The Ghost of Martín Zubimendi

Do Liverpool still need a player like Real Sociedad's star midfielder?

Every now and then, you’ll face an opponent who provides a timely reminder of what you need from the transfer market.

In 2018, for example, Liverpool faced Real Madrid in the final of the Champions League. It was a tough one for all of us to take, but that bout acted as a real punch in the face for anybody on Merseyside who thought Loris Karius was good enough to play in goal for the Reds on a regular basis.

In 2021, Manchester United faced Villarreal to decide the winners of the Europa League. Unai Emery ended up triumphing over Ole Gunnar Solskjær, with the Spanish coach dedicating his entire tactical plan to exploiting Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s limitations on the ball. Villarreal funnelled possession towards him. He was United’s free man, but his teammates didn’t want to use him.

Some voids are more glaring than others, but it’s always nice to know what you’re lacking nonetheless.

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Liverpool went five points clear at the top of the Premier League table on the weekend. I know, five points (!!) and it’s only November. The Christimas tree isn’t even up yet. There’s a lot to like about the Reds right now.

But Aston Villa came with an interesting plan on Saturday night. It was Emery making his opposite number think yet again. There was nothing particularly special about Villa’s game, they just performed a lot more passively than expected.

For the most part, the Villans employed a compact 4-4-2, one that wasn’t too dissimilar to the structure favoured by Arne Slot this term. But as shown below, they often showed no intent to press.

Virgil van Dijk often found himself walking with the ball. Ibrahima Konaté did the same as a means of baiting the opposition into closing down. But no, Villa prioritised retaining their defensive shape above regaining possession.

It was curious, because Emery even decided to persist with the tactic after Liverpool had scored. In other words, once going a goal down, Villa refrained from chasing the game. It was all about staying secure, encouraging the likes of Van Dijk and Konaté to make errors, and not jumping or reacting until the ball arrived inside their block, at which point they would pounce.

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Indeed, their approach kinda worked at times. Liverpool have generally been good at not losing the ball too cheaply in dangerous areas, but Villa stole a march on the Reds on several occasions.

Emery’s men didn’t always manage to create a shot, but in the early stages of the clash in particular, they had a few opportunities in transition. The kind that Slot has attempted to eradicate from Liverpool’s game this term.

“They were not as aggressive as we thought,” said Slot in one of his post-match interviews. “They just waited, waited, waited. And we were patient, although sometimes I felt as though we were still not patient enough because the few times they threatened us stemmed from counter-attacks when we lost the ball in midfield.”

Liverpool did score twice, of course, but both goals strangely originated from Villa set-pieces. You can’t count on that sort of thing happening every week. “Those counter-attacks had nothing to do with what we do on the training ground or what we tell them before,” said Slot. “That is pure quality and purely what the players come up with in these transition moments.”

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Now, this isn’t me suggesting that Liverpool were bad. No, not at all. But the match did act as a small reminder that Martín Zubimendi was targeted for a reason in the most recent summer window.

Ryan Gravenberch was excellent in his own way against Villa, but when you think about his qualities, you think about his ability to receive the ball in tight spaces. He can glide with possession, his spacial awareness is great, and he can escape when the situation looks impossible.

The Dutchman is going to play a huge part throughout Slot’s era in charge, no doubt, but it’s reasonable to suggest Liverpool would have benefited from a more conventional number six in this game — a player who is accustomed to opening up blocks with his passing — perhaps with Gravenberch further forward. And the same goes for our loss against Nottingham Forest.

Slot doesn’t really have that true passer within his ranks. He’s got plenty of midfielders who are good in possession, sure, but I’m talking about that conductor who manipulates the structure of the opposition by making the right passes before carefully picking holes in it. Like a knife through butter.

Think about it. Gravenberch isn’t that cute and shrewd passer, for me. He’s just more dynamic at heart, and the same applies to Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones, too.

As for Alexis Mac Allister, again, he’s really good at passing. But he’s more progressive than your typical six. He takes a risk. He believes in his ability to play vertical a bit too much. None of these guys are quite as patient as your signature number six.

There’s still room for that Zubimendi type. He’s probably missed the boat to Merseyside now, but ahead of the winter transfer window — and the summer one that follows — I think Slot and Richard Hughes will still have an interest in adding that pass master to their squad.

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Given the current Premier League table, I’ll end on a positive note. Liverpool are five clear of Manchester City — who will continue to play without their own heavyweight conductor for the rest of the campaign — and nine clear of Arsenal, who are injured and desperate.

The Reds have barely signed a player under the new regime, they could still strengthen in the coming months, and for the first time in a long time, Liverpool are favourites for the title with the bookies, who are pretty good at getting things right.

Zubimendi or not, this team is alright. It always was. Through our first 11 games of the season, we’re currently on track for about 97 points. But I doubt we’ll even need that many.