Liverpool players and fans have been doing a victory lap this week having secured the Premier League title last weekend.
The Reds still have four games to play – beginning at Chelsea on Sunday – but have been lapping up the applause of a sensational season.
Arne Slot has been doing his best to explain exactly how he masterminded such a surprise campaign from a team who were initially seen as title outsiders.
A popular question aimed at the Liverpool head coach has been how and why he decided to transform Ryan Gravenberch into a deep lying midfielder seemingly overnight.
Gravenberch has had a terrific campaign, going from being a fringe member of the Liverpool squad last season to a key man this time around.
Looking back on that vital decision once again for Sky Sports, Slot has now admitted that Alexis Mac Allister actually played a key role in the change.
Arne Slot outlines Alexis Mac Allister chat
As well as Gravenberch, Mac Allister has been an enormous player for Liverpool this season. The two midfielders have worked fantastically well together, bringing out the best in each other.
And according to Slot, this did not happen by accident. The Dutchman has revealed that a private pre-season chat with Mac Allister about his best position set the whole Gravenberch plan in motion.
“I asked Ryan if he could come back a bit earlier than he actually did, because we had a few games in America to play and I was really curious how he would do in that position,” said Slot.
“When we came back from America there was only two games left on the same day so there wasn’t a lot of time for me to try something out.”
“I spoke to most of the players in their summer break and one of the things Alexis said to me – and I also felt the same – was that he has no problem playing as a six, but he prefers to play with a six behind him,” added the Liverpool boss.
“I think that gets the best out of him, that’s also why we were interested in signing a number six. But Ryan did come back one or two days earlier and that way he could play the Manchester United game in that position and I immediately liked it because he was so comfortable on the ball.”
Slot outlines how Gravenberch can get even better
As well as giving an insight into why he did what he did with Gravenberch, Slot has outlined how he thinks the 22-year-old can still get even better as a defensive midfielder.
“He has all the ingredients to play really well in that position,” he says. “Perhaps what he could add to his game is maybe one or two touch play and find even more players in between the lines.
“He can take Virgil [van Dijk] as an example because for me he is our best player in that part, finding players in between the lines. But he’s done great, Ryan, that’s for sure.”
With another transfer window coming into view, there have been calls for Liverpool to add a new midfielder to ease the load on Gravenberch. Liverpool considered signing Angelo Stiller after missing out on Martin Zubimendi and a player like the German could be on the radar again.
But after what he’s produced for Liverpool this season – and how he’s freed up Mac Allister to show his best self – Gravenberch should be in pole position to go again next year.
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox
