In Liverpool’s current slump, attention is falling on key figures such as Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, while manager Arne Slot is also facing criticism. Analysts have noted that Ryan Gravenberch is likewise a shadow of his usual self.
Liverpool’s alarming dip in form has become one of the main talking points in English football, and the pressure around Anfield continues to rise after a series of disappointing performances.
In recent weeks, critics have focused heavily on the usual pillars of the team such as Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, while manager Arne Slot has increasingly found himself under scrutiny as well. Yet analysts have also highlighted another worrying development: Ryan Gravenberch, one of last season’s standout performers, has completely fallen away.
The concern around Gravenberch is surprising precisely because of how important he was in the previous campaign. Former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol, who made over 450 appearances for the club and won the European Cup along with multiple league titles, did not hold back when assessing the Dutch midfielder’s decline. According to Nicol, Gravenberch’s level last season set a standard that he is currently nowhere near meeting. He was, after Van Dijk and Salah, Liverpool’s best player last year. He drove the team forward, initiated attacks, and constantly made the right decisions in midfield, Nicol explained, emphasising how central Gravenberch once was to Liverpool’s structure.
That influence has almost completely vanished. Speaking on ESPN FC, Nicol stressed that Gravenberch has managed to avoid criticism only because Slot and some of the senior players have taken the majority of the blame. But when you analyse the games closely, he has been completely invisible. Last season he was a granite block in front of the defence, the midfielder who directed the other two in the middle of the park. He pushed forward, filled gaps, and had an incredible awareness of what the game needed. This season he has shown none of that, the former Scotland international said, calling the midfielder’s drop in consistency both dramatic and puzzling.
Those concerns were amplified even more during Liverpool’s most recent Premier League match, where the team suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat at Anfield against Nottingham Forest. The result, registered on 22 November 2025, shocked supporters and highlighted how deeply the team’s problems run. Forest punished Liverpool’s mistakes with ruthless efficiency, while the home side looked disjointed, lacking creativity and physically overwhelmed for long stretches of the game. Gravenberch, once again, played a muted role and failed to impose himself in any phase of play.
The consequences in the league table are significant. After thirteen matches, Liverpool have dropped to eleventh place in the Premier League, already eleven points behind leaders Arsenal. A gap of that size so early in the season has raised serious questions about whether the team can realistically compete for the title or even secure a Champions League spot unless something changes quickly. The defensive organisation is unstable, the midfield lacks identity, and the attacking structure has become predictable. Critics and supporters alike are wondering whether the current issues are tactical, psychological or simply related to players who are out of form.
Despite the domestic crisis, Liverpool’s Champions League campaign remains a bright spot. Slot’s team has performed far better in Europe, showing more composure, better structure and a clearer game plan. With PSV set to be their next opponent in the competition, the club hopes that strong European performances can serve as a platform to rebuild confidence ahead of the demanding Premier League schedule.
For Gravenberch, the coming weeks will be crucial. With pressure mounting and criticism growing louder, he will need to rediscover the energy, intelligence and ambition that defined his breakthrough season at Anfield. Whether he can turn things around quickly may play a decisive role not only in Liverpool’s season, but also in Slot’s ability to stabilise a team that is rapidly losing ground in the league.
