Why The Reds Aren't Getting the Optimal from Wirtz So Far

Assessment of the German midfielder's first nine appearances for Liverpool has typically reached the identical verdict - it has been an disappointing beginning.

Several commentators have gone further. Ex- England striker Wayne Rooney stated the £116m signing "damages the balance" of Liverpool's setup.

"He is a quality footballer and I'm sure he will improve - but he's had a gradual beginning and I think there's no denying that," said the former striker.

The young German is still without a goal or provide an assist for his new club, but is that showing the complete story?

In this analysis we explore how effective he has performed, why he isn't performing as expected so far, and how the club could get the best out of him.

Liverpool's equilibrium is disrupted, but they are evidently experiencing a phase of change.

Manager Arne Slot has changed his approach this season - and possibly the absence of defender Trent Alexander-Arnold created greater challenges than expected.

Following a comparable pattern to the manager's Feyenoord team, Liverpool are looking to operate with a greater number of rotations between teammates, progressing through the central areas of the field with rapid, tight-area interplay.

This logically explains for Wirtz to be the central attacking force to connect all elements together.

However, practically, he has been asked to perform a function that is slightly different from the position he is familiar with.

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

It doesn't get the best out of the player as an singular talent, but he hasn't been poorly in this sub-optimal position.

Wirtz is receiving the ball further back with increasing frequency.

Alexander-Arnold was outstanding in his ability to pass the play when playing deep, and Liverpool appear to be sorely missing that quality.

Captain the Dutch defender's diagonal passes to attacker the Egyptian winger is a great way for them to get the play up the pitch consistently. Otherwise, Liverpool lack the passing quality in their defensive line to find teammates up the field.

That responsibility has been placed on Wirtz at times. He has been retreating deeper to receive the ball before changing direction and attempting to drive it forward. He is capable to do this because of his skill level, but it is reducing the time he operates near the opposing net.

If build-up responsibilities can be taken by a different teammate, it possibly enables the attacker to position himself more advanced the pitch.

Curtis Jones has the capability to perform this function in a double pivot or on the left wing, and may be an alternative the manager could consider as he aims to enhance the German's natural game.

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

Operating centrally between the lines against very compact defensive sides such as the London club, Wirtz has been positioned with reduced time and room to operate.

During his time at Bayer Leverkusen, there were matches in which the midfielder would position himself on the left wing while his colleagues advanced the ball up the pitch before finding him.

In other situations, he would operate in central attacking midfield positions, particularly against opponents that provided more room between the defensive units in matches that became more transitional in nature.

Former Bayer boss Xabi Alonso utilized the talent well because both of these situations would allow him to get the possession with separation - meaning he could collect and carry forward with distance between himself and a opponent.

To get the maximum out of the player, delivering the ball to him when there is not instant marking on him is optimal.

When he is able to collect the ball on the turn and carry it forward - with distance between himself and the nearby opponent - he is able to use body feints and a variation in speed to disrupt opposition defences.

Comparably to the Merseyside club forward the England international, his finest work both on the ball carrying and in his passing originates from scenarios in which he is driving with the possession and driving at defenders.

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

Space can be created by positioning him on the wing initially or by finding him in the midfield quickly. If he is positioned between the lines, especially when an opposition's defensive shape is stretched, team-mates must therefore play direct passes to locate Wirtz.

The Premier League's physical demands has strategic consequences but also impacts players individually - and Wirtz seems to have still not fully adapted to this change.

With Slot's quicker and more position-switching approach of offensive play, the team are vulnerable to counter-attacks, with fewer bodies behind the play. This requires forward players like the midfielder to counter-press with energy when the ball is lost.

The young talent has completely dedicated himself to the defensive directives and has harassed energetically. In attack, he is being encouraged to retreat to assist in constructing play while maintaining the freedom to contribute to attacks on each of the left side and right.

All of this is taxing on fitness, and some of his poor on-the-ball decisions could be down to fatigue. Of all players to play 400+ minutes in the Premier League this season, the midfielder has run the fifth most ground per 90 minutes and the most of any Liverpool teammate.

During a recent discussion with German media, the player discussed the contrast in his performances this season versus the previous year.

He stated the manager had expressed a opinion "it might be because we press a lot and I run a considerably".

Wirtz continued: "For example, the distance covered statistics: I'm consistently at the forefront in that category because I attempt to exert maximum effort and execute what the coach asks. I require a lot of power and stamina for that. When I have the possession, I could be missing a small amount. The expectation this will simply come progressively, as I gain more experience, improve physically, be able to perform actions more easily, and subsequently, when I have the ball, become {fit|conditioned