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

Analysis of Florian Wirtz's initial nine games for the Merseyside club has generally landed at the identical verdict - it has been an disappointing start.

Some have been more critical. Former England striker the Manchester United legend stated the £116m signing "disrupts the equilibrium" of the team's structure.

"He is a top player and I'm confident he will get better - but he's experienced a gradual beginning and I believe there's no denying that," commented Rooney.

Wirtz is still without a goal or register an goal contribution for his new club, but does that paint the complete story?

In this analysis we examine how effective he has performed, why he hasn't been delivering as anticipated yet, and how Liverpool could extract the maximum out of him.

Liverpool's equilibrium is disrupted, but they are clearly experiencing a phase of transition.

Manager Arne Slot has altered his approach this season - and perhaps the absence of defender Trent Alexander-Arnold posed bigger questions than expected.

Following a comparable pattern to the manager's previous club team, the Premier League side are looking to play with a greater number of rotations between players, advancing through the central areas of the field with quick, small-space interplay.

It therefore makes sense for Wirtz to be the primary attacking force to knit everything collectively.

But, practically, he has been tasked to do a role that is slightly different from the position he is used to.

This has minimised how often he positions himself in positions to find the net or assist.

This setup fails to extract the maximum potential out of Wirtz as an singular talent, but he hasn't been bad in this less-than-ideal position.

Wirtz is getting the possession deeper more often.

Alexander-Arnold was impressive in his capability to distribute the play when playing in defensive areas, and Liverpool appear to be significantly lacking that quality.

Captain Virgil van Dijk's long switch to attacker the Egyptian winger is a effective method for them to get the play up the pitch reliably. Otherwise, the squad are missing the passing quality in their defensive line to find team-mates in advanced positions.

That responsibility has fallen on Wirtz at times. He has been retreating deeper to receive the possession before changing direction and trying to drive it forward. He is capable to do this because of his technical quality, but it is reducing the opportunities he spends close to the opposing net.

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

The academy graduate has the capability to perform this function in a central midfield partnership or on the left wing, and may be an alternative the manager could turn to as he aims to enhance the German's preferred style.

One of the biggest contrasts Wirtz is experiencing in the English top flight is the reduced room and increased pressure exerted to him.

Positioned centrally between the defensive units against very organized defensive sides such as Crystal Palace, the German has found himself with reduced opportunity and room to operate.

During his time at Bayer Leverkusen, there were matches in which Wirtz would stand on the left wing while his team-mates progressed the play forward before finding him.

Alternatively, he would operate in middle advanced midfield areas, particularly against opponents that provided more space between the lines in games that became more transitional in nature.

Former Bayer boss Xabi Alonso profiled the talent effectively because each of these situations would enable him to receive the possession with separation - meaning he could collect and drive forward with distance between himself and a defender.

To get the best out of Wirtz, getting the ball to him when there isn't immediate marking on him is ideal.

When he is able to collect the play on the half-turn and carry it forward - with distance between himself and the nearby player - he is capable to use body feints and a variation in pace to destabilize opposition defences.

In a similar manner to the Merseyside club attacker the England international, his finest work both on the dribble and in his passing originates from situations in which he is carrying the ball and running at players.

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

Separation can be found by positioning him on the wing initially or by passing to him in the center quickly. When he is positioned between the lines, particularly when an opposition's structure is stretched, team-mates must accordingly execute forward passes to find Wirtz.

England's top division's physical demands has tactical consequences but also affects players personally - and Wirtz seems to have not yet completely adjusted to this transition.

With Slot's quicker and more position-switching style of attack, the team are vulnerable to counter-attacks, with reduced bodies supporting the ball. This demands attackers like the midfielder to counter-press with intensity when the ball is lost.

The young talent has completely committed to the out-of-possession instructions and has pressed intensely. In attack, he is being encouraged to retreat to help in building up while maintaining the licence to contribute to offensive moves on each of the left side and right.

This combination is demanding on fitness, and some of his subpar on-the-ball actions could be attributed to fatigue. Of all footballers to feature 400+ minutes in the top division this campaign, the German has run the fifth-highest ground per 90 minutes and the highest of all club player.

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

He stated Slot had voiced a view "it might be because we harass a lot and I run a considerably".

The midfielder added: "To illustrate, the running stats: I am consistently at the top there because I attempt to exert maximum effort and execute what the coach demands. I need a significant power and stamina for that. Whenever I have the ball, I could be missing a small amount. The expectation it will simply come progressively, as I gain more experience, improve physically, be able to do things more easily, and then, whenever I have the play, become {fit|conditioned