‘Some player’ – Rio Ferdinand singles out Liverpool star vs Everton in new social media message
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has surprisingly reserved high praise for a certain Liverpool star who shone in their 2-1 win over Everton on Saturday.
Liverpool had been flawless in the Premier League before their derby clash, with four wins from as many games to begin their title defence with aplomb.
They carried their strong league form into Europe with a win against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on 17 September, but a tough test awaited on Saturday as Everton travelled to Anfield for the Merseyside derby.
David Moyes’ side had also impressed in the early stages of the campaign, with two wins, one draw and one loss from their first four league outings to begin their new era at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Liverpool raced into an early 2-0 lead before Idrissa Gueye pulled one back for the Toffees in the second half, and the latest Merseyside derby ended 2-1, but one Reds man in particular was picked out by Ferdinand as a standout.
Rio Ferdinand singles out Ryan Gravenberch for praise during Liverpool vs Everton
Ryan Gravenberch was instrumental in Liverpool’s first-half domination of their Merseyside rivals, as he set about making a real name for himself in this key fixture by netting the opener with a deft strike after just 10 minutes.
The 23-year-old soon grabbed his second goal contribution as he laid it on a plate for Hugo Ekitike to fire past Jordan Pickford to make it 2-0 inside the first half-hour at Anfield.
Manchester United hero Ferdinand ignored his Old Trafford allegiances to pick the Dutchman out for praise in a post on his X account during the first half of the game, saying: “Gravenberch some player.”
Man United need a player like Gravenberch to fix their midfield issues
Ferdinand has every right to pick Gravenberch out for his role in the Reds’ win, and he will surely be annoyed that his own team have not sorted their own midfield problems out over the summer by signing a player of his quality.
Man United were linked with Brighton’s Carlos Baleba throughout the window, yet Ruben Amorim decided to focus his transfer efforts on bolstering his forward line rather than other areas of the pitch.
That has not worked out for them up to now, with just one win from their first five outings of the season, while Amorim is under serious pressure at Man United to get things right before he loses his job.
Ferdinand was part of a Red Devils side that nearly always finished above their fierce north-west rivals, yet things could not be more different nowadays, and Liverpool’s midfield dominance compared to United’s lethargy in the same area highlights the current gap between the two clubs even more.