3 hours ago
3
Liverpool is yet to see the best of Florian Wirtz, although some heavyweight legends of the game are still backing him to come good. As the wait goes on for his first goal involvement (discounting the Community Shield), Paul Scholes has weighed in on comparisons to a former Manchester United flop.
Thanks in no small part to the tired "007" meme, there has been much focus on Wirtz's lack of goal contributions. But the wait should really have been ended against Chelsea, when he produced a delightful flick within moments of coming on, only for Mohamed Salah to fluff his lines.
So it is not as though he hasn't had his moments. Even so, Wirtz would have hoped for a better start, and Arne Slot has been left on the defensive when it comes to his expensive creative solution.
All kinds of unflattering parallels have been drawn. One common name being thrown around is Kai Havertz, who also struggled on his arrival in the Premier League after having been a star at Bayer Leverkusen.
Going back even further, some have apparently also cited Juan Sebastian Veron, who arrived at Man Utd for $38 million as a British record signing in 2001. Scholes has addressed those comparions on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet.
"Florian Wirtz is a little different than Veron," Scholes eplained. "He’s more of a number 10, whereas Veron was more of a central midfield player.
"He just couldn’t settle into the team, and it disrupted the way the team played. He was more of a free spirit, and he didn’t play the position that well.
"I think it’s the same with Wirtz – because the midfield players aren’t quite functioning and in-form, like Ryan Gravenberch who was brilliant last season. When you play that number 10 position, you have to be certain what’s behind you just to be a little more relaxed.
"There’s clear talent there with Wirtz, I love watching him receive the ball, but he’s not quite ready. You could say that about seven or eight of the Liverpool team."
Scholes makes an important point. Wirtz's struggles have to be looked at in the context of the whole Liverpool side, where multiple players look well short of their best form.
Ultimately, even the most talented players typically need a platform to enable them to shine. Veron was never quite a fit at Man Utd, but a fully-functioning Liverpool side should hopefully be able to get the best out of Wirtz.
Gravenberch is not necessarily the most natural place for Scholes to start, but the Dutchman's freer role does seem to be leaving things more open behind Wirtz. Perhaps more significantly, Alexis Mac Allister looks well off the pace, having struggled for fitness in recent months.
And aside from that, Salah would usually bury the chance that Wirtz laid on for him. While it makes no sense, the Egyptian's faltering form has a knock-on impact on how the German is viewed.
The Veron comparison is also interesting in ways that Scholes did not touch upon. The Argentine actually won Player of the Month in September, shortly after joining Man Utd, but things rapidly declined after that.
It goes to show that it's not about how you start at a new club, but what you go on to achieve. Another notable comparison would be Thierry Henry, who went "007" before going on to become one of the division's all-time greats.
Scholes is right that Wirtz has some work to do to get fully up to the pace of the Premier League. But the Man Utd legend also picked out some of the things he loves about the Liverpool star — everyone who has played at a high level in midfield seems to appreciate his skill-set, so there is rightful optimism at Anfield that it is only a matter of time.
English (US) ·