The Reasons Why Liverpool Aren't Getting the Best from Florian Wirtz Yet

Assessment of Florian Wirtz's initial nine games for the Merseyside club has generally landed at the same conclusion - it has been an underwhelming beginning.

Several commentators have been more critical. Ex- England striker the Manchester United legend stated the £116m signing "disrupts the balance" of the team's structure.

"He's a quality footballer and I'm sure he will get better - but he's experienced a gradual beginning 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 is that showing the complete story?

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

The squad's balance is disrupted, but they are evidently experiencing a period of change.

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

Following a comparable pattern to the manager's previous club team, Liverpool are looking to operate with a increased frequency of positional switches between teammates, advancing through the middle of the field with rapid, small-space combination play.

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

But, in reality, he has been asked to perform a function that is somewhat altered from one he is familiar with.

And that has reduced how often he finds himself in positions to score or create chances.

It doesn't get the maximum potential out of the player as an singular talent, but he hasn't performed bad in this sub-optimal role.

The midfielder is getting the ball further back more often.

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

Skipper the Dutch defender's long switch to attacker the Egyptian winger is a effective method for them to move the play forward reliably. Alternatively, the squad are missing the distribution ability in defence to find team-mates up the field.

This duty has been placed on Wirtz at times. He has been retreating deeper to receive the ball before turning and attempting to carry it forward. He is capable to perform this role because of his technical quality, but it is limiting the opportunities he operates close to the opposing net.

If build-up duties can be shouldered by a different teammate, it possibly enables Wirtz to operate higher up the pitch.

Curtis Jones has the capability to perform this function in a central midfield partnership or on the left wing, and may be an option Slot could consider as he aims to complement the German's preferred style.

One of the most significant differences the player is experiencing in the Premier League is the reduced room and heightened pressure applied to him.

Positioned through the middle between the defensive units against very compact defensive sides such as the London club, the German has found himself with reduced opportunity and room to play.

During his time at Bayer Leverkusen, there were games in which the midfielder would position himself on the left flank while his colleagues progressed the play up the pitch before passing to him.

In other situations, he would operate in middle attacking midfield positions, especially against opponents that offered more room between the lines in games that became more counter-attacking in nature.

Former Bayer boss Xabi Alonso utilized Wirtz well because both of these situations would allow him to receive the ball with space - meaning he could collect and carry forward with room between himself and a defender.

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

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

In a similar manner to Everton forward the England international, his finest performances both on the dribble and in his distribution comes from situations in which he is carrying the ball and driving at players.

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

Space can be created by deploying him on the left flank initially or by finding him in the midfield quickly. When he is positioned between the defensive units, particularly when an rival team's defensive shape is spread, team-mates must accordingly execute direct passes to find the midfielder.

The Premier League's intensity has tactical consequences but also affects players individually - and Wirtz seems to have not yet fully adapted to this change.

Under the manager's faster and more rotation-based style of attack, Liverpool are susceptible to fast breaks, with fewer bodies behind the ball. This demands forward players like the midfielder to counter-press with energy when the possession 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 drop deep to help in building up while having the freedom 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 actions could be down to tiredness. Of all players to play significant game time in the top division this campaign, the midfielder has run the fifth-highest ground per 90 minutes and the most of all Liverpool teammate.

In a recent interview with Sky Sports Germany, the player spoke about the contrast in his performances this season compared to the previous year.

He said Slot had expressed a view "it might be because we harass a lot and I cover ground a lot".

The midfielder added: "To illustrate, the running stats: I am always 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 energy for that. Whenever I have the possession, I could be lacking a small amount. The expectation this will simply develop step by step, as I play more games, improve physically, become capable to do things more effortlessly, and then, when I have the play, become {fit|conditioned