Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger recently raised eyebrows when he claimed that Wirtz’s insistence on playing as a No.10 early in the season "destroyed Liverpool’s balance," and his unreasonable demands forced Slot into making unnecessary tactical changes. According to Wenger, the Reds looked disjointed and got overrun in midfield until the manager recalibrated the shape against Aston Villa and Real Madrid.
"When Wirtz had the choice between going to Bayern Munich or Liverpool, he said to Liverpool: 'I come to you if I play No 10. I do not want to play wide.' Liverpool, to get him, they say Okay," Wenger revealed. "They started him and they destroyed their midfield - which was (Ryan) Gravenberch, (Alexis) Mac Allister, (Dominik) Szoboszlai. To play Wirtz, they took Szoboszlai out."
As results went south, Slot went back to the tried and tested formula that earned them their 20th league title. Weneger added: "What have they done against Aston Villa? They have gone back to their midfield of last year. And tonight, they play Wirtz, but I'm sure that Wirtz will play on the side. The manager has said: 'If you want to play again, you will have to play wide because I do not want to disturb the midfield.' That will be interesting to see tonight. Wirtz is back in the team but certainly will have to play left, where he was when he played at Leverkusen."
Slot, however, has publicly backed his new star, defending his versatility.
"Florian can play in more than only one position," the Liverpool boss said. "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 put up an industrious and composed display in Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Real Madrid at Anfield. Next up is Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday. It is a brutal stage that could expose a player still searching for confidence. It remains to be seen if Slot takes the risk and hands him a start against Pep Guardiola's men.