With the new Premier League season fast approaching, Liverpool are back at the AXA Training Centre under new head coach Andoni Iraola, who replaced Arne Slot. One of the biggest question marks from last season was the midfield composition, which Slot never truly nailed down. As the Reds prepare to open the season at Newcastle United on August 23, our ECHO writers examine the options.
Midfield Dilemma Without New Signings
Ian Doyle notes that with no new midfielders incoming and unlikely unless current senior options are moved on, Iraola faces the same puzzle as Slot. However, the task may be slightly easier given Alexis Mac Allister's participation in the World Cup with Argentina. The 27-year-old will have little pre-season training, so he may be on the bench at best against Newcastle.
At Bournemouth, Iraola favoured a 4-2-3-1 with a defensively-minded double pivot. But with Wataru Endo recovering from injury and barely starting a Premier League game in two years, no such senior player exists in the squad. Florian Wirtz will likely be the number 10, leaving three players competing for two spots: Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Curtis Jones.
Gravenberch and Szoboszlai in Contention
Gravenberch is expected to be one of the starters. If Szoboszlai is not required on the right wing, he should get the nod ahead of Jones. However, that midfield may lack physicality and was shown to be easy to play through on rare occasions last season. This could be an early test of whether matters change under Iraola.
Mark Jones echoes the sentiment that Mac Allister's World Cup displays have delayed his return. With the Argentina star due at least three weeks off after the tournament, his involvement from the start at Newcastle is difficult to envisage. This doesn't mean the midfield make-up is a given.
Potential Role on the Right Wing
With Mohamed Salah now gone and Victor Munoz also progressing in the World Cup, it could be that Iraola begins with Szoboszlai out on the right wing, creating another vacancy in midfield. That can be filled by Curtis Jones, who Iraola spoke warmly of at his introductory press conference. A start on day one would be a vote of confidence.
Thus, the midfield could feature Gravenberch and Jones in the middle, with Wirtz as the number 10. Iraola and Liverpool need to commit to that role for Wirtz.
