Why Liverpool aren't getting the best from Wirtz yet

Analysis of Florian Wirtz's first 9 appearances for Liverpool has mostly landed astatine nan aforesaid conclusion - it has been an underwhelming start.

Some person gone further. Former England striker Wayne Rooney said nan £116m signing "damages nan balance" of Liverpool's team.

"He's a apical subordinate and I'm judge he will get amended - but he's had a slow commencement and I deliberation there's nary denying that," said Rooney.

Wirtz is yet to people for his caller nine and his only assistance came successful nan Community Shield nonaccomplishment to Crystal Palace, but does that overgarment nan full picture?

Here we analyse really bully he has been, why he isn't performing arsenic expected yet, and really Liverpool could get nan champion retired of him.

Liverpool's equilibrium is off, but they are intelligibly going done a play of transition.

Manager Arne Slot has changed his attack this play - and possibly nan nonaccomplishment of right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold posed bigger questions than anticipated.

In a akin attack to Slot's Feyenoord team, Liverpool are looking to play pinch a greater number of rotations betwixt players, progressing done nan mediate of nan transportation pinch quick, small-space interplay.

It truthful makes consciousness for Wirtz to beryllium nan cardinal attacking unit to knit everything together.

But, successful reality, he has been asked to do a domiciled that is somewhat different from 1 he is utilized to.

And that has minimised really often he finds himself successful positions to people aliases assist.

It doesn't get nan champion retired of Wirtz arsenic an individual, but he hasn't been bad successful this sub-optimal role.

Wirtz is receiving nan shot deeper much often.

Alexander-Arnold was awesome successful his expertise to walk nan shot erstwhile playing deep, and Liverpool look to beryllium sorely missing that quality.

Captain Virgil van Dijk's agelong move to guardant Mohamed Salah is simply a awesome measurement for them to get nan shot up nan transportation reliably. Otherwise, Liverpool deficiency nan passing value successful defence to find team-mates up nan field.

That work has fallen connected Wirtz astatine times. He has been dropping heavy to get nan shot earlier turning and trying to transportation it up nan pitch. He is capable to do this because of his method quality, but it is reducing nan clip he spends adjacent to nan guidance goal.

If build-up responsibilities tin beryllium shouldered by different player, it perchance allows Wirtz to position himself higher up nan pitch.

Curtis Jones has nan expertise to do this successful a double pivot aliases connected nan near wing, and whitethorn beryllium an action Slot could move to arsenic he looks to complement Wirtz's earthy game.

One of nan biggest differences Wirtz is experiencing successful nan Premier League is nan reduced abstraction and accrued strength successful unit applied to him.

Positioned centrally betwixt nan lines against highly compact protect sides specified arsenic Crystal Palace, Wirtz has recovered himself pinch little clip and abstraction to play.

For Bayer Leverkusen, location were games successful which Wirtz would guidelines connected nan near helping while his team-mates progressed nan shot up nan transportation earlier uncovering him.

Alternatively, he would position himself successful cardinal attacking midfield positions, peculiarly against sides that offered much abstraction betwixt nan lines successful games that became much transitional successful nature.

Former Leverkusen leader Xabi Alonso profiled Wirtz good because some of these scenarios would let him to get nan shot pinch separation - meaning he could person and transportation guardant pinch region betwixt himself and a defender.

To get nan champion retired of Wirtz, getting nan shot to him erstwhile location isn't contiguous unit connected him is ideal.

When he is capable to person nan shot connected nan half-turn and transportation it guardant - pinch region betwixt himself and nan adjacent subordinate - he is capable to usage assemblage feints and a alteration successful velocity to disrupt guidance defences.

In a akin mode to Everton guardant Jack Grealish, his champion activity some connected nan dribble and successful his passing comes from situations successful which he is carrying nan shot and driving astatine players.

That is why galore of Wirtz's champion moments this play person travel successful transitions.

Separation tin beryllium recovered by positioning him connected nan near flank initially aliases by uncovering him successful nan midfield early. If he is positioned betwixt nan lines, peculiarly erstwhile an opposition's protect style is stretched, team-mates must truthful play nonstop passes to find Wirtz.

The Premier League's strength has tactical implications but besides affects players individually - and Wirtz appears to person not yet afloat adapted to this change.

With Slot's quicker and much rotation-based style of attack, Liverpool are susceptible to counter-attacks, pinch less bodies down nan ball. This requires attackers for illustration Wirtz to counter-press pinch strength erstwhile nan shot is lost.

Wirtz has wholly committed to nan out-of-possession instructions and has pressed intensely. In attack, he is being encouraged to driblet heavy to assistance successful building up while having nan licence to lend to attacks connected some nan near and right.

All of this is demanding physically, and immoderate of his mediocre on-the-ball actions whitethorn beryllium down to fatigue. Of each players to play 400+ minutes successful nan Premier League this season, nan German has covered nan 5th astir region per 90 minutes and nan astir of immoderate Liverpool player.

In a caller question and reply pinch Sky Sports Germany, Wirtz said astir nan quality successful his performances this play compared to last.

He said Slot had expressed a position "it could beryllium because we property a batch and I tally a lot".

Wirtz added: "For example, nan moving stats: I'm ever astatine nan apical location because I effort to push difficult and do what nan coach asks. I request a batch of spot and power for that. When I person nan ball, I mightiness beryllium lacking a small bit. That it will simply travel measurement by step, arsenic I play much games, get fitter, beryllium capable to do things much easily, and then, erstwhile I person nan ball, beryllium fresh capable and recovered capable to push hard."

For Leverkusen, location were periods of games erstwhile Wirtz would locomotion aliases lightly jog to recover, allowing him to usage his burst much decisively.

Wirtz will people amended arsenic his physicality improves but power conservation is an important portion of nan crippled if he is to make darting runs and play passes pinch accuracy successful second parts of nan match.

Pairing him pinch different industrious midfielders - for illustration Dominik Szoboszlai - whitethorn use some Wirtz and Liverpool.

These imaginable solutions are intended to return nan Wirtz we person seen truthful acold and put him successful situations that much intimately lucifer nan ones he was utilized to uncovering himself successful for Leverkusen.

Slot, of course, whitethorn beryllium hoping Wirtz and his team-mates people statesman to shape a chemistry that allows them to transportation retired his vision.

It takes clip for players to acclimatise to a caller squad, but costly signings look further unit to execute if they are to debar outer criticism.

Concluding that Wirtz been mediocre truthful acold is astir apt excessively beardown a judgement fixed his performances, what has been asked of him, and nan wider uncertainties astir Liverpool.

The communicative of their play whitethorn beryllium really they optimise nan equilibrium of their squad earlier refining Wirtz's domiciled pinch a greater attraction connected bringing retired his strengths, alternatively than utilizing him to mitigate nan team's weaknesses.