Thus far, Gravenberch has been a huge asset for Liverpool, making light of his limited playing time in Munich the previous campaign.
The 21-year-old has already played for three of the most illustrious clubs in Europe, having already played for Ajax. And when discussing his experience playing for those three teams with TNT Sports, Gravenberch asserted that Liverpool’s “intensity” is what sets it apart.
“It’s very different from where I came from, I think, if you compare it to last season, when I didn’t play as much,” the Dutchman said.
Everything is a little bit different wherever you go. Compared to Ajax, the midfield’s intensity is significantly different here. There was a lot of energy at Bayern as well, but because of the Premier League, it’s a little bit more here.
Gravenberch is slowly catching up.
Even if Gravenberch has performed admirably for Liverpool thus far, here is a clear example of what he means.
The international player from the Netherlands has occasionally had trouble keeping up with the game’s tempo.
Consider the victory against Fulham last Saturday. Gravenberch made just his fourth Premier League start due to his excellent form prior to the game.
However, Fulham gave it their all at Anfield, and the Reds’ No. 38 soon showed signs of fatigue. When he was removed after 83 minutes, he appeared completely broken.
But as he makes clear here, Gravenberch can understand that. Not only is English football a little bit faster and more intense than other football leagues, but he hardly played at Bayern previous season.
After spending the entire season largely sidelined, Gravenberch was always going to require some time to regain a high level of match fitness.
In that regard, he may still have some work to do, as the Fulham match demonstrated. Ryan will eventually get there, though, as Jurgen Klopp alternates Ryan’s starts and substitute appearances.
After making a late substitution against Sheffield United throughout the week, we anticipate Gravenberch starting tomorrow at Crystal Palace.
He’ll have another opportunity to show that he’s eschewing the Bayern philosophy and adopting the Liverpool style there.
