Wirtz tastes the harshness of English football

Raphinha had a successful season

The Premier League has long been known as the toughest league on the planet. Stars from Germany, France, Spain or Italy, despite their brilliance, often have to go through a painful “introduction” period to adapt to the pace and intensity here. F

Liverpool's £116m signing, Lorin Wirtz, had just such a night - at St James' Park.

First encounter with reality

Ten days after a relatively uneventful debut against Bournemouth, Wirtz stepped into the Newcastle heat with the fans looking on expectantly. And immediately, he understood what the “Premier League identity” was: constant collisions, suffocatingly narrow spaces, and the excitement of more than 50,000 home fans.

In the 13th minute, Wirtz had a rare moment of space. A neat pass to Hugo Ekitiké, then he himself fired a shot that forced Nick Pope to show his talent. But that was only a rare glimpse. For the rest of the time, the German No. 10 looked up and watched the ball fly over his head, not having the rhythm to set up like he did at Leverkusen.

Mikel Arteta once compared playing at Anfield in a frenzied atmosphere to being caught in a “washing machine”. For Wirtz, St James’ Park felt the same way. Four minutes into the game, Kieran Trippier launched a fierce tackle, knocking down Liverpool’s new signing. But Wirtz was undeterred: a few minutes later, he responded with a shoulder-butt that sent Trippier crashing to the ground.

Those small moments did not result in goals, but they revealed some of his personality: a proud Wirtz, ready to collide, even though he was still struggling to find his footing.

Wirtz finished the game with 39 touches, completing 23 of his 24 passes, and indirectly contributing to Gravenberch’s opening goal. However, the most obvious negative was in the statistics: he won just 3 of his 10 duels. Joelinton, Tonali and Bruno Guimarães took turns closing him down, suffocating every square inch of grass around him.

In the Bundesliga, Wirtz was Xabi Alonso’s “conductor”, freely roaming the formation built around him. In the Premier League, the reality is cruelly different: here, space is a rare privilege, and physical strength is the “passport” to creativity.

The value of shock

In fact, this difficult start is not necessarily a bad thing. Liverpool have seen many stars suffer similar fates. Mohamed Salah failed at Chelsea before exploding at Anfield. Kevin De Bruyne was overlooked at Stamford Bridge before rising to become a mainstay at Man City. The Premier League teaches them their first lessons with painful falls, before turning them into legends.

For Wirtz, the failure to compete and the awkwardness of the No. 10 role are not the end, but the beginning. The £116 million signing will have to learn to “survive” before dreaming of shining.

While Wirtz struggled, Rio Ngumoha – a 16-year-old prodigy – made the difference. Ngumoha’s stoppage-time winner not only gave Liverpool a 3-2 win, but also created a stark contrast: a hesitant blockbuster signing alongside a carefree young talent.

But football is more complicated than simple comparisons. Ngumoha can shine thanks to his explosive instincts, while Wirtz has had to go through a more thorny path to integrate and regain his inherent conductor qualities.

The win at Newcastle was dramatic, but Liverpool's problems remain. The defence continued to make mistakes, conceding two goals from high balls. The central defender problem further urges Arne Slot to complete the Marc Guéhi deal.

In that context, Wirtz needing more time to adapt is not necessarily a disaster. Liverpool still won, still maintained their momentum. The important thing is that they are patient to let the German midfielder find a central role, because only when Wirtz plays to his true potential, "The Kop" will have a worthy conductor for the new era.

The night at St James' Park left little of Florian Wirtz's professional legacy, but it was a valuable introduction. The Premier League does not tolerate complacency, it does not allow room for daydreaming. It demands toughness, adaptability and character.

And when he left the pitch in the 80th minute, perhaps Wirtz understood: to become Liverpool's number 10, to be worthy of the record fee, he had to learn to play music in the storm, not in the concert hall.

Source: https://znews.vn/wirtz-nem-trai-su-khac-nghiet-cua-bong-da-anh-post1580295.html