Liverpool's Conundrum With the Modern Number 6

An explanation of what the modern number 6 role demands, why true specialists are rare, and how Liverpool’s current midfield balance leaves them open in transition and counters.

The Liverpool conundrum with the modern day number 6

The so-called 6 used to be pretty easy to define. He was responsible for breaking up attacks and was expected to do whatever it took to achieve this. So the profile of player was invariably someone willing to smash and dominate the midfield to allow his more skillful team-mates room to do their thing. However, as time has gone by we have seen this change. From Veira to Alonso to Rodri, you can see that this is increasingly no longer true. So what does a “6” do?

In broad terms, the 6 is responsible for linking the defence with the midfield and attack whilst simultaneously shielding them from the opposing midfield and attack. All whilst being the person responsible for setting the tempo of the game.

So essentially they need to be good at 3 things:

1. Press-resistant. Comfortable receiving the ball under pressure both with the back to their goal and facing it

2. Able to progress the ball when in possession, both by passing the ball, carrying it forward and setting the angle of attack (e.g. the coach might want the attack to develop down the wings etc)

3. Shielding the defence when out of possession. This could range from closing off the passing channels, determining the separation of his team-mates and anticipating any danger. Increasingly nowadays this means that given his role in shielding, he is required to stay on his feet as much as possible and not fly into tackles. The preference is for a sneaky foul rather than a tackle that at best will receive a yellow and at worst leave him lying on the ground as the opponents press forward on goal.

All this means is that coaches are looking for a unicorn when scouting for a modern 6. Someone who is both excellent at passing (both long and short), has extremely good ball skills, is immune to pressure, able to set the tempo of a game, incredible vision and above all incredibly smart (in a football sense). It helps if they are strong and mobile (so they can cover for team-mates who get caught out of position).

In fact it’s so rare to find someone who can do all this, that coaches often resort to playing a double pivot with a view that 2 players will combine to fulfil these requirements. There is a reason why Barca are prepared to pay such a large sum for a player such as Rodri who is in his last year of a contract and 30yo. In fact, given his intelligence and vision, I expect Rodri to continue to play at the top level for at least another 6-7 years.

Obviously the requirements for this role will differ depending on the needs of the team. A team which expects to be under constant defensive pressure with little ball possession would lean towards someone like Paulinho, given the expectation that his team-mates will be in close proximity. However, if you are expecting to be dominant in possession, then it’s more likely you will opt for someone like Rodri who will enable you to make the most of that possession whilst ensuring that you are not caught on the break (he is exceptional at the “tactical foul”).

So what does this mean for Liverpool:

Looking at our current side, you can see the lack of balance. Whilst Grav is extremely good at receiving the ball under pressure and carrying it forward, his passing is at best fair and I think his vision is lacking. Certainly he seems to forget about his defensive positioning when bringing the ball out. Whilst he is good at the tactical foul, he is often too far out of position to effect it.

This would help explain why we are so open in the transition and vulnerable to counterattack. Given we have just recently re-signed him, I think it’s highly unlikely that we will be replacing him. Normally this problem would be alleviated by the 8 not just helping him progress the ball but also covering for him as he brings it out. However, Szob, for all his undoubted qualities, is too forward focused and slow to react in cover.

He is often charging off upfield to join the attack rather than thinking of the danger. Whereas Macca is too slow (or lying on the ground) and so unable to cover. If we are going to persist with Grav, then Szob needs to learn to be quicker to read the play and thus cover for Grav (rather than just chasing back in defence). Too often the spacing between our midfield 3 or between the midfield and the defence is too big, which leaves the defence exposed in transition.

One of the hallmarks of Liverpool under Klopp was the willingness and awareness of the midfield to cover for each other even if it meant sacrificing their own game. This made it much easier for people like Fabinho to do the 6 role. If Szob can modify his game to help Grav out, then this will go a long way to making us a lot less vulnerable on the transition. In addition to this, Grav will need to modify his game so that he relies more upon passing to progress the ball rather than carrying it. This will help him to not be caught so far up field if we lose the ball.

Fabinho, for example, rarely tried to take players on, recognising his responsibility (as the last man in midfield) to not get caught in possession and leading to a turnover. Either way, the midfield imbalance is arguably the biggest puzzle that Andoni needs to solve this year if we are going to improve. Transfer policy clearly has a focus on resolving our need for fast wide men. So I’m expecting that unless a suitable candidate can be identified who won’t cost too much, then Andoni will be looking within to solve this issue.

Written by phil_LFC August 25 2026 09:06:03