“Then it won’t work”: clear message on Florian Wirtz’s performances at Liverpool
Florian Wirtz has recently impressed across the board in the shirt of the German national team. For Stefan Effenberg, the position in which the 23-year-old is deployed plays a decisive role above all.
"We all agree where Flo Wirtz belongs, where he feels most comfortable. He showed it at Leverkusen, and at Liverpool too, where he is getting better and better. And now in the national team as well," the former Bayern Munich captain said on Doppelpass on Sport1.
Against Serbia, Wirtz played as the number 10 in Jürgen Klopp's national team and gave Germany's attack real thrust in the 2-0 win. He capped a strong display with a goal and an assist, and was named player of the match. He can "decide matches, he showed that in the Bundesliga too. But if you push players into a position where they do not feel comfortable, then it does not work," Effenberg explained.
Effenberg poses Wirtz question: what happens when Musiala returns?
Under Julian Nagelsmann, Wirtz was used at the World Cup in North America in a number of roles, including on the left wing so Jamal Musiala could play in attacking midfield. Against Serbia, though, the Bayern star had to sit out with injury. For Effenberg, that could raise an intriguing question for the future: "What happens to him when he comes back? That is a far more exciting discussion than the one about Kimmich"
Sport1 expert and former Bundesliga coach Peter Neururer also stressed how important the role is and praised Wirtz: "Finally, Florian Wirtz can play in the position in which he is strong, in which he grew up, in which he has at times produced world-class performances. On the left wing he is cut off and dependent on other people."
Meanwhile, Eintracht professional Timothy Chandler sees it the same way. "He is a difference-maker for every team he plays in. He is a free spirit. He has to play in the number 10 position, where he can move freely. That is simply where he belongs," Chandler said.
At club level for Liverpool, Wirtz also usually operates as a number 10, but since his €125 million move last year he has only partly lived up to the huge expectations so far. In 55 competitive appearances for the Reds, the 23-year-old has seven goals and 11 assists to his name, simply too little for many experts and fans. Wirtz is also still waiting for his first goal for Liverpool this season.
