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

Assessment of the German midfielder's first nine appearances for the Merseyside club has generally landed at the same conclusion - it has been an underwhelming start.

Several commentators have gone further. Ex- England striker the Manchester United legend said the expensive acquisition "damages the balance" of the team's structure.

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

The young German is yet to score or provide an assist for his new club, but is that showing the complete story?

In this analysis we explore how good he has been, why he hasn't been delivering as expected so far, and how the club could get the maximum out of him.

Liverpool's balance is off, but they are clearly experiencing a period of transition.

Manager the Dutch tactician has altered his tactical setup this season - and perhaps the loss of defender the England international posed bigger questions than expected.

Following a comparable pattern to Slot's Feyenoord team, the Premier League side are attempting to play with a greater number of positional switches between players, advancing through the central areas of the field with quick, small-space interplay.

It therefore makes sense for the attacking midfielder to be the central creative hub to connect all elements together.

But, in reality, he has been tasked to perform a function that is slightly different from one he is used to.

This has reduced how frequently he positions himself in situations to score or assist.

This setup fails to extract the maximum potential out of the player as an singular talent, but he hasn't been bad in this sub-optimal role.

Wirtz is getting the possession deeper more often.

Alexander-Arnold was impressive in his ability to pass the play when playing deep, and Liverpool seem significantly lacking that quality.

Captain the Dutch defender's diagonal passes to attacker Mohamed Salah is a great method for them to move the ball up the pitch reliably. Otherwise, Liverpool are missing the distribution ability in their defensive line to find team-mates in advanced positions.

That responsibility has fallen on Wirtz at times. He has been dropping deep to get the possession before changing direction and trying to carry it forward. He is able to do this because of his technical quality, but it is reducing the time he spends near the opposition net.

If build-up responsibilities can be taken by a different teammate, it potentially allows Wirtz to position himself higher up the pitch.

Curtis Jones has the ability to do this in a central midfield partnership or on the left flank, and may be an option Slot could turn to as he aims to enhance the German's natural game.

Among the biggest contrasts the player is experiencing in the Premier League is the limited room and increased pressure applied to him.

Positioned through the middle between the defensive units against extremely organized defensive sides such as the London club, the German has been positioned with less time and space to operate.

During his time at Bayer Leverkusen, there were games in which Wirtz would stand on the left wing while his team-mates progressed the ball forward before passing to him.

Alternatively, he would operate in central attacking midfield areas, particularly against sides that offered more space between the defensive units in games that developed into more transitional in nature.

Ex- Bayer boss the Spanish manager utilized Wirtz effectively because each of these situations would enable him to receive the ball with space - meaning he could collect and drive forward with distance between himself and a defender.

For extracting the maximum out of Wirtz, getting the ball to him when there is not immediate pressure on him is optimal.

Whenever he is capable to collect the ball on the half-turn and carry it ahead - with space between himself and the closest opponent - he is capable to use body feints and a variation in speed to disrupt opposition defensive structures.

In a similar manner to the Merseyside club forward Jack Grealish, his best performances both on the ball carrying and in his distribution comes from situations in which he is driving with the possession and running at players.

That is why several of Wirtz's most impressive instances this campaign have occurred in transitions.

Space can be created by positioning him on the left flank initially or by finding him in the midfield early. If he is positioned between the defensive units, especially when an opposition's structure is stretched, colleagues must therefore play forward passes to find the midfielder.

England's top division's physical demands has strategic consequences but also impacts footballers personally - and the German seems to have not yet completely adjusted to this transition.

Under the manager's quicker and more position-switching approach of offensive play, the team are vulnerable to counter-attacks, with reduced players supporting the ball. This requires forward players like Wirtz 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 energetically. In attack, he is being encouraged to drop deep to assist in constructing play while having the licence to participate to attacks on both the left and right.

This combination is demanding on fitness, and several of his subpar possession decisions could be attributed to fatigue. Among all footballers to feature 400+ minutes in the Premier League this season, the German has covered the fifth-highest ground per full match and the highest of all club player.

During a recent discussion with German media, Wirtz discussed the difference in his displays this season versus the previous year.

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

The midfielder added: "For example, the running stats: I'm consistently at the top in that category because I try to push hard and do what the manager demands. I need a lot of power and energy for that. When I have the ball, I could be missing a little bit. The expectation it will simply develop progressively, as I gain more experience, get fitter, be able to perform actions more easily, and subsequently, whenever I have the play, be {fit|conditioned