Why The Reds Aren't Getting the Optimal from Florian Wirtz Yet

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

Some have been more critical. Ex- England striker the Manchester United legend stated the expensive acquisition "disrupts the equilibrium" of the team's setup.

"He is a top player and I'm sure he will improve - but he's had a slow start and I think there's no question about that," commented Rooney.

The young German is still without a goal or provide an goal contribution for his new club, but does that paint the whole picture?

Here we examine how effective he has performed, why he isn't performing as anticipated yet, and how Liverpool could extract the maximum out of him.

Liverpool's equilibrium is off, but they are clearly experiencing a period of change.

Head coach the Dutch tactician has altered his tactical setup this season - and possibly the absence of defender the England international posed bigger questions than expected.

In a similar approach to Slot's previous club team, Liverpool are looking to operate with a greater number of positional switches between teammates, advancing through the middle of the pitch with quick, small-space combination play.

This logically explains for the attacking midfielder to be the primary attacking force to knit all elements together.

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

And that has minimised how frequently he positions himself in situations to score or assist.

It doesn't get the maximum potential out of the player as an individual, but he hasn't performed poorly in this less-than-ideal role.

Wirtz is getting the possession further back more often.

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

Skipper the Dutch defender's diagonal passes to attacker the Egyptian winger is a great method for them to move the ball forward consistently. Alternatively, Liverpool lack the distribution ability in defence to locate team-mates up the field.

That responsibility has been placed on Wirtz at certain moments. He has been dropping deep to get the possession before turning and attempting to carry it forward. He is capable to do this because of his technical quality, but it is reducing the time he spends close to the opposing net.

Should build-up duties can be shouldered by a different teammate, it possibly allows the attacker to operate more advanced the pitch.

The academy graduate has the capability to do this in a double pivot or on the left flank, and may be an option Slot could turn to as he aims to enhance the German's preferred style.

Among the most significant contrasts the player is experiencing in the English top flight is the limited room and heightened pressure applied to him.

Operating through the middle between the defensive units against very organized defensive sides such as the London club, Wirtz has found himself with reduced opportunity and space to operate.

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

In other situations, he would position himself in central advanced midfield areas, particularly against opponents that provided more space between the defensive units in matches that became more counter-attacking in nature.

Former Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso utilized Wirtz effectively because both of these scenarios would allow him to receive the ball with separation - meaning he could receive and carry forward with distance between himself and a opponent.

For extracting the maximum out of the player, getting the possession to him when there isn't immediate marking on him is ideal.

Whenever he is able to receive the ball on the half-turn and carry it ahead - with distance between himself and the closest player - he is able to use deceptive movements and a variation in pace to disrupt opposition defensive structures.

In a similar manner to Everton attacker the England international, his best work both on the ball carrying and in his passing originates from situations in which he is driving with the ball and running at defenders.

That is why several of Wirtz's most impressive instances this season have occurred in counter-attacks.

Separation can be created by positioning him on the wing initially or by passing to him in the center quickly. When he is operating between the defensive units, especially when an rival team's defensive shape is spread, team-mates must accordingly play direct balls to locate Wirtz.

The Premier League's physical demands has strategic implications but also impacts players individually - and the German seems to have not yet completely adjusted to this transition.

With Slot's quicker and more rotation-based approach of offensive play, the team are susceptible to fast breaks, with fewer bodies behind the play. This demands forward players like the midfielder to press immediately with energy when the possession is turned over.

Wirtz has completely committed to the defensive instructions and has pressed intensely. Offensively, he is being instructed to drop deep to assist in building up while having the licence to contribute to attacks on each of the left and right.

This combination is demanding on fitness, and some of his subpar on-the-ball decisions could be attributed to fatigue. Among all footballers to feature 400+ minutes in the Premier League this campaign, the midfielder has run the fifth-highest distance per 90 minutes and the most of any Liverpool teammate.

In a recent interview with Sky Sports Germany, the player spoke about the contrast in his displays this campaign compared to last.

He stated the manager had expressed a view "it could be because we press a frequently and I cover ground a considerably".

The midfielder continued: "For example, the running stats: I'm consistently at the forefront in that category because I attempt to push hard and execute what the coach asks. I require a lot of power and stamina for that. Whenever I have the ball, I might be missing a little bit. That this will gradually come progressively, as I gain more experience, get fitter, be able to perform actions more easily, and then, when I have the play, become {fit|conditioned