 position, that’s my opinion,” Gerrard said.
That Newcastle game is still gnawing away at him. Liverpool escaped St James’ Park with a 2-2 draw, rescuing a point late on, but the scoreline masked a recurring flaw. Whenever they lost the ball in the middle third, Newcastle surged through them. Counters cut straight into the heart of the side, exposing a team that looked far too easy to play through.
For Gerrard, the problem is structural, not cosmetic.
“I think that position’s been sorely missed, I don’t think they’ve got a specialist in that position,” he explained. “That can allow your [Dominik] Szoboszlai’s and your [Ryan] Gravenberch’s and your [Alexis] Mac Allister’s to go and join attacks, to make the back four secure. I think they miss that position badly.”
In other words, the attacking midfielders are being asked to juggle. Create and cover. Press and protect. Without a natural shield in front of the defence, the entire system feels stretched.
Iraola inherits a costly puzzle
The scrutiny on Iraola is intense, and not just because he is the new man in the dugout. He walks into a club that has already spent heavily and still stumbled.
Under Arne Slot, Liverpool sanctioned a staggering £250m outlay last summer in a sweeping overhaul. Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and youngster Giovanni Leoni all arrived as part of an ambitious rebuild designed to keep the club at the summit.
It didn’t work. That record investment failed to deliver a successful Premier League title defence and ultimately cost Slot his job. The bill remains; the trophy did not.
Now Iraola must shape a coherent side from a squad that has been both expensively upgraded and quietly stripped of experience. Ibrahima Konate, Mohamed Salah and Andrew Robertson have all left on free transfers, removing three pillars from the dressing room and the spine of the team.
The message from Gerrard is clear: if you don’t anchor this midfield properly, the rest of the structure will keep creaking.
Strength at centre-back – but one big question
Gerrard’s assessment was not entirely gloomy. He sees reasons to be encouraged at the back, where Liverpool have moved quickly to reinforce the centre of defence after those high-profile exits.
“I think in terms of numbers now, they’re better than they were last year,” he said. “Konate has moved on, we wish him luck, he’s done a great job. We’ve now got four or five centre-backs, so volume, I think they’re secure. I think the key is: is Jacquet going to be good enough?”
That’s the hinge point. On paper, the depth is there. Four, maybe five centre-backs, a healthier pool than last season. But without that specialist No. 6 in front of them, even the best defenders can be left exposed, dragged into wide areas, isolated on the break.
Gerrard’s warning cuts through the noise: Liverpool may have numbers at the back and talent in advanced areas, yet the season could still be defined by what they lack in the space between – and by whether the club finally moves to fill the void Fabinho left behind.
