Gerrard: Liverpool still missing a key type of midfielder

Steven Gerrard has been having his say on Liverpool's progress under Andoni Iraola, and while he likes plenty of what he sees, he reckons there's still a gap in the squad that needs filling.

Liverpool.com report that the former captain has told Iraola what the team must do to reach "the next level", even if his advice has been described as "horrible" (Liverpool.com). In a separate piece, Liverpool.com add that despite an impressive recent win over Brighton, Gerrard still feels his old side is missing a player of a type they used to have (Liverpool.com).

The Liverpool Echo gets more specific, saying Gerrard is excited by the attacking options available under Iraola but believes Liverpool are still short of a particular kind of midfielder, with the piece headlined "Iraola might disagree" suggesting the manager may not see it the same way (Liverpool Echo). This Is Anfield backs that up almost word for word, reporting that Gerrard has named one player Liverpool still need to sign, again under the "Iraola might disagree" banner (This Is Anfield).

So there's clear agreement across the Echo and This Is Anfield that this is about a specific midfield profile Gerrard thinks is lacking, with a caveat that the manager himself might push back on the assessment. Liverpool.com's two pieces fit the same theme, one focusing on the broader "next level" comments and the other on the missing player angle following the Brighton victory.

Elsewhere, Liverpool.com also carries comments from Gerrard drawing parallels between Manchester United's current struggles under Michael Carrick and a period Liverpool themselves went through, with Gerrard saying "we've lived it" (Liverpool.com). That's a separate line from the same interview circuit rather than part of the main midfielder story, but shows Gerrard has been talking at length about both clubs' situations.

Taken together, the picture from these outlets is of a wide-ranging Gerrard interview: plenty of praise for Iraola's start and Liverpool's attacking play, tempered by his view that a specific type of midfielder is still needed before the Reds can kick on, with a nod to Old Trafford's troubles along the way.

Written with the help of AI, using the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.