Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has admitted that he feels “more comfortable” in Arne Slot’s tactical system than he did last season under former boss Jurgen Klopp.

Gravenberch struggled to justify his £34m price tag last season, starting only 12 times in the Premier League. But he’s already reached half that number so far in 2024/25, playing every minute up to now. The big difference, aside from a year of settling, is the manager.

The 22-year-old was asked for the reason for his improvement by Dutch publication Trouw, putting it down playing more effectively in the different tactics employed by Slot.

“That’s all exaggerated. I’m the same Gravenberch,” he said. “I sometimes had matches [last season] where I only touched the ball after five minutes. Then I don’t get into my game, I don’t get into my rhythm. This feels more comfortable to me.”

Slot’s Liverpool build up from the back in a slower way, as opposed to the heavy metal gegenpressing favoured by Klopp. It is working too, with the Reds not skipping a beat despite the potential for hurdles in a first managerial change in nine years. After six games, they top the Premier League.

“The coach knows that I have a lot of football in me,” Gravenberch also told De Volksrant. “He has a clear plan, with the build-up, with the pressing. It is up to me to maintain that and be consistent.

“He gave me the chance from the start. I had to focus on a certain position. A bit more defensive. I do my thing and that works out well. That has to do with myself and with the coach. There was clarity from the start. We play as a team, and then the individual also looks better.”

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