There are some players you watch and you just know they have something different about them.
Florian Wirtz is one of those players.
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente was asked by German newspaper BILD if there was a German player he would like to have in his squad.
His answer was simple.
“Florian Wirtz! Incredible player.”
De la Fuente then added: “Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a Spanish passport. I really like the way he plays.”
I can understand exactly what he means.
Liverpool supporters have already seen flashes of what Wirtz can do, but I still think we are waiting to see the best of him in a red shirt.
And I don’t think there is anything wrong with saying that.
Wirtz is a special player. There is no doubt in my mind about that.
Liverpool haven’t seen everything yet
When Liverpool spent so much money bringing Wirtz to Anfield, there was always going to be huge excitement around him.
He had already established himself as one of the most exciting attacking midfielders in European football at Bayer Leverkusen. His vision, close control, movement and ability to find space made him a nightmare for defenders.
But moving to the Premier League is different.
Wirtz has had to adapt to a new country, a new league, new teammates and a new manager in Andoni Iraola. Liverpool themselves are still trying to work out exactly what their best attacking structure looks like.
So I’m not going to write Wirtz off because we haven’t seen him dominate games every week.
Far from it.
I’m actually more interested in what happens when everything around him starts to click.
We’ve already seen moments where the quality is obvious. The touches, the little passes between defenders, the movement and the confidence to try something other players simply wouldn’t see.
The problem is that those moments haven’t always lasted for 90 minutes.
That’s where I think patience is needed.
De la Fuente clearly sees the talent
What I like about De la Fuente’s comments is that he wasn’t specifically asked about Liverpool or Wirtz’s current form.
He was simply asked which German player he would like to have.
He picked Wirtz.
That tells you something about how highly the player is regarded outside England.
And De la Fuente isn’t exactly short of talented footballers to choose from. Spain have an incredible group of players, yet when asked to name one German he would want, Wirtz immediately came to mind.
Calling him an “incredible player” is a pretty strong endorsement.
For Liverpool supporters, though, the important thing is what happens next.
We don’t need compliments from other managers to know Wirtz is talented. We need to see that talent consistently at Anfield.
I think we will.
I’m still backing him
I’ve criticised Wirtz when I haven’t thought he’s played well enough. I don’t think Liverpool supporters should pretend everything has been perfect simply because we paid a huge fee for him.
But there’s a massive difference between saying a player hasn’t reached his level yet and saying he isn’t good enough.
I’m firmly in the first camp.
We’re still waiting to see the best of Florian Wirtz.
And that’s actually quite exciting.
Because if Liverpool can get the best version of Wirtz playing alongside players like Bradley Barcola, Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and the rest of this attacking group, there is potentially a frightening amount of creativity in that team.
The frustrating part is that we haven’t seen it consistently yet.
Maybe that takes time.
Maybe Wirtz needs to become more comfortable with the demands of English football. Maybe Iraola still needs to find the best way to use him. Maybe Wirtz himself needs to become more aggressive and start demanding games rather than simply influencing them in flashes.
Whatever the reason, I’m not worried about the ability.
I’ve seen enough to know it’s there.
And when Spain’s manager is asked which German player he would love to have and immediately says Florian Wirtz, it is another reminder that Liverpool didn’t spend all that money on an ordinary footballer.
They signed a player with enormous ability.
Now we just need to see it all come together.
Because I genuinely believe the best of Florian Wirtz is still to come.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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