Florian Wirtz

[Red October]

He’s had a few good games but on the back of his best game he disappeared again on Saturday

Yes he did. As usual he showed great glimpses. There was one move where he was jinking in the right side of the box. Just great to watch. End product still a bit lacking but I would give him this season and see where we are. Thankfully the rest of the team played better at the weekend. His biggest frustration to me is when he gives the ball away needlessly in areas that can really hurt us. I would forgive him giving it away in the attacking third. But he tries little flicks and things in our half and puts us under massive pressure. We definitely need him to kick on next season. Otherwise then by all means judge him harshly. I do think he's been part of a dysfunctional team this year too which hasn't helped. Like Mo's best game was arguably on Saturday and the season is coming to a close. Even then he wasn't great and fluffed a lot of posession.

Also, worth bearing in mind that I remember fans being so frustrated with Szobo in his first season as he was very hot & cold. He's now possibly the first name on the teamsheet.

[Insidious]

He’s had a few good games but on the back of his best game he disappeared again on Saturday

Happens to the best of them to be fair - I had loosely compared Wirtz to Baggio before and Bobby B was culpable of quiet games and quiet spells - then you might get a sequence of games or moments where he sprang into life.

Even someone like Mane - a man who merits all praise we give him - used to have a lean spell for what felt like 8-12 games each season, before becoming Dynamite again.

The thing I'll be crossing fingers and toes for this season with Florian will be the timing - if we get some of his best performances in the upcoming run of games (Forest, West Ham, Wolves, Tottenham) and in our Champion's League matches, it'd be a big help.

[jozza800]

I love the little German bastard.

[Nineteenx]

He’s had a few good games but on the back of his best game he disappeared again on Saturday

I wouldn’t say he disappeared it’s actually good we’re spreading the many around now that’s how it should be the days of designated playmakers creating everything or a 10 of a 9 like Gerrard and Torres are done, although that pair both had more than Ekitije and Wirtz but teams would just block it with a low press or other press in today’s game

With the mids we have now, although we urgently need to improve LFWD & RFWD Yildiz & Rayan I hope we should truly be able to create and score chances from anyone anywhere and anyhow as we did so often under Jurgen

If everything went through Wirtz and when we tried that it made us really predictable and easy to defend and counter on

Now everyone’s involved we’re creating and scoring and exciting to watch again at times

[Insidious]

I love the little German bastard.

Same - hope he is here for the next 8-12 years.

Probably enjoy watching him as much as anyone at the club right now.

[Nineteenx]

Same - hope he is here for the next 8-12 years.

Probably enjoy watching him as much as anyone at the club right now.

I find him a little to slow at times trying to look stylish, wasting opportunities to shoot or put a player through with style over substance

Started to do things a bit quicker but still caught out striking a pose far too much

[JockStrap]

Time to enjoy the maestro until his next run out.

19 maybe you could show us where he's spending too much time striking a pose here.

Ladies and Gentlemen ...

The Emperor

[Nineteenx]

They’re the times he’s obviously not

[JockStrap]

They’re the times he’s obviously not

OK, so post the times when he does stop to strike a pose.

[Nineteenx]

He does it every game, needs some Mirror training to work more on that body shape to better fool defenders

Gives it away 2 or 3 times a game that sees us face a dangerous counter

Impressed with his picking up
and pressing and doing hard work and letting others express themselves

[JockStrap]

Must be time to close this superthread.

[Nineteenx]

This is pretty exclusively about Wirtz to be fair

Everything’s working out so much better with the 3 forwards ahead of it too, just as I called it, it’s nice to call one now and then

[JockStrap]

Injured in the warm up v Forest. WTF?

[LFC-DPG]

We should smash them today without Wirtz playing.

[Martyboy]

We should smash them today without Wirtz playing.

The only smashing today will be me putting my foot through the tv after watching that guff 1st half by us....