Wayne Rooney believes that Florian Wirtz ruined the balance of Arne Slot's playing style. Jamie Carragher even advised the German midfielder to be on the bench and Liverpool should return with the formula from last season, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai and Mac Allister, to keep the championship race safe.
Pressure from record prices
With a record transfer fee, expectations are inevitable. Although only 22 years old and leaving Germany for the first time to go to England, Wirtz is still under great pressure. With Liverpool winning all 5 matches at the beginning of the season, his limitations have not been noticed. However, the last two failures have exposed the problems.
Against Palace, Slot experimented with Wirtz playing on the left in a 4-3-3 formation, but this change was counterproductive. Meeting Galatasaray, he returned to his "number 10" position but was still obscure, leaving only a few creative passes. In fact, Wirtz is not always bad. He shined against Atletico Madrid a few weeks ago, but there were also matches that disappeared throughout the half.
On social networks, he was labeled as "member 007" with an index of 7 matches, 0 goals and 0 assists. However, actual statistics show that Wirtz has created 21 chances this season, a number that only Jack Grealish can match. The problem is that the quality of opportunities is quite low, as his expected-to-account (xA) is only 1.4.
Difficulty adapting to the Premier League
Wirtz's biggest weakness is his physical strength. In the Bundesliga, he has enjoyed more space. However, in England, the fierce collision often caused him to lose the ball, or shoot slowly to be stopped.
Liverpool pressed very synchronously last season with Diaz and Szoboszlai as spearheads. Currently, the new trio of players Wirtz - Isak - Ekitike are not used to operating, causing both the loose pressing system and the defense to be under more pressure.
Up front, Gravenberch maintained his form but Mac Allister's fitness declined, having not played 90 minutes since April. This made Wirtz even more lacking points in ball circulation.
Strategic issues and environmental change
Another reason lies in the way Arne Slot uses Florian Wirtz. At Leverkusen, the team was built around him, with Xhaka circulating the ball, Schick or Boniface moving intelligently up, and Frimpong Grimaldo creating the width of the two edges. In that environment, Wirtz always has maximum space and freedom.
Liverpool are very different. Despite having many stars, they have not played around Wirtz. His teammates are not used to passing to Wirtz, and the German midfielder himself often has to accept the ball in a still state, with little connection in the attack system. The difference in the team's structure makes him struggle to find the role of creative leader.
Arne Slot calls for patience
Slot understands those difficulties. He admitted that Wirtz needs time to adapt, not only to the new environment, it is also a new life off the pitch.
People forget that he is only 22 years old, going abroad for the first time. Everything has changed and that takes a lot of energy, the Liverpool captain shared.
In addition, the instability in the squad also makes it difficult for Florian Wirtz to integrate. Other newcomers such as Frimpong, Kerkez and Isak also started slowly. The Kop are in the process of transforming identity and Wirtz is the center of that process.
What should be done to free Wirtz?
For Wirtz to explode, Liverpool need many factors. First, Arne Slot needs to stabilize the tactical system by bringing the £116 million rookie back to the fixed "number" role of 10 and limiting testing. Second, it is necessary to increase support from the lower line with stable ball supplies from Mac Allister and Gravenberch.
Next, opening the space is also extremely important. Wirtz needs Frimpong and Kerkez to move more wide to create space for the German midfielder to make decisive passes.
Finally, it is the fans and Slot himself who should reduce the pressure on Wirtz. The Dutch strategist needs to adjust key players such as Salah, Isak and Gakpo to regain their best form, they need to carry more to help Wirtz reduce the burden of creativity.
Despite a difficult start, the quality of Wirtz is undeniable. He needs time, like many young stars have spent months adapting to the Premier League. Liverpool also have to learn to play for Wirtz, as Leverkusen did.
