Why Wirtz Is Struggling to Shine at Liverpool FC?
Hey Eds and Reds,
I sat down to properly watch Florian Wirtz during the Germany v Slovakia match last night and it only confirmed how outrageously good this lad is. His assists were brilliant, but even without them his game is so direct, sharp and efficient. Then you look at him playing for Liverpool FC and it feels like we are trying to walk the ball into the net under Arne Slot. Slow sideways passing, backwards again, sideways again. It is no surprise Wirtz looks out of place at times.
With Germany and with Leverkusen last year, he was surrounded by players who wanted to play quick one twos with him and make off the ball runs. His teammates understood his strengths. At Liverpool, too many players want the ball at their feet. They take a touch or two, scan for someone twenty yards away, play the pass and then stop moving. That completely kills the tight, sharp combinations Wirtz thrives on. Darwin used to make those runs and Isak absolutely loves them, but he has only played about an hour with Wirtz so far so it barely counts.
Look at the Manchester City game. Wirtz gets the ball, nobody comes short or spins in behind, so he carries it himself, dribbles past players and gets fouled. That sequence alone resulted in two City yellow cards.
The frustrating part is that he gets into brilliant spaces and our players still do not find him. They immediately look for Salah or Gakpo instead. I get it, habits take time to break, but it means very few players dare to create through the middle. People say Wirtz needs to improve his finishing and he probably does, but getting into the right zones is half the battle and right now we do not help him at all.
About the assists:
The first assist is sublime. The second is my favourite. For the first one, people will say you do not get that kind of space behind in the Premier League. That is irrelevant. The pass itself is outrageous. It is a thirty to forty yard chip with almost no follow through, the sort of technique only a handful of players can produce.
What amazes me most is how he sees tiny gaps and then hits them with absurd precision. He spots things other players do not even register. That is why the second assist stands out. Who in our squad sees that pass? Maybe peak Salah last season and that is about it. The weight, the little float, threading the ball through a gap that barely existed, absolute perfection. And it all starts with him winning the ball back. Sane's finish was tidy too.
Our wingers, whether it is Salah or Gakpo, hug the touchline far too often. Salah wants the ball at his feet now. Gakpo plays in a similar way. Add a midfield that moves the ball at a painfully slow tempo and the environment becomes incredibly difficult for Wirtz to shine in. Hopefully the fluidity improves as the season develops.
Confidence matters as well. How settled a player feels becomes obvious on the pitch, and Wirtz is not getting the support to find that rhythm yet. There were moments, including the Madrid game, where Salah could have squared it for a tap in but did not. Wirtz threw his arms up in frustration because he had made the right run and was ignored again.
He is twenty two, the same age as Bradley, and he is a generational talent. He has the skill set, the mentality and the intelligence to succeed anywhere. Slot has to work out how to involve him properly. Dragging him deeper to fix the buildup or asking him to do relentless pressing, the jobs Szoboszlai does, is not the solution. Wirtz needs to play where he is genuinely dangerous.
We simply need to let him play his natural game. If we get that right, he will be the difference maker this team has been missing.
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