Why Liverpool Haven't Yet Found the Best from Florian Wirtz Yet

Assessment of the German midfielder's initial nine games for Liverpool has generally landed at the same conclusion - it has been an disappointing start.

Some have gone further. Ex- England striker Wayne Rooney said the £116m signing "disrupts the equilibrium" of the team's structure.

"He's a quality footballer and I'm sure he will get better - but he's had a slow start and I think there's no question about that," said Rooney.

The young German is yet to score or register an goal contribution for his current team, but does that paint the whole picture?

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

Liverpool's equilibrium is disrupted, but they are evidently experiencing a phase of change.

Head coach the Dutch tactician has altered his approach this season - and possibly the absence of right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold posed bigger questions than anticipated.

Following a comparable pattern to Slot's Feyenoord team, the Premier League side are attempting to play with a greater number of rotations between teammates, progressing through the middle of the field with quick, small-space combination play.

This logically explains for Wirtz to be the central attacking force to connect all elements collectively.

But, practically, he has been asked to perform a function that is slightly different from one he is familiar with.

And that has minimised how often he finds himself in positions to find the net or assist.

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

Wirtz is getting the ball deeper more often.

The right-back was outstanding in his ability to pass the ball when operating in defensive areas, and Liverpool appear to be sorely missing that quality.

Captain Virgil van Dijk's long switch to attacker the Egyptian winger is a effective way for them to get the ball up the pitch reliably. Otherwise, Liverpool lack the distribution ability in defence to locate teammates in advanced positions.

That responsibility has been placed on Wirtz at certain moments. He has been retreating deeper to receive the ball before changing direction and trying to drive it up the pitch. He is able to perform this role because of his technical quality, but it is reducing the time he spends close to the opposition goal.

If build-up duties can be taken by a different teammate, it possibly enables Wirtz to position himself more advanced the pitch.

Curtis Jones has the capability to perform this function in a double pivot or on the left flank, and may be an alternative the manager could consider as he aims to complement Wirtz's natural game.

One of the biggest contrasts the player is encountering in the Premier League is the reduced room and heightened pressure exerted to him.

Positioned through the middle between the lines against very organized opposing teams such as Crystal Palace, Wirtz has found himself with reduced time and space to play.

During his time at Bayer Leverkusen, there were matches in which the midfielder would position himself on the left wing while his team-mates advanced the play forward before finding him.

Alternatively, he would operate in middle advanced midfield positions, especially against opponents that provided more room between the defensive units in games that developed into more transitional in nature.

Former Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso profiled Wirtz effectively because each of these scenarios would allow him to receive the ball with separation - meaning he could collect and drive forward with distance between himself and a defender.

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

When he is capable to collect the ball on the turn and drive it forward - with distance between himself and the nearby opponent - he is able to use body feints and a change in speed to disrupt rival defensive structures.

Comparably to the Merseyside club forward the England international, his finest performances both on the dribble and in his distribution comes from situations in which he is driving with the possession and driving at defenders.

This is why many of the German's best instances this campaign have come in transitions.

Space can be found by deploying him on the wing initially or by finding him in the center early. When he is positioned between the defensive units, particularly when an rival team's defensive shape is stretched, colleagues must therefore play direct passes to find Wirtz.

England's top division's intensity has strategic implications but also affects players individually - and Wirtz appears to have still not completely adjusted to this transition.

Under Slot's faster and more position-switching style of attack, Liverpool are vulnerable to counter-attacks, with fewer players supporting the play. This requires attackers like the midfielder to press immediately with intensity when the possession is turned over.

The young talent has fully dedicated himself to the out-of-possession directives and has pressed energetically. Offensively, he is being encouraged to drop deep to assist in constructing play while maintaining the licence to participate to offensive moves on both the left side and right flank.

All of this is demanding physically, and several of his poor possession decisions could be attributed to tiredness. Among all footballers to play significant game time in the Premier League this campaign, the German has covered the fifth-highest ground per full match and the highest of all club teammate.

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

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

The midfielder continued: "For example, the distance covered statistics: I'm consistently at the top there because I attempt to push hard and do what the coach demands. I require a significant power and energy for that. Whenever I have the ball, I could be lacking a little bit. The expectation this will simply develop progressively, as I gain more experience, get fitter, become capable to perform actions more easily, and then, when I have the ball, become {fit|conditioned