A little over four minutes had passed at St James' Park on Sunday and Liverpool had started encouragingly, keeping the ball well and with urgency in their play. Ryan Gravenberch created space with a brilliant touch to get past Lewis Miley but instead of shooting from the edge of the box or playing Dominik Szoboszlai through, the Netherlands international lost possession. Just 11 seconds later, Newcastle were ahead through Anthony Elanga after a devastating counter that required one pass after Amar Dedic's initial clearance.
Liverpool simply had no structure when out of possession. It was schoolboy stuff and a nightmare start for Andoni Iraola. It was a similar story in the second half when Gravenberch was dispossessed after trying a back heel on the edge of the Newcastle box.
This time, Yoane Wissa went on a brilliant run through the centre - evading an array of Liverpool players - and played the ball to Joe Willock, who finished in style. As Iraola alluded to after, perhaps one of his players should have had the know how to commit a foul in that situation but Liverpool were punished again. Looking back on both goals, Gravenberch's decision-making should have been better and perhaps the centre-back pairing of Virgil van Dijk and Jeremy Jacquet could have engaged quicker rather than holding off.
But having a defensive midfielder stationed accordingly would, in all likelihood, have nullified the threat. Liverpool have not had an out-and-out number six since Fabinho, who left in 2023, and as it stands Iraola's preference is a two-man pivot in midfield with Florian Wirtz playing as a number 10. Both of those two midfielders, Gravenberch and Szoboszlai, were in the Newcastle box when Liverpool lost possession before Elanga's opener.
If Liverpool are to be taken seriously, they simply cannot concede goals like that regularly. Iraola tends to avoid major debriefs in the dressing room after a game, with his personal preference to speak to the players a day later. Asked in his post-match news conference about what could be done to prevent the kind of goals his side conceded, the Liverpool head coach suggested that it was not due to the type or identity of midfielders he had selected.
"I think it's just not personnel," said Iraola. "I understand you are telling me basically that Ryan Gravenberch is the six and he is on the edge of the box - but if he shoots and he scores we are saying what a play from Ryan Gravenberch." It was an interesting point, given that Gravenberch produced the assist for Cody Gakpo's equaliser. But shortly after Newcastle went 2-1 up, Iraola reacted by bringing on Alexis Mac Allister for Wirtz and Liverpool did seem more stable defensively - even if the Argentina international prefers to play as an eight.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
