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Former Manchester United and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves says people have assessed Florian Wirtz completely wrongly so far at Liverpool, with the German having come in for criticism in some quarters.
Wirtz is yet to score or assist in the Premier League, but only 10 players in the division have created more chances for their teammates than he has. In the Champions League, including against Real Madrid this week, he has looked a lot more comfortable.
Hargreaves believes there is no doubt that Wirtz, 22, will come good at Liverpool. And he says any criticism of his off-the-ball work is completely misdirected.
"In these kinds of half spaces, on the half turn, I think he’s actually probably one of the best," Hargeaves told TNT Sports.
"He’s getting some criticism. People think against the ball, it’s not one of his strengths, but actually, he’s probably one of the best players in Europe.
"Possession won in the final third, in the Bundesliga he’s top, and in Europe’s top five leagues, he’s seventh. He’s actually one of the best players at doing it, it’s just about finding his feet in this Liverpool starting XI."
Wirtz has looked a little weak at times but he is still adapting to English soccer. When he builds up his strength and adjusts to life in the Premier League, he will only improve.
"Florian can play in more than only one position," Slot said in his press conference earlier today. "He can play off the left, which he did almost all the time in Leverkusen when Xabi Alonso came and introduced his 3-4-3 system.
"Before, he played as a 10 in a 4-3-3. It is more about getting him positions where he is good, rather than being focused on 'Is he a 10, is he an 11, is he an eight?'"
Wirtz's father, Hans, has also spoken about his son's start to life in England.
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"My thought from the very beginning was to wait and see how the first 10 league games went," Hans told the German outlet BILD.
"We and Florian are perfectly happy with that. The incredible speed, the back and forth, that was very impressive for the first few games.
"The distances covered and the speed were significantly greater. The style of play is sometimes enormously different because it doesn't seem as organized, but rather more focused on pace."
Liverpool.com says: Wirtz is perfectly suited to what the Reds want from their attackers both in and out of possession. When he is fully up to speed, he will start to show that on a regular basis.
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