Paul Merson reckons Liverpool have a simple solution for their Florian Wirtz problem, but this impulsive idea would fail for two reasons…
Wirtz ‘will be a flop until he’s not’ following his mega-money move to Liverpool and he is yet to do enough to remove himself from the category of failed signing.
This is not to say that Wirtz will not eventually become a huge success at Anfield, as this still feels the most likely outcome, but his integration at Liverpool has not been as smooth as he’d like.
In hindsight, it’s obvious that this was always likely to be the case as Wirtz is not a natural fit for the Liverpool side that won the Premier League in such a dominant fashion in 2024/25, so a period of adaptation is required for the Reds to get acquainted with the £116m star and a natural No.10 in their midfield.
There have been flashes of promise from Wirtz, who could benefit more than anyone from the record signing of Alexander Isak, but Merson thinks a position change is required to get the best out of the former Bayer Leverkusen star.
“What I’d like to also see is Florian Wirtz playing on the left,” Merson said in an interview with Sportskeeda.
READ: Why Liverpool ‘win half the match’ before kick-off and ‘lucky’ argument is nonsense
“It will give him more space to create problems. At the moment, it feels like he’s a bit claustrophobic in midfield.
“Wirtz should play just like how Jeremy Doku did against Manchester United. If he does that, it will be hard for teams to pick him up.
“I have no doubt that Wirtz will eventually come good wherever he plays because he’s top-drawer. But this change to the left will give him a better chance of shining in the next game.”
So, what has happened here is that Merson has seen Doku produce his best performance for Man City to date after being brought centrally to break Man Utd’s structure and made a throwaway recommendation for Liverpool to do the same thing with Wirtz.
MORE LIVERPOOL COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Big Weekend: Arsenal v Man City, Liverpool, Ollie Watkins, Ruben Amorim
👉 Liverpool decide ‘new plan’ for key star ‘after U-turn’ as one concern with summer signing revealed
👉 Liverpool ‘approve’ £105m sale in 2026 to Real Madrid as Xabi Alonso’s ‘new wish’ is revealed
Well, if it worked once against a poor Manchester United side, it must be a fool-proof solution for Liverpool’s Wirtz problem, right? Actually, no.
Firstly, Wirtz and Doku are very different players; the latter is a traditional winger who uses his pace and dribbling to achieve successful take-ons, while the Liverpool newbie is an immensely technical and intelligent No.10 who has great close control and movement as a creative spark.
It’s not fair to expect Wirtz to do what Doku does and vice versa, so it’s naive to assume that a simple stealing of Guardiola’s idea would help the Liverpool star explode at Anfield.
Also, Liverpool and Man City have differing playing styles, especially with their use of wingers, as Slot’s wide men are tasked with being more explosive than being focused on maintaining possession or stretching play.
Slot knows way more than Merson, so he will rightly stick to his guns over Wirtz, who will grow into his debut season as he builds relationships with Alexander Isak, Mohamed Salah and Co. He’s simply too good a player not to come good in his natural position.
