‘No One Saw It Coming’ – Mac Allister Shares How Gravenberch Shocked Liverpool

Live from Anfield – reporting on Liverpool’s sensational Premier League-winning campaign under new manager Arne Slot.

In what can only be described as a dream debut season, Arne Slot has led Liverpool to their 20th Premier League title, pulling off a stunning campaign with minimal changes to the squad. Aside from the arrival of Federico Chiesa, Slot largely relied on the core group left behind by Jurgen Klopp — and boy, did he get the best out of them.

One of the standout aspects of this new era has been the individual resurgence of several players. Mohamed Salah spoke candidly about Slot’s influence, particularly noting how a shift in his role unlocked some of the best numbers of his Liverpool career.

But perhaps the most unexpected transformation came from Ryan Gravenberch.

Alexis Mac Allister: “We were surprised by Ryan’s level”

The Dutch midfielder, brought in by Klopp in 2023 from Ajax, initially struggled in a central role. However, under Slot, everything changed. Slot made the bold call to shift Gravenberch into the number six position — a role many had not envisioned for him. The move paid off spectacularly.

Speaking on The Anfield Wrap Podcast, Alexis Mac Allister revealed the squad’s reaction to Gravenberch’s rapid adaptation:

“Yeah, definitely. I think everyone was surprised by Ryan’s level at the beginning. We knew what he could do, but it was a new position for him as well because we don’t play with a six, with a defensive six.”

“So it was about finding that balance between Ryan and me — to attack and defend and do well. And as you said, Dom, an amazing player. He never gets tired.”

Gravenberch became the anchor of the midfield, playing nearly every game of the Premier League season. His performances not only cemented his place in the squad — they earned him the Premier League Young Player of the Season award.

Slot credits Mac Allister for the breakthrough idea

Interestingly, the spark behind this tactical shift didn’t come from the manager alone. In an interview with Sky Sports, Slot revealed it was a preseason conversation with Alexis Mac Allister that got the ball rolling.

“One of the things I spoke to most of the players [about], maybe to all of them in their summer break… Alexis said to me, and I also felt the same, that he has no problem playing as No. 6 – he did quite well the season before – but he prefers to play with a No. 6 behind him.”

Slot added:

“That’s also why we were interested in signing a No. 6, but Ryan came back one or two days earlier – I was hoping for more – and that way he could play the Manchester United game in that position.”

What followed was a revelation. Slot recalled a specific moment from that United match:

“There’s one moment where we played the ball to him and someone tried to press him. He just used his body to shield the ball, and the player didn’t see him again for a few seconds.”

“It made me feel that this would be a good asset to have. We had to find out in the first few games if he was defensively strong enough – and he definitely was. He’s now one of the players with the most interceptions and all these kinds of stats.”

A New Era Begins

With Arne Slot at the helm and players like Gravenberch and Mac Allister thriving in reimagined roles, Liverpool have not only reclaimed the Premier League crown — they’ve ushered in a new era of intelligent, adaptive football. And if this first season is anything to go by, the Red Machine under Slot is only just getting started.