Faded friendship

Liverpool complete pre-season with one big question unanswered: where will Florian Wirtz play in Arne Slot's side?

The 136 million euro (possibly up to 150 million) contract has yet to show much after 3 testing matches, and ahead of him is a harsh test called Crystal Palace at the Community Shield this weekend (9pm on August 10).

Imago - Wirtz Liverpool Milan.jpg
Wirtz has not shown much in the friendly matches. Photo: Imago

In the last three friendlies – losing to Milan (2-4), winning against Yokohama F. Marinos (3-1) and Athletic Bilbao (3-2) – Wirtz's performance remains one of the biggest question marks.

Against Bilbao, Liverpool's first home game this season, Slot deployed Wirtz as an attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation – a role that is considered closest to his strengths when he was at Bayer Leverkusen.

Instead of shining, the German star appeared lost. He left almost no mark on the team's gameplay, could not connect with the wingers Mohamed Salah - Cody Gakpo, and did not make any significant contributions in attacking situations or counter-pressing.

According to post-match statistics, Wirtz was the player with the lowest score among the starters of both teams. He only achieved an 80% passing rate, succeeded in 1 of 6 crosses, failed in 4 dribble attempts, and won 1 of 5 challenges.

This data makes Liverpool fans worried when there is an official title match ahead, and the opening day of the Premier League is not far away.

Wirtz was the soul of Leverkusen's play two seasons ago. However, in the red shirt of Liverpool, he is like a puzzle piece that has not found a suitable position.

LFC - Wirtz Liverpool Yokohama.jpg
Wirtz only played well against Yokohama, who were weaker in every aspect. Photo: LFC

Find a position for Wirtz

In fact, in all three recent friendly matches, Arne Slot has tested Wirtz in different positions. Against Milan, he was pushed up to play as a “false 9”, often the highest pressing player.

But playing with his back to goal and not having many touches of the ball made him almost "disappear" in the 2-4 defeat.

Against Yokohama, Wirtz scored while playing close to his familiar attacking role, but that was against a clearly inferior opponent.

The recent victory over Bilbao, in the closest match conditions to real life, showed the problem with the German star.

When Liverpool play with two clear wingers in Salah and Gakpo, Wirtz doesn't have the space to drift wide like he did at Leverkusen, nor the freedom to turn the game around like he did under Xabi Alonso.

Slot currently has too many “number 10s” in his hands – from Szoboszlai, Mac Allister to Harvey Elliot.

If he still wants to maintain a clear wing structure with fast players like Gakpo or Hugo Ekitike, Slot will have to eliminate one of the three central midfielders to make room for Wirtz.

Imago - Wirtz Liverpool Bilbao.jpg
Helping Wirtz integrate is not a simple task for Slot. Photo: Imago

In this case, it would be risky because the balance in the midfield could be broken. The trio Gravenberch - Mac Allister - Szoboszlai is playing stably and has a certain understanding.

Slot will have to decide: either adjust the system for Wirtz, or continue betting and wait for him to adapt.

The Community Shield on August 10 will not only be a warm-up for the new season, but also an important milestone in shaping Florian Wirtz's true role in a Liverpool shirt.

Crystal Palace is not a very strong opponent, but in an official match, all eyes will be on the performance of the German rookie.

Wirtz needs to prove he is worth the record transfer fee. For his part, Slot must quickly find a suitable solution, in Liverpool's historic transfer window.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/florian-wirtz-nhat-nhoa-o-liverpool-arne-slot-dau-dau-2429230.html