Steven Gerrard Is Right, Liverpool Still Need Their Number 6

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Kickjolly · AI-written · automatically reviewed · Anfield Agenda ↗

Liverpool's lack of a genuine destroyer in midfield remains a problem despite significant changes to the team, according to Steven Gerrard, who argues that the team is exposed when opponents get bodies through the centre of the pitch. Gerrard made this argument on The Overlap Daily. The team has spent over £625m on new signings since summer 2025, including Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, and Bradley Barcola, all of whom are attacking talents. None of these signings is a specialist screener.

The issue is evident in Liverpool's recent performances, having shipped 16 goals in their first 12 matches of the season. The midfield pairing of Mac Allister and Gravenberch, which helped carry Liverpool to the title in 2024-25, has looked less convincing recently. Andoni Iraola has started shifting away from relying on this pairing heavily. Villarreal and Brighton found openings through the middle without much resistance in recent matches.

The need for a dedicated holding midfielder was already a concern in the summer, especially after Curtis Jones left for Inter Milan. Liverpool decided their existing options were sufficient, but this decision now looks overly optimistic. Lamine Camara is a potential solution, having been linked to Liverpool persistently, with decent ball-winning numbers and the ability to add control. Didi Hamann has also previously made a similar argument to Gerrard's.