Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has identified a missing piece in Andoni Iraola's squad: a powerful holding midfielder. Speaking on The Overlap Daily, brought to you by Sky Bet, Gerrard praised the "exciting mix" of attackers now at the new head coach's disposal but argued the team still needs a player who can shield the defence.
On Sunday, Iraola secured his best win since taking charge at Anfield, with Liverpool beating Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 in the Premier League. It was the Reds' first home league victory of the season, extending their winning run in all competitions to four matches ahead of Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie against Chelsea at home.
Attacking firepower on display
Liverpool scored 14 goals in those four matches, with £100m signings Bradley Barcola, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz all finding the net. Gerrard was particularly impressed with the link-up for Isak's goal, describing Barcola's pass and the striker's finish as "a lovely goal."
"Barcola looks rapid," Gerrard said. "He came in after a pre-season with no game time. He's had a fantastic 10 days/two weeks, and the touch paper's lit now." He also noted that Wirtz, who returned from the international break under criticism, has improved in his last three performances.
The missing midfielder
Despite the attacking depth, Gerrard believes Liverpool still need a "real strong powerhouse in the middle of the team," comparing the role to that of Fabinho or Didi Hamann. "Someone who holds the middle of the team and stops people playing through them and puts a lot of fires out," he explained, adding that Alexis Mac Allister is good but not top at that specific job.
Gerrard acknowledged that Iraola and some Liverpool fans might disagree with his assessment, but he maintained that the team's next step is becoming harder to break down, especially after Brighton finished the match with 1.35 xG compared to Liverpool's 0.87.
