With Ryan Gravenberch named Man of the Match after Liverpool’s 3-1 win over AC Milan, Arne Slot likened the midfielder to 4 Dutch legends earlier than him.
Gravenberch continued his early-career revival underneath Slot with an “excellent” efficiency in Tuesday evening’s comeback win on the San Siro.
Even with the shock 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on the weekend the place many teammates struggled, it’s truthful to say the 22-year-old is but to carry out badly for the reason that new head coach took over.
It comes after a change in function, sometimes deeper in Liverpool’s midfield, utilising Gravenberch’s composure on the ball, operating energy and lengthy legs to interrupt up play and transfer it forwards.
Talking to Amazon Prime Sport after the sport, Slot was requested about his No. 38 and talked up the importance of such a show on the dwelling of AC Milan.
“I feel he took the event of a stadium the place a whole lot of Dutch gamers performed unbelievable video games,” he enthused.
“With Michael van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard, and afterwards somebody [next to us, Clarence Seedorf] came visiting right here to do the identical issues as the opposite three.
“Ryan performed excellent at present. I feel he was not the one one who performed excellent, however I can perceive why you decide him.”
Slot continued this in his post-match press convention, referencing his interview alongside Seedorf, although he additionally emphasised the worth of the group efficiency.
“I used to be standing only a second in the past subsequent to Clarence Seedorf,” he instructed reporters.
“Additionally they talked about Ryan and Cody [Gakpo] and I stated it’s a particular place for Dutch gamers to play, due to the previous gamers who performed right here.
“And to place a efficiency in like that is at all times good as a Liverpool participant, and at a venue like that is even nicer.
“You possibly can decide these two however I feel I may decide a number of others as properly that performed very well.
“Like at all times, it’s very troublesome for a person to play properly if the entire group doesn’t play properly, and vice versa.
“So the group performed properly and the people can shine from there.”
The significance of a collective power is summed up by Liverpool’s midfield, with Frank Lampard asking Slot in regards to the make-up of his three-man unit for Amazon Prime Sport.
“I feel it’s the mix of power and high quality on the ball,” the Dutchman stated.
“Probably the most profitable group of Liverpool in recent times had three animals or canines or no matter you need to name it, very hardworking gamers within the midfield.
“These three work actually laborious as properly and I feel, as we are saying in Dutch, they don’t combat with the ball, meaning they’re fairly comfy on the ball.
“That’s what you see as properly, as a result of we prefer to press excessive, we prefer to be actually aggressive, which we attempt to do, however we additionally attempt to play out from the again and create our probabilities like this. That’s what they did fairly properly at present.”
