NewsRyan Gravenberch interview: Arne Slot role, midfield 'surprise', Crystal Palace and more
Ryan Gravenberch says his Liverpool midfield role switch came 'naturally', though admits he has even surprised himself with his recent form.
After helping the Reds defeat Bologna in the Champions League in midweek, Gravenberch claimed September's Standard Chartered Men's Player of the Month prize on Thursday.
Next, Arne Slot's men travel to face Crystal Palace on Saturday lunchtime, rounding out a busy run of fixtures before a pause for the October international break.
Ahead of the Selhurst Park clash, Gravenberch sat down with Liverpoolfc.com to reflect on a hectic on-pitch period, his deeper midfield role under head coach Slot, and much more.
Read the full interview with the No.38 below…
On playing a lot and producing 'more consistent' performances...
I really enjoy it. Obviously I get the minutes now and for me I just try to be consistent every game and to show myself every game and I think it's going really well. I'm feeling really good.
On gelling with his other teammates in midfield...
I know Dom [Szoboszlai] and Alexis [Mac Allister] really well. If you play often with them, you know the quality of them and then - I don't know the word for it - but when Mac Allister goes higher, I have to come on, so we know from each other what the other guys are going to do. We know everything from each other [and] also now we play a lot of games together.
On how satisfied he is with the season personally so far...
I think a player always wants to play every game. Obviously the last two seasons at Bayern [Munich] I didn't play that much [and] last season I played more. This season I get a lot of minutes, so the confidence is really back and I think it shows. I think the games in September went really well and when you're getting minutes the confidence comes back.
On his new role in midfield and if he has had to adapt his game at all...
It came quite naturally. When I first spoke with the coach he said to me, 'I see you as a No.8 like last season, but I want to try you as a No.6 as well.' So, I was like, 'OK, yeah, we can do it!' I said to him, 'Of course, we can do it!' and the rest is history.
On whether his performances have surprised him...
Yeah, because to be honest as an eight you are more attacking and not a lot of defending. But the defending part I do also really well, so I impress myself a little bit.
On enjoying the defensive part of his midfield role...
Back in the days when I played with Ajax in the youth [team] I didn't like to defend! I didn't like that much. But now when you take off the ball from another player it's like, 'Yes, I have it!' I want to take the next one and the next one again. I enjoy it.
On what Slot has said to him about his role moving forward...
Now he sees me as a No.6! It goes really well. We'll have to see. Hopefully my aim is to be consistent every game.
On the momentum and the feeling in the squad at the moment...
[It's] a really good feeling. I think we won everything except the game against [Nottingham] Forest. We have a really good feeling. On Saturday it's the next game so we have to be ready for that one as well.
On facing Palace this weekend...
We know last season was also against Palace away at 12.30 I think and it was a difficult game for us. Now we know what we can expect and we have to be ready for it and we have to win the game because we want to go also into the international break with a good feeling.
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