Why Liverpool Aren't Getting the Best from Florian Wirtz So Far

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

Several commentators have gone further. Former Three Lions striker the Manchester United legend said the expensive acquisition "disrupts the balance" of the team's structure.

"He's a quality footballer and I'm sure he will improve - but he's had a slow start and I think there's no question about that," commented the former striker.

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

In this analysis we examine how effective he has been, why he hasn't been delivering as expected yet, and how the club could get the best out of him.

The squad's equilibrium is disrupted, but they are clearly going through a period of transition.

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

In a similar approach to the manager's Feyenoord team, the Premier League side are looking to play with a greater number of rotations 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 creative hub to connect all elements together.

However, practically, he has been tasked to do a function that is slightly different from one he is used to.

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

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

Wirtz is receiving the ball further back with increasing frequency.

Alexander-Arnold was outstanding in his ability to distribute the ball when operating deep, and Liverpool appear to be sorely missing that quality.

Captain the Dutch defender's diagonal passes to attacker the Egyptian winger is a effective method for them to get the play up the pitch consistently. Alternatively, the squad lack the distribution ability in their defensive line to locate teammates up the field.

That responsibility has been placed on Wirtz at certain moments. He has been dropping deep to receive the possession before turning and trying to carry it up the pitch. He is capable to do this because of his skill level, but it is limiting the time he spends close to the opposition net.

Should possession duties can be shouldered by another player, it potentially allows the attacker to operate higher up the pitch.

The academy graduate has the capability to do this in a central midfield partnership or on the left wing, and could represent an option Slot could turn to as he looks to complement the German's natural game.

Among the biggest differences the player is experiencing in the English top flight is the limited space and heightened pressure exerted to him.

Operating through the middle between the lines against very organized opposing teams such as Crystal Palace, Wirtz has been positioned with reduced time and space to play.

For his former club, there were matches in which Wirtz would stand on the left wing while his team-mates progressed the ball forward before finding him.

Alternatively, he would operate in middle advanced midfield positions, particularly against sides that offered more space between the defensive units in matches that became more transitional in style.

Former Leverkusen boss the Spanish manager profiled Wirtz effectively because both of these situations would allow him to receive the ball with space - meaning he could receive and carry forward with distance between himself and a defender.

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

When he is able to receive the play on the half-turn and drive it ahead - with space between himself and the closest player - he is capable to use body feints and a change in speed to disrupt rival defences.

Comparably to the Merseyside club attacker Jack Grealish, his best performances both on the ball carrying and in his distribution comes from situations in which he is driving with the ball and running at players.

This is why many of Wirtz's most impressive moments this campaign have occurred in counter-attacks.

Space can be created by deploying him on the wing initially or by passing to him in the center early. When he is operating between the lines, especially when an opposition's defensive shape is stretched, team-mates must accordingly play forward passes to locate the midfielder.

England's top division's intensity has strategic consequences but also affects footballers personally - and Wirtz seems to have still not fully adapted to this transition.

With Slot's faster and more rotation-based style of offensive play, the team are vulnerable to counter-attacks, with reduced bodies supporting the ball. This demands forward players like the midfielder to counter-press with intensity when the possession is lost.

The young talent has fully dedicated himself to the out-of-possession instructions and has harassed intensely. Offensively, he is being instructed to drop deep to assist in constructing play while having the licence to contribute to offensive moves on each of the left side and right flank.

All of this is taxing on fitness, and some of his subpar on-the-ball decisions could be down to tiredness. Of all players to play 400+ minutes in the Premier League this campaign, the midfielder has covered the fifth most ground per full match and the most of all club player.

During a recent discussion with German media, the player discussed the difference in his displays this season compared to the previous year.

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

The midfielder continued: "To illustrate, the distance covered statistics: I am consistently at the top there because I attempt to push hard and execute what the manager asks. I need a lot of strength and energy for that. When I have the ball, I might be missing a small amount. The expectation this will gradually come progressively, as I play more games, improve physically, become capable to do things more easily, and subsequently, whenever I have the play, become {fit|conditioned