Florian Wirtz is Liverpool’s running man: why the working rate of the German international is just as important as his technique | Football news
“He was brought back on Friday evening and was probably not to his best, but he still had silky and beautiful touches and when you watch him play, there is something there. I’m already looking forward to seeing him on Monday.
Jamie Carragher’s verdict on the beginnings of Florian Wirtz in the Premier League reflected the fact that the record signature of Liverpool did not record a goal or a decisive pass in their chaotic 4-2 victory against Bournemouth in Anfield. The champions would say but also seemed vulnerable.
This has raised concerns about Liverpool too open, both in the rear positions and due to the inclusion of Wirtz in support of three before. Against Newcastle on Monday evening footballArne Slot could consider using German in the three fronts instead.
But before any notion settled that Wirtz is a luxury player, it is advisable to remember an aspect of his game which may have been lost in the middle of the excitement of what Wirtz can bring to the Premier League. Its out of the ball is really exceptional.
It was something that Aakan Karazor, the captain of Stuttgart, told the day before the beginnings of Wirtz in Liverpool who had remained in mind. “What people do not know, or perhaps do not see on the field, is that Wirtz is, each time, running. He does not stop,” said Karazor.
“You see Florian Wirtz’s racing statistics. You can see them in Kicker After the games. “It is a reference to the German magazine which publishes the data every week.” Each time, Florian Wirtz is between 12 and 13 kilometers in each game, “adds Karazor.
“Of course, the technique, the dribbling, everything. And also the IQ for football is at a high level, at a world class level. But I think it is the most special thing about Florian Wirtz. It does not stop for 90 minutes.” Statistics against Bournemouth confirm this.
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool did the most high-speed shopping on opening weekends
It is not only the statistics undergoing global execution, but the intensity of this race. Wirtz was the player to do the most high-speed shopping on the opening weekend of the Premier League season. In fact, he was the only player to cover a high intensity kilometer.
There were two examples in the first minutes of his Premier League career which pointed out why it could be so important to Liverpool when they try to open the opposition this season. The first came just 105 seconds from the match in Anfield.
Wirtz moves to the left to create the space for Alexis Mac Allister in the midfielder
Wirtz was in position No. 10 and marked when Virgil Van Dijk received the goalkeeper’s balloon. His immediate reaction was to exhaust to the left, dragging his opponent with him and opening the space to Alexis Mac Allister to receive possession.
After moving wide to create space, Wirtz makes a second race from the outside
Once Mac Allister ran to Bournemouth, Wirtz has not been wide. Instead, his next movement was to flow inside, racing from the outside. It was a disinterested decision. He did not receive the ball itself but his movement shaped Mac Allister’s next decision.
Wirtz is now behind his marker after this second round and moving to the goal
The passageway to Cody Gakpo was opened and Wirtz was now the goal side of his marker Tyler Adams, which was a characteristic of the game. This happened in the fourth minute. Initially, Adams was in good position to face Wirtz – but not for long.
Wirtz seems well marked by the Bournemouth player Tyler Adams in the midfielder
The German international was in motion and six seconds later, he freed himself from the attention of Adams, moving behind the defense after positioning himself between two defenders to put himself at the end of a possible crossing of Mohamed Salah.
Wirtz has now left his marker and is well placed to receive the cross
The Egyptian actually chose to cut himself inside and shoot himself, which means that in none of these two examples of Wirtz touched the ball. And yet, on both occasions, Adams would surely have been perfectly aware of the problem to which Karazor refers.
“As an adversary, you can’t get a free minute,” he said. “Because if you just sleep for 10 or 20 seconds, you will see Florian Wirtz on the other side, because he keeps running. And with this kind of quality, he can punish you in the game.”
The Florian Wirtz passes map and the chances created for Liverpool against Bournemouth
Finding balance will always be a challenge for the location. “We have players who may seek a final pass or a difficult solution in the final phase of a slightly more attack-because they also have these passes-than we did last season,” he said Sky Sports.
The two attackers to lose possession the latest the opening weekend were Salah and Wirtz. There is no doubt that it is a Liverpool product which sees a large part of the ball in dangerous areas, but it is also an indication of the risk inherent in their approach.
But that the use of the balloon by Wirtz is good, bad or indifferent, it is already obvious that it is his work out of the ball which can also separate it from the others. They know how difficult it can be to stop in the Bundesliga. In the Premier League, they will discover it soon.
Look at football Monday evening between Newcastle and Liverpool live on Sky Sports Premier League from 6.30 p.m.; Kick -off at 8 p.m.
