John Barnes claims surprise Liverpool star 'hasn't improved' after tough Man Utd display
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While Ryan Gravenberch has been one of Liverpool’s ‘standout’ stars this season, club legend John Barnes thinks he ‘has not improved as a player’.
His comments came just before Liverpool’s surprising 2-2 draw with Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.
United more than deserved to take a point from Anfield, putting in perhaps their best performance under Ruben Amorim to date against a Reds side who were decent but far from their imperious best.
Post-match, Red Devils captain Bruno Fernandes spoke of how difficult it was to play through Liverpool’s midfield, reserving special praise for two stars.
He told Sky Sports: ‘We know how tough it is to play against Liverpool when they win the ball and do a transition because they have really fast players and really good players on the ball in midfield to drive the ball through.
‘With Cutis [Jones] and Gravenberch they probably have one of the best in the league.’
Mohamed Salah aside, many consider Gravenberch to be Liverpool’s best player this season, having come on leaps and bounds since his difficult debut season at Anfield.
The 22-year-old also struggled at previous club Bayern Munich but Barnes believes his recent transformation is down to Arne Slot’s tactical set-up, telling Stadium Astro: ‘It’s because of the way the manager wants him to play.
‘He has not improved as a player but he knows Arne Slot, he’s Dutch and this style of football suits him more than under Jurgen [Klopp]. Jurgen played a more dynamic type of football.
‘Playing as a No.6, I don’t think he could have done this under Jurgen or at Bayern, but because Arne Slot has implemented a style to suit him in that position, as he’s done with all the players.
‘Yes, he’s been one of our standout performers but I don’t think he’s necessarily improved as a player. It’s just that the environment around him and the way we now play suits him in that position.
‘There’s a much slower build-up. He’s technically very good, he’s not a No.6 in the ball-winner, ball-tackler sense. He keeps hold of the ball well.
‘Jurgen wanted midfield players to be winning tackles, whereas Arne wants him to keep hold of the ball, so the way Arne plays suits him more than Jurgen.’
While Gravenberch has been in sensational form this season, the United draw was a tough game for him and his teammates but they have little time to rest and reflect on the result.
Liverpool are back in action on Wednesday night when they travel to Tottenham for the first-leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.
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