Could Jürgen Klopp be about to do with Florian Wirtz what he once did with Philippe Coutinho?
The more I think about this, the more interesting it becomes.
Because we’ve spent so much time talking about Wirtz’s position at Liverpool.
Is he a No.10?
Should he play from the left?
Should he be given more freedom?
Is he being asked to do too much defensive work?
And perhaps the most important question of all:
Where can Liverpool get the very best out of him?
Well, it looks like Klopp has a pretty clear idea.
According to Paul Joyce, Klopp believes Wirtz is at his most dangerous when he occupies the left half-space and receives the ball facing the opposition goal.
That is significant because it is very similar to the kind of areas where Wirtz thrived at Bayer Leverkusen.
Joyce reports that Klopp sees Wirtz’s best work coming when he can link with players around him and receive the ball in positions where he can immediately attack the opposition. ([Football365](https://www.football365.com/news/liverpool-news-florian-wirtz-jurgen-klopp-germany-masterplan-thrive?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
And it immediately reminded me of something.
Philippe Coutinho.
Remember When Coutinho Didn’t Quite Have A Position?
There was a period at Liverpool when Coutinho was a brilliant footballer without quite being a settled footballer.
He looked lightweight.
He could be inconsistent.
There were plenty of questions about where exactly he should play.
Was he a winger?
Was he a No.10?
Should he play centrally?
Could he play as an No.8?
Even Klopp admitted there were different possibilities.
In 2017, Liverpool’s official website reported Klopp considering moving Coutinho into a more central role.
Klopp described him as a kind of “wing 10” but said he could also play as a No.8, explaining that moving him centrally could give Liverpool more creativity through the middle.
And look what happened.
Coutinho eventually became one of the most dangerous attacking players in the Premier League.
Suddenly, that little question about where he should play didn’t seem quite so important.
Liverpool had found a way to put him in positions where his biggest strengths could take over.
Could Wirtz Be The Next Example?
I’m not saying Wirtz is going to become Coutinho.
And I’m certainly not saying Klopp is simply going to copy an old Liverpool tactical plan.
But there are some fascinating similarities.
Wirtz has enormous technical ability.
He can receive the ball under pressure.
He can turn.
He can play the little combinations around the edge of the box.
He can slip runners through.
And he has that ability to see something before everybody else does.
But we’ve also seen him disappear from games at Liverpool.
And I think a lot of that comes down to where he is receiving the ball.
If Wirtz is dropping deep to collect possession from the centre-backs, then he’s a long way from the goal.
If he’s spending too much time defending in his own half, he’s not using the qualities that made Liverpool spend so heavily to sign him.
Klopp has actually made this point himself.
When discussing Wirtz earlier this year, he said the German cannot keep dropping all the way back to his own penalty area and trying to do everything himself.
Instead, Klopp argued that Germany need to find situations where they can use Wirtz in more dangerous positions.
That sounds very familiar to me.
Give Wirtz The Ball Where He Can Hurt Teams
This is the bit I really want to see at Liverpool.
Don’t ask Wirtz to be everything.
Don’t ask him to constantly drop deep.
Don’t ask him to spend huge amounts of energy defending.
Get him into the left half-space.
Get him facing the goal.
Give him the ball.
And then let him do what he does best.
The Premier League’s own tactical analysis has previously highlighted that Wirtz was at his best for Leverkusen when operating from the left side and moving into the half-space. It also noted that some of his best Liverpool moments came when he received the ball in those areas.
That’s not a coincidence.
There is a reason Klopp appears to have identified the same thing.
And This Is Where The Coutinho Comparison Gets Interesting
Coutinho didn’t suddenly become a different footballer.
Liverpool simply found a better way of using the footballer they already had.
That’s the important distinction.
And maybe that is what needs to happen with Wirtz.
We already know he’s talented.
We already know what he did at Bayer Leverkusen.
We already know why Liverpool were willing to spend a huge fee to bring him to Anfield.
The question isn’t whether Wirtz can play football.
The question is:
Can Liverpool consistently put him in positions where he can hurt teams?
That’s what I’m interested in seeing.
Maybe Klopp Has Seen Something Iraola Can Use
There’s another fascinating part to all of this.
Klopp is now Germany manager.
Wirtz is one of Germany’s biggest attacking talents.
And Klopp has already started working with him.
So if Klopp can help Wirtz rediscover the confidence and freedom that made him such a devastating player at Leverkusen, Liverpool could benefit enormously.
Wirtz is currently with Germany’s squad for the latter international fixtures after missing the opening game against the Netherlands. Klopp’s first Germany match ended 1-1 against the Netherlands, with Cody Gakpo scoring a late equaliser.
I’m going to be watching Wirtz closely when he gets his opportunity.
Not just to see whether he scores or assists.
I want to see where he receives the ball.
That’s potentially far more important.
This Could Change Everything For Wirtz
I’ve been critical of Wirtz myself this season.
I want much more from him.
I don’t think we’ve seen anywhere near the best version of the player Liverpool signed.
But I also don’t believe that suddenly means the talent has disappeared.
Maybe we’ve been looking at the problem from the wrong direction.
Maybe Wirtz doesn’t need to become a different player.
Maybe he simply needs to be put in the right places.
And if Klopp really believes the left half-space, facing goal, is where Wirtz can be most dangerous, then I’m all for Liverpool paying attention.
Because we’ve seen this before.
Liverpool had a gifted, sometimes inconsistent, lightweight-looking attacking midfielder in Coutinho.
Klopp helped find the role that brought out his best qualities.
Now he appears to be looking at Wirtz and seeing something similar.
Could history be repeating itself?
I certainly wouldn’t bet against it.
And if Klopp manages to unlock Wirtz in Germany, I think every Liverpool supporter will be hoping Iraola is paying very close attention.
Because the best version of Florian Wirtz could be absolutely devastating.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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