Gerrard Warns Liverpool About Missing Defensive Midfielder

Steven Gerrard has delivered a blunt message to Liverpool’s hierarchy: until they sign a specialist defensive midfielder, the squad will remain unbalanced and vulnerable.

Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest in his expanded role with TNT Sports, the former captain did not disguise his concern over the spine of Andoni Iraola’s team.

"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," Gerrard said.

Fabinho’s departure still looms large. In Gerrard’s eyes, Liverpool have never truly replaced the Brazilian, and the gap he left is now threatening to undermine Iraola’s first season in charge.

Newcastle draw exposes soft centre

The urgency behind Gerrard’s comments comes straight from what unfolded at St James’ Park. Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Newcastle United may have yielded a late point, but the performance raised familiar alarms.

Iraola’s side were repeatedly cut open on the counter. Every turnover in the middle third seemed to invite danger, with the team looking fragile and stretched whenever possession was lost.

For Gerrard, that isn’t a tactical quirk. It’s a structural flaw.

"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 message is clear: the attacking midfielders are being asked to create and cover at the same time, and without a true No. 6 behind them, the whole system creaks.

Iraola inherits an expensive puzzle

The pressure on Iraola is already heavy, and not just because of results. He has walked into a dressing room shaped – and heavily funded – by his predecessor, Arne Slot.

Last summer, Liverpool poured roughly £250m into a sweeping rebuild. Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and youngster Giovanni Leoni were all brought in as part of a bold attempt to refresh the squad and sustain a title-winning level.

That gamble did not pay off. The club failed to defend their Premier League crown, Slot departed, and Iraola now faces the task of making an expensive, star-studded group function as a coherent unit.

Complicating that challenge is the quiet drain of experience. Ibrahima Konate, Mohamed Salah and Andrew Robertson have all left on free transfers, stripping away leadership and know-how from a squad already trying to find a new identity.

Defensive depth grows, but one big question remains

Gerrard’s criticism of the midfield came with a contrasting note of optimism about the centre of defence. At least there, he sees progress in one key area: numbers.

"I think in terms of numbers now, they're better than they were last year. 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?"

It’s a pointed question. Liverpool may finally have the bodies at centre-back, but without the shield in front of them, the pressure on those defenders will only grow.

Gerrard’s verdict leaves Liverpool with a stark choice: trust that Iraola can mask the absence of a natural No. 6, or move decisively in the market before that missing anchor drags an entire season off course.