Why The Reds Haven't Yet Found the Best from Wirtz So Far

Analysis of Florian Wirtz's initial nine games for Liverpool has generally landed at the same conclusion - it has been an underwhelming start.

Some have been more critical. Ex- Three Lions striker Wayne Rooney said the £116m signing "damages the balance" of the team's setup.

"He's a quality footballer and I'm confident he will get better - but he's had a gradual beginning and I think there's no question about that," commented Rooney.

Wirtz is still without a goal or provide an assist for his current team, but does that paint the whole picture?

Here we explore how effective he has performed, why he isn't performing as anticipated so far, and how the club could get the maximum out of him.

Liverpool's balance is off, but they are evidently experiencing a period of transition.

Head coach Arne Slot has altered his tactical setup this campaign - and perhaps the absence of defender Trent Alexander-Arnold created greater challenges than anticipated.

Following a comparable pattern to the manager's Feyenoord team, Liverpool are attempting to play with a increased frequency of positional switches between players, progressing through the central areas of the field with rapid, small-space combination play.

It therefore makes sense for the attacking midfielder to be the primary creative hub to connect everything collectively.

However, in reality, he has been asked to do a function that is slightly different from the position he is used to.

This has reduced how frequently he positions himself in situations to score or create chances.

This setup fails to extract the best out of Wirtz as an singular talent, but he hasn't performed bad in this less-than-ideal role.

Wirtz is receiving the ball deeper more often.

The right-back was impressive in his capability to pass the play when playing deep, and the team seem sorely missing that attribute.

Captain the Dutch defender's diagonal passes to attacker Mohamed Salah is a effective method for them to get the ball up the pitch consistently. Alternatively, the squad lack the passing quality in their defensive line to locate team-mates in advanced positions.

This duty has been placed on Wirtz at certain moments. He has been retreating deeper to receive the ball before changing direction and trying to carry it forward. He is capable to perform this role because of his technical quality, but it is reducing the opportunities he operates near the opposing goal.

If possession duties can be taken by a different teammate, it potentially enables the attacker to operate more advanced the pitch.

Curtis Jones has the ability to perform this function in a double pivot or on the left flank, and could represent an alternative the manager could turn to as he looks to complement Wirtz's preferred style.

Among the biggest contrasts Wirtz is experiencing in the Premier League is the limited space and increased pressure exerted to him.

Operating centrally between the defensive units against very compact opposing teams such as Crystal Palace, the German has found himself with reduced time and space to operate.

For Bayer Leverkusen, there were matches in which Wirtz would stand on the left wing while his colleagues progressed the ball forward before passing to him.

Alternatively, he would position himself in central advanced midfield positions, particularly against opponents that offered more room between the lines in matches that developed into more counter-attacking in nature.

Ex- Bayer boss Xabi Alonso utilized Wirtz effectively because each of these situations would allow him to receive the ball with space - meaning he could collect and drive forward with distance between himself and a opponent.

To get the best out of the player, getting the possession to him when there is not instant marking on him is ideal.

When he is able to collect the ball on the half-turn and carry it forward - with space between himself and the nearby player - he is capable to use deceptive movements and a variation in speed to disrupt opposition defences.

In a similar manner to the Merseyside club attacker the England international, his best work both on the ball carrying and in his distribution comes from scenarios in which he is carrying the ball and running at players.

That is why several of the German's best moments this season have come in transitions.

Space can be created by positioning him on the left flank initially or by finding him in the center quickly. When he is positioned between the defensive units, especially when an opposition's defensive shape is spread, colleagues must therefore execute forward balls to locate Wirtz.

The Premier League's physical demands has tactical implications but also affects players individually - and the German appears to have still not fully adapted to this transition.

Under Slot's quicker and more position-switching style of attack, the team are vulnerable to fast breaks, with reduced bodies behind the play. This demands forward players like the midfielder to counter-press with energy when the ball is lost.

The young talent has fully committed to the out-of-possession instructions and has pressed intensely. Offensively, he is being encouraged to drop deep to assist in constructing play while having the freedom to contribute to attacks on both the left and right.

All of this is demanding physically, and several of his subpar possession decisions could be down to fatigue. Of all footballers to feature 400+ minutes in the Premier League this campaign, the midfielder has covered the fifth most distance per full match and the highest of all Liverpool player.

In a recent interview with German media, the player spoke about the difference in his displays this season compared to last.

He said the manager had voiced a opinion "it might be because we press a lot and I cover ground a considerably".

Wirtz added: "To illustrate, the distance covered statistics: I am consistently at the top there because I attempt to exert maximum effort and do what the manager demands. I need a significant strength and energy for that. When I have the ball, I could be missing a little bit. That this will simply develop progressively, as I gain more experience, get fitter, be able to perform actions more easily, and then, whenever I have the ball, be {fit|conditioned