Gravenberch model
©IMAGO
Liverpool FC finally celebrated a sense of success again at the weekend, and yet coach Arne Slot once again has to protect top purchase Florian Wirtz (22). With his transfer fee of 125 million euros, the status of the former Leverkusen player remains an issue on the Mersey. Slot is trying to smooth things over.
Although the Reds’ record series of defeats ended on Saturday against Aston Villa after four defeats in a row, Wirtz only came onto the field when his team was 2-0 when the offensive around leading scorer Mohamed Salah had already done what was necessary. Ex-Bayern professional Ryan Gravenberch, whom Slot later used as a positive example in the discussion about Wirtz, put the lid on it with a 2-0 win. It was the fourth of ten league games in which Wirtz only came off the bench. In the Champions League, where he recently contributed two assists against Frankfurt, he started in all three games. Wirtz had not yet been substituted on as late as on Saturday – only for just under a quarter of an hour.
Slot about Wirtz: “Gravenberch also took a while”
You could put it this way that Wirtz was only in the starting line-up in two of the last four games, “but you can also say that he has already played ten games this season,” emphasized Slot before Liverpool’s Champions League game against Real Madrid on Tuesday (9 p.m. / Dazn).
The coach justified the fact that Wirtz found himself on the bench more often and supposedly left expectations unfulfilled due to his high transfer fee with the game plan and Wirtz’s past. “We often have to play three games in seven days, with only a two-day break in between. For a player who comes from another league…” Slot said, describing a big step from the German to the English upper house. Although the Bundesliga is a very good league, “nine out of ten people would agree that the Premier League is significantly more intense in all games,” said Slot. In this regard, Wirtz “has already played a lot.” He also had some bad luck recently, partly due to mistakes made by his teammates.
“For me he delivered exactly what we expected: a player who creates a lot for the team”; Slot asserted. “He’ll score his goals, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone that at 22 or 23, when you come to a different league, you need some time to get used to the intensity of playing every three days. Ryan Gravenberch sat here before and he also needed a while to get used to the intensity, maybe even longer than Florian.” Gravenberch moved to England from Munich for 40 million euros two years ago and settled at Liverpool after initial difficulties.
Former coach Alonso grateful for Wirtz: “One reason why I’m here now”
With Liverpool, Wirtz will now meet his former Leverkusen coach, who won 13 wins from the first 14 competitive games with Real this season. The Spaniard also commented on Wirtz before the reunion. He has no doubts about his former protégé’s breakthrough in a new place of work. “It’s just a matter of time,” said the Bayer champion coach before the game against the Reds.
For Wirtz it was “a big change” to “move to Liverpool after so many years in Germany. He has spent his whole life there. He is a very special player. He has quality, personality and is extremely ambitious. This has already happened with other great players in the Premier League, and I have no doubts about Flo. He is something very special and probably one of the reasons why I am here now. I am very grateful to Flo for that. Hopefully not tomorrow, but I am sure he will prove his class and ability will.”
Liverpool coach Slot had already stood up for Wirtz after the German international was criticized early on in Liverpool. Wirtz himself explained after the strong performance in the premier class at Eintracht Frankfurt: It wasn’t always as bad as it was said. I know I still have a lot of room for improvement. That actually makes me happy.” The mixed start in Liverpool did not help his market value. In the last Premier League update, Wirtz suffered the first devaluation of his career.