Why The Reds Haven't Yet Found the Best from Florian Wirtz Yet

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

Some have gone further. Former England striker the Manchester United legend stated the £116m signing "disrupts the balance" of Liverpool's structure.

"He is a quality footballer and I'm sure he will improve - but he's had a gradual beginning and I think there's no denying that," commented Rooney.

The young German is yet to score or provide an goal contribution for his new club, but is that showing the whole picture?

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

Liverpool's equilibrium is disrupted, but they are evidently experiencing a period of transition.

Head coach Arne Slot has changed his approach this season - and possibly the loss of defender the England international posed greater challenges than expected.

Following a comparable pattern to Slot's previous club team, the Premier League side are attempting to operate with a increased frequency of positional switches between players, progressing through the central areas of the field with quick, tight-area combination play.

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

But, practically, he has been asked to perform a role that is somewhat altered from one he is familiar with.

This has minimised how frequently he finds himself in positions to find the net or create chances.

This setup fails to extract the maximum potential out of the player as an individual, but he hasn't been poorly in this sub-optimal position.

The midfielder is receiving the possession deeper more often.

The right-back was outstanding in his ability to distribute the play when playing deep, and Liverpool appear to be sorely missing that attribute.

Skipper Virgil van Dijk's diagonal passes to forward the Egyptian winger is a great method for them to get the ball forward consistently. Alternatively, the squad are missing the distribution ability in their defensive line to find teammates in advanced positions.

This duty has been placed on Wirtz at certain moments. He has been retreating deeper to get the possession before turning and attempting to drive it forward. He is able to do this because of his technical quality, but it is limiting the opportunities he spends near the opposing goal.

If build-up duties can be shouldered by another player, it potentially allows Wirtz to operate higher up the field.

The academy graduate has the capability to do this in a central midfield partnership or on the left flank, and could represent an option the manager could turn to as he aims to enhance Wirtz's natural game.

One of the biggest differences the player is experiencing in the English top flight is the limited space and heightened intensity exerted to him.

Positioned through the middle between the defensive units against very organized opposing teams such as Crystal Palace, Wirtz has been positioned with reduced time and space to operate.

During his time at his former club, there were games in which the midfielder would stand on the left wing while his colleagues progressed the ball up the pitch before passing to him.

In other situations, he would operate in central advanced midfield positions, particularly against sides that provided more room between the lines in games that developed into more counter-attacking in nature.

Former Leverkusen boss the Spanish manager utilized Wirtz well because each of these situations would allow him to receive the ball with space - meaning he could receive and drive forward with distance between himself and a opponent.

For extracting the best out of Wirtz, getting the ball to him when there isn't instant pressure on him is optimal.

When he is able to collect the ball on the turn and carry it forward - with distance between himself and the closest opponent - he is able to use body feints and a variation in pace to destabilize opposition defensive structures.

In a similar manner to Everton forward Jack Grealish, his best work both on the ball carrying and in his passing comes from scenarios in which he is driving with the ball and running at defenders.

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

Separation can be created by positioning him on the left flank initially or by finding him in the center quickly. If he is positioned between the defensive units, particularly when an rival team's structure is stretched, colleagues must therefore play direct passes to find the midfielder.

The Premier League's intensity has tactical consequences but also affects footballers individually - and the German appears to have still not fully adapted to this change.

With the manager's faster and more rotation-based approach of attack, the team are vulnerable to fast breaks, with fewer players behind the ball. This demands forward players like the midfielder to counter-press with energy when the ball is lost.

Wirtz has completely dedicated himself to the out-of-possession directives and has pressed energetically. Offensively, he is being instructed to drop deep to help in building up while having the licence to contribute to offensive moves on both the left and right.

This combination is taxing physically, and some of his subpar possession decisions may be down to fatigue. Of all footballers to play 400+ minutes in the Premier League this season, the German has covered the fifth-highest ground per full match and the most of all Liverpool player.

In a recent interview with Sky Sports Germany, Wirtz spoke about the difference in his performances this campaign versus the previous year.

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

The midfielder added: "To illustrate, the running stats: I'm always at the top there because I try to push hard and do what the manager demands. I require a lot of strength and energy for that. Whenever I have the possession, I could be missing a small amount. That it will gradually come step by step, as I play more games, improve physically, become capable to do things more easily, and then, when I have the play, become {fit|conditioned