Florian Wirtz

[Insidious]

Good players, never mind supposed World Class players, do not need their team mates to make them look good.

And is it his brain being 3 moves ahead when he over hits a straight ball by 40 yards or continually just gives it straight to the opposition??

He looked good in Germany he is nowhere near world class

The overhit pass was undeniably a "WTF" moment and when his passes are intercepted, we do concede possession - but the vision is absolutely there - only takes one of those moments to come off and a forward gets a clear-cut opportunity.

I'd far rather persist with this "high risk, high reward" aspect of his game than what the likes of someone like Mac Allister offers these days - which is such a weird thing to be saying as Mac Allister was absolutely imperious last season, whereas he's currently something of a Ghost.

Wirtz is also constantly - and I do mean constantly, moving into little pockets of space. His spatial awareness is really great - it's unfortunate that it's not all knitting together as well as it could - but personally I'd happily have him in the list of players we should be building around in 26/27, 27/28 and 28/29.

[miller0863]

Great moving into space Sid but I would like him to do something when he gets there

[Insidious]

Great moving into space Sid but I would like him to do something when he gets there

I think from both our posts on him over the past few months we have totally different interpretations of his levels and what he can bring (and that is absolutely fine!) so I'll aim not to go in circles about Wirtz as there's enough of that on the forum at the moment.

I see him trying really creative passes and having great vision, you (not trying to put words in your mouth, do correct me if I'm misrepresenting you) see him not doing enough and being a cause of possession concession - and that's grand.

I remain much more pissed at the likes of a £400k per-week player being unable to slot a chance into the bottom corner in the 10th minute to put us 1-0 up and instead "passing" to Gakpo.

Though few covered themselves in glory yesterday.

[JockStrap]

Wirtz is the least of our problems.

VvD, Macca, Grav, Robbo, Konate and most importantly Salah have all fallen off a cliff form wise.

[Steveo]

The ‘management’ (now consisting of an Edwards/Hughes/Slot hybrid) - wouldn’t have anything to do with all of that tho 🤔

Put it down to coincidence.

[Ravo19]

Wirtz is the least of our problems.

VvD, Macca, Grav, Robbo, Konate and most importantly Salah have all fallen off a cliff form wise.

Ive been backing wirtz lately but he was awful yesterday.as for mac,grav,konate,vvd it adds to the view that the 2 6's are being overran and not protecting cb's.
Slot needs to wake up to 3 in midfield,cant understand why he doesnt give it a go it cant make anything any worse.

[teesred]

A pal of mine who I hadn't spoken to for a while said yesterday he thinks Van Bronkchorst could be the issue, he said the football Rangers played under him was turgid crap and he feared the same when he arrived at Liverpool.
Anybody saw it heard anything suggesting that?

[Nineteenx]

Rangers - Souness

[JockStrap]

Maestro.

[LFC-DPG]

Half the forum will have had their fingers in their ears then when Stevie was talking.

[JockStrap]

Half the forum will have had their fingers in their ears then when Stevie was talking.

What did he say?

[LFC-DPG]

Saying how well Wirtz is playing at the moment. Saying how well he clicks with Ekitike

[Nineteenx]

Although it was Carrierbag I thought tonight was his best game

I’ve been wanting to see him more in midfield trying to release or join the 3 ahead of him and I saw a lot of that tonight and think it’s where he fits in best

The Coutinho role starting from LCM moving into those pockets trying to g to play in or join the three forwards ahead of him

He links well either Teacake in seeing the opportunity as Teacake is the one that makes it happen and opens up the defence and plays great passes to him

[Insidious]

I’ve been wanting to see him more in midfield trying to release or join the 3 ahead of him and I saw a lot of that tonight and think it’s where he fits in best

The Coutinho role starting from LCM moving into those pockets trying to g to play in or join the three forwards ahead of him

Wirtz was absolutely brilliant in the left half-space for Leverkusen and has done well with us when he drifts in there.

More please. I'd absolutely build our future attack around Wirtz and Ekitike's increasing chemistry - two pacey, tricky players with the capacity to finish flanking Hugo with Florian supplying could be *chef's kiss* in time.

[Nineteenx]

He came from a deeper position for that he was often behind a front three

Ekitike and Wirtz don’t especially link that well, when it happens is when Ekitike decides to beat a couple of players when the short over passing is getting us nowhere, Wirtz then spits the space and makes good runs and Ekitike tees Wirtz up as he should be doing Ekitike