Liverpool legend savages AWOL Reds star who most fans keep giving a pass

A major Liverpool star who as yet has largely escaped criticism for his part in the Reds’ shambolic title defence has been taken to task by a legend of the club.

Realistically, Liverpool’s title defence is over and it probably already was even before their 3-0 humbling at the hands of Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

The defeat was Liverpool’s sixth of the season and now ensured the Reds have a negative goal difference in the league. Arsenal will march towards their first league title in over two decades, with Liverpool now facing an almighty scrap simply to qualify for next year’s Champions League.

The same old issues were on display on the loss to Sean Dyche’s men – individual errors at the back, an inability to win duels both in the air and on the ground, failure to defend set pieces, failure to stop counter-attacks at source, failure to create anything resembling a chance for Alexander Isak, and failure to take what few chances did come their way to other players.

It’s a recipe for disaster and Liverpool and their players are getting exactly what they deserve right now – nothing.

But while the likes of Ibrahima Konate, Milos Kerkez, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah have been frequent targets for criticism – and rightly so – one player has largely been given a pass by the club’s fanbase.

Ryan Gravenberch – who expertly anchored Liverpool’s midfield last term and scooped the Young Premier League Player of the Season award – again struggled to impact the game at either end on Saturday.

And according to Liverpool legend, Steve Nicol, it’s long overdue Gravenberch came in for a verbal kicking.

Nicol, who won four league titles with the Reds in the 1980s, told ESPN FC: “There’s one guy who I think has escaped criticism so far: Gravenberch.

“This is a guy who no question after Salah and maybe Van Dijk was Liverpool’s best player last year. He was in the right place all the time, he made great decisions, he started attacks.

“His main job is to be that block, that guy in front of the back four that orders the other two around, lets them go forward when they can and fills in behind. He’s done none of that this year.

“He is another one who, as fantastic as he was last year, has completely disappeared again.”

Latest Liverpool news – Slot sack? / Van Dijk’s had enough / Trent regret?

In other news, and as talk of Arne Slot being shown the door at Liverpool intensifies, the bookies have installed a spectacular replacement as the favourite to replace the Dutchman.

Elsewhere, Virgil van Dijk did not hold back when launching a scathing assessment of his side’s embarrassing loss to Forest, while Slot answered questions over what fans perceived as a major selection blunder.

Finally, Trent Alexander-Arnold regrets turning down the chance to sign a new contract from Liverpool and staying at Anfield and is not happy at Real Madrid, according to a Spanish report, but TEAMtalk has analysed why this notion has to be treated with more than just a pinch of salt.