Steven Gerrard Issues Warning on Liverpool's Midfield Flaws

Steven Gerrard has fired a pointed warning at Liverpool’s hierarchy, insisting the squad remains structurally flawed without a specialist holding midfielder – and that the issue could haunt Andoni Iraola’s debut season in charge.

The former captain, now a prominent voice on TNT Sports, believes the club’s failure to properly replace Fabinho has left a glaring hole at the base of midfield. Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest, Gerrard did not bother to sugar-coat his view of the current set-up.

"There's one area that hasn't really had much focus, only really in the last week since the Newcastle game. I believe they need a specialist in the No. 6 position, that's my opinion," he said.

That Newcastle game is still fresh in his mind. Liverpool escaped St James’ Park with a 2-2 draw, but the late rescue act masked a worrying pattern. Every time they lost the ball in the middle third, Newcastle broke through them. The spaces were too big. The protection in front of the back four, too flimsy.

For Gerrard, the problem is as much about unlocking Liverpool’s attacking midfielders as it is about shoring up the defence.

"I think that position's been sorely missed, I don't think they've got a specialist in that position," he explained. "That can allow your [Dominik] Szoboszlai's and your [Ryan] Gravenberch's and your [Alexis] Mac Allister's to go and join attacks, to make the back four secure. I think they miss that position badly."

The warning lands at a delicate time for Iraola. He has inherited not just a heavyweight job, but a squad reshaped at huge cost under Arne Slot. Around £250m was thrown at a major rebuild last summer, with Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and youngster Giovanni Leoni all arriving in a record outlay.

The return on that investment? No successful defence of the Premier League title and, ultimately, Slot’s departure.

Now Iraola must find balance where Slot could not. He has to knit together a squad that has lost major dressing-room figures, with Ibrahima Konate, Mohamed Salah and Andrew Robertson all leaving on free transfers. Experience has gone out of the door; expectation has not.

Gerrard, though, sees at least one area where Liverpool have managed to strengthen in pure numbers.

At centre-back, the churn has produced depth. New faces have come in to offset the exits, and the former skipper believes that, unlike midfield, the defensive unit has at least been stocked properly.

"I think in terms of numbers now, they're better than they were last year," he said. "Konate has moved on, we wish him luck, he's done a great job. We've now got four or five centre-backs, so volume, I think they're secure. I think the key is: is Jacquet going to be good enough?"

That final question hangs over Liverpool’s season. Iraola may have bodies at the back and flair further forward, but until someone nails down that No. 6 role, the structure Gerrard once marshalled so ruthlessly from midfield still looks one piece short.