The Reasons Why The Reds Haven't Yet Found the Best from Florian Wirtz Yet

Analysis of Florian Wirtz's first nine appearances for Liverpool has typically reached the same conclusion - it has been an disappointing beginning.

Several commentators have gone further. Ex- England striker the Manchester United legend said the expensive acquisition "disrupts the balance" of the team's setup.

"He's a quality footballer and I'm sure he will get better - but he's experienced a slow start and I believe there's no denying that," commented Rooney.

Wirtz is yet to score or register an assist for his new club, but does that paint the complete story?

In this analysis we explore how effective he has performed, why he hasn't been delivering as anticipated so far, and how the club could extract the best out of him.

The squad's balance is disrupted, but they are evidently going through a period of change.

Manager Arne Slot has altered his approach this season - and possibly the absence of right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold created greater challenges than anticipated.

Following a comparable pattern to the manager's previous club team, the Premier League side are looking to play with a increased frequency of positional switches between teammates, advancing through the middle of the field with rapid, tight-area combination play.

This logically explains for the attacking midfielder to be the primary creative hub to connect everything collectively.

However, practically, he has been tasked to do a function that is slightly different from one he is familiar with.

This has reduced how frequently he positions himself in situations to find the net or create chances.

It doesn't get the best out of Wirtz as an individual, but he hasn't been poorly in this less-than-ideal position.

Wirtz is getting the ball deeper more often.

Alexander-Arnold was outstanding in his ability to pass the ball when operating deep, and the team seem significantly lacking that attribute.

Skipper the Dutch defender's diagonal passes to forward Mohamed Salah is a effective way for them to move the ball forward consistently. Alternatively, Liverpool are missing the distribution ability in their defensive line to find teammates up the field.

This duty has fallen on the young German at times. He has been retreating deeper to receive the ball before turning and trying to carry it forward. He is capable to perform this role because of his technical quality, but it is reducing the time he operates close to the opposing net.

Should possession duties can be shouldered by a different teammate, it possibly enables the attacker to position himself higher up the field.

Curtis Jones has the capability to perform this function in a double pivot or on the left wing, and may be an option the manager could consider as he aims to complement Wirtz's preferred style.

Among the most significant contrasts Wirtz is encountering in the English top flight is the reduced space and heightened pressure applied to him.

Positioned centrally between the defensive units against very compact defensive sides such as the London club, Wirtz has found himself with reduced time and space to operate.

For Bayer Leverkusen, there were games in which Wirtz would position himself on the left wing while his colleagues progressed the ball forward before finding him.

In other situations, he would position himself in central attacking midfield positions, especially against opponents that provided more room between the lines in matches that became more counter-attacking in nature.

Ex- Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso utilized Wirtz effectively because both of these scenarios would enable him to receive the possession with separation - meaning he could receive and drive forward with distance between himself and a defender.

To get the maximum out of Wirtz, getting the possession to him when there is not immediate marking on him is ideal.

When he is capable to collect the ball on the half-turn and carry it forward - with space between himself and the nearby player - he is able to use body feints and a change in speed to destabilize rival defensive structures.

In a similar manner to the Merseyside club attacker the England international, his finest work both on the dribble and in his passing originates from scenarios in which he is carrying the ball and driving at defenders.

That is why many of the German's best instances this campaign have come in counter-attacks.

Separation can be created by positioning him on the wing initially or by passing to him in the center early. When he is positioned between the lines, especially when an rival team's defensive shape is spread, team-mates must accordingly play direct passes to find Wirtz.

The Premier League's physical demands has strategic consequences but also affects footballers personally - and the German seems to have not yet completely adjusted to this change.

With the manager's quicker and more rotation-based style of offensive play, Liverpool are susceptible to counter-attacks, with fewer players behind the play. This demands forward players like Wirtz to counter-press with intensity when the ball is lost.

The young talent has fully committed to the out-of-possession instructions and has harassed energetically. In attack, he is being instructed to drop deep to assist in constructing play while maintaining the licence to participate to attacks on both the left and right.

All of this is demanding on fitness, and some of his poor on-the-ball actions could be attributed to tiredness. Among all footballers to feature significant game time in the Premier League this season, the German has run the fifth most ground per full match and the highest of all Liverpool teammate.

During a recent discussion with German media, the player spoke about the difference in his displays this campaign compared to the previous year.

He stated the manager had voiced a view "it might be because we press a frequently and I run a lot".

The midfielder continued: "To illustrate, the distance covered statistics: I am consistently at the top in that category because I try to push hard and do what the manager asks. I need a significant strength and energy for that. Whenever I have the possession, I might be missing a little bit. The expectation it will simply come progressively, as I play more games, improve physically, be able to do things more effortlessly, and subsequently, when I have the ball, become {fit|conditioned