The Reasons Why Liverpool Haven't Yet Found the Optimal from Wirtz So Far

Assessment of the German midfielder's first nine appearances for Liverpool has generally landed at the identical verdict - it has been an underwhelming beginning.

Several commentators have been more critical. Ex- England striker the Manchester United legend stated the expensive acquisition "disrupts the balance" of Liverpool's structure.

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

Wirtz is yet to score or provide an assist for his new club, but does that paint the complete story?

Here we examine how good he has performed, why he hasn't been delivering as anticipated so far, and how the club could get the maximum out of him.

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

Manager the Dutch tactician has altered his approach this season - and possibly the loss of defender the England international created greater challenges than expected.

In a similar approach to the manager's previous club team, the Premier League side are attempting to operate with a greater number of rotations between players, advancing through the central areas of the field with quick, tight-area combination play.

It therefore makes sense for Wirtz to be the primary creative hub to knit all elements collectively.

However, in reality, he has been tasked to perform a function that is slightly different from the position he is familiar with.

This has reduced how often he finds himself in positions to find the net or create chances.

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

Wirtz is getting the possession further back more often.

Alexander-Arnold was impressive in his capability to distribute the play when operating deep, and the team seem significantly lacking that attribute.

Skipper Virgil van Dijk's diagonal passes to forward Mohamed Salah is a great method for them to move the play up the pitch reliably. Otherwise, the squad are missing the distribution ability in their defensive line to find teammates in advanced positions.

That responsibility has fallen on the young German at certain moments. He has been dropping deep to receive the possession before turning and trying to carry it up the pitch. He is able to do this because of his skill level, but it is reducing the time he operates near the opposing goal.

If possession responsibilities can be shouldered by another player, it possibly allows Wirtz to operate higher up the field.

Curtis Jones has the capability to do this in a double pivot or on the left flank, and could represent an option the manager could consider as he looks to complement Wirtz's natural game.

Among the biggest contrasts Wirtz is encountering in the English top flight is the limited space and heightened intensity applied to him.

Positioned through the middle between the defensive units against extremely organized opposing teams such as Crystal Palace, Wirtz has found himself with reduced time and space to play.

For his former club, there were games in which Wirtz would stand on the left wing while his team-mates advanced the play forward before passing to him.

Alternatively, he would operate in central attacking midfield areas, especially against opponents that offered more room between the lines in matches that developed into more counter-attacking in nature.

Ex- Bayer boss the Spanish manager profiled Wirtz effectively because each of these scenarios would enable him to receive the ball with separation - meaning he could collect and carry forward with room between himself and a defender.

To get the best out of Wirtz, delivering the possession to him when there is not immediate pressure on him is optimal.

When he is capable to collect the play on the turn and carry it ahead - with space between himself and the nearby opponent - he is able to use deceptive movements and a change in pace to disrupt opposition defensive structures.

Comparably to Everton attacker Jack Grealish, his best work both on the dribble and in his passing originates from scenarios in which he is carrying the ball and driving at defenders.

This is why many of Wirtz's best moments this season have come in counter-attacks.

Separation can be found by positioning him on the left flank initially or by passing to him in the midfield early. If he is operating between the lines, especially when an opposition's defensive shape is spread, colleagues must therefore play direct passes to locate the midfielder.

The Premier League's physical demands has strategic implications but also affects footballers individually - and Wirtz appears to have not yet fully adapted to this transition.

Under Slot's faster and more rotation-based style of attack, the team are susceptible to fast breaks, with reduced players behind the ball. This demands attackers like the midfielder to press immediately with energy when the possession is turned over.

Wirtz has completely dedicated himself to the defensive directives and has harassed energetically. In attack, he is being instructed to retreat to help in constructing play while having the freedom to contribute to attacks on both the left side and right.

All of this is demanding physically, and several of his poor possession decisions may be down to fatigue. Among all footballers to play 400+ minutes in the Premier League this campaign, the German has covered the fifth-highest ground per 90 minutes and the highest of all club player.

During a recent discussion with German media, Wirtz spoke about the contrast in his performances this campaign versus last.

He said the manager had voiced a view "it might be because we press a frequently and I run a considerably".

The midfielder continued: "To illustrate, the running stats: I am always at the forefront in that category because I try to push hard and execute what the coach asks. I need a significant power and energy for that. When I have the possession, I could be missing a small amount. That this will simply develop step by step, as I gain more experience, improve physically, be able to perform actions more effortlessly, and then, whenever I have the play, become {fit|conditioned