{"id":260251,"date":"2026-08-29T18:40:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T18:40:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/29\/its-true-liverpool-contact-made-for-star-alonso-wants-at-chelsea-fabrizio-romano\/"},"modified":"2026-08-29T18:40:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T18:40:11","slug":"its-true-liverpool-contact-made-for-star-alonso-wants-at-chelsea-fabrizio-romano","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/29\/its-true-liverpool-contact-made-for-star-alonso-wants-at-chelsea-fabrizio-romano\/","title":{"rendered":"“It’s true” – Liverpool contact made for star Alonso wants at Chelsea – Fabrizio Romano"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Liverpool<\/a>‘s need for a specialist defensive midfielder was exposed once again as they were held 2-2 by Nottingham Forest on Saturday, with the Reds exposed on the counter-attack for the second week running.<\/p>\n

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Speaking ahead of kick-off, Steven Gerrard identified exactly where he feels Liverpool are falling short.<\/p>\n

“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,” the Reds legend said.<\/p>\n

“Now, the manager might have different ideas in terms of how he wants the team to look and his philosophy, but I think this team has missed a destroyer, someone who holds the middle of the pitch, who is a massive part of the spine since the team moved Fabinho on.<\/p>\n

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“I think that position’s been sorely missed, I don’t think they’ve got a specialist in that position. That can allow your Szoboszlai’s and your Gravenberch’s and your Mac Allister’s to go and join attacks, to make the back four secure. I think they miss that position badly.”<\/p>\n

It’s an assessment that will resonate with Liverpool fans, and the match itself did little to ease those concerns, even though Andoni Iraola was encouraged by his side’s second half display: “It’s not the result we want. I think two very different halves, I think we were poor in the first half, even being poor we were unlucky in terms of their goal.<\/p>\n

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“We were very poor in the first half. We were much better in the second half. The intensity was different, if you are going to lose, you have to lose like in the second half! A lot more intense, more threatening, happy with second half but it was late in the game. Overall my feeling is the first half was poor. It’s not good enough. Second half we improved, we couldn’t finish the comeback.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n