Florian Wirtz needs to be made the centrepiece of Andoni Iraola's Liverpool, says 2005 Champions League winner Vladimir Smicer
Florian Wirtz in action at the World Cup (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Florian Wirtz in action at the World Cup (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
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Andoni Iraola has been challenged to make Florian Wirtz the centrepiece of a new-look Liverpool, by 2005 Champions League winner Vladimir Smicer.
Wirtz signed for Liverpool 12 months ago when the Reds agreed a package worth up to £116m with Bayer Leverkusen but it was a difficult season at Anfield and the Germany international could only show his quality sporadically.
The No.7 scored seven goals and claimed eight assists across all competitions but found it tough to adapt to the pace and power of the Premier League in the early going as results suffered under Arne Slot, who was sacked at the end of May.
Smicer, who made 184 appearances for the club, thinks Wirtz is the sort of player who shouldn't be forced into positions where he is less effective. The former Czech Republic star says Iraola must find the role that will bring out the best in the £116m man.
"I think the price tag and the transfer money from Leverkusen to Liverpool was big, and the pressure was on Wirtz with statistics about how much his goals and assists cost," Smicer told Casinostugan.
"But a player like him will be under pressure all the time. You have to perform for Liverpool, and now for Germany. They will expect a lot from him.
"Two years ago at the European Championship, expectations were not that high, but this time he's two years older and has more experience.
"They need to build the German team around him. At Leverkusen, the team was built for him and he was a free player with wingers on the side and a striker. In Liverpool, we were trying to find his best position all season. He was playing right, left, as a striker, and behind the striker.
"If you buy a player for 130 million euros, you need to put him in his favourite position and build the team around him. If you buy Wirtz and play him as a left-winger, you throw that money away. You need to play him in his best position and then change other players."
Smicer added: "If you spend that kind of money on Alexander Isak or Florian Wirtz, you must play them in their best position. That's the hard thing.
"If you play Wirtz as a winger, he will never give you as much. He will still perform, but he's not going to be at his best. So I hope for him and for Germany that they play him in his best position so he can perform.
"I think he was enjoying playing for Liverpool, but of course when he was a left-winger he was just trying to do the job. You don't feel the same confidence or feeling when playing in a different position.
"I just hope Andoni Iraola will find his position. I think his best position is behind the striker. Give him the freedom and it should work. If not, it's going to be tough."
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