Jurgen Klopp and Alexsandar Pavlovic have both offered their opinion on how to get the best out of Liverpool playmaker Florian Wirtz
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool during the Premier League 2026/27 match between AFC Bournemouth and Liverpool FC at Vitality Stadium
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool during the Premier League 2026/27 match between AFC Bournemouth and Liverpool FC at Vitality Stadium(Image: 2026 Catherine Ivill - AMA)
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Florian Wirtz has enjoyed an international break to remember - even if Germany’s fortunes were somewhat mixed on the pitch. Under the stewardship of Jurgen Klopp for the first time, Die Mannschaft drew 1-1 in their opening Nations League encounter with the Netherlands.
Injuries then led Wirtz to be called up prematurely with former Liverpool boss Klopp having planned to use two different 22-man squads - selecting the playmaker in the second - for Germany’s first and last two games of the expanded September/October international break.
A substitute appearance against Greece followed as Germany fell to a shock 1-0 defeat before the Reds No.7 returned a goal and an assist in their first win under Klopp in a 2-0 victory over Serbia.
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Finishing the game as captain, Wirtz then led his nation and donned the armband for the first time from the start as they were held to a 0-0 draw away in Greece.
With the 23-year-old having been one of a number of players scapegoated for Germany’s poor showings at this summer’s World Cup, and with his club performances also the subject of increased scrutiny following a disappointing first season at Liverpool, it should not be unexpected that his showings were the subject of mixed reviews back in his homeland during a rollercoaster international break.
But against Serbia especially, he showed exactly what he can do. And it is the sort of performance he will now look to replicate back on Merseyside.
Wirtz has admittedly endured a slow start to the season for the Reds, returning just one assist and no goals from his first six appearances under Andoni Iraola.
With Liverpool returning to club action against Premier League leaders Manchester City on Sunday, faced with the prospect of potentially being left without both Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo after they withdrew from international duty through injury, the pressure will be on the German to step up more than ever.
If the pair are ruled out, Wirtz could even be required to play up front, too. “Who else have we got? He could play Florian Wirtz up there,” Reds legend John Aldridge theorised in his latest weekly column forthe ECHO. “We’ve played without a striker against Man City once before and it worked well.
“He’s had an okay international break but it’s not just the form. He has to deal with the situation, the pressure. The media’s on top of him but he’s putting himself under pressure too.
“He's a really good player. And we need him now. We need him really to push us to the heights where we need to be, to fight against Arsenal and whoever else ends up up there.”
If Liverpool did have to turn to Wirtz in attack against Man City, it would be far from ideal. But the Reds have been told how to get the best from the £116m man by both Klopp and one of his Germany team-mates during the current international break.
After the victory over Serbia, the former explained where he wants to see Wirtz on the pitch. “We have to look at where he is most valuable for us, and that is definitely in the half-spaces,” Klopp said. “There’s no question about that.
“He can also play out wide, but as soon as we have the ball, he should move back into the half-spaces. That’s definitely where he feels most comfortable.
“For Flo, the left half-space would be the perfect position. For his goal, he moved into the centre, and that’s exactly where he needs to be as well.”
Meanwhile, Alexsandar Pavlovic shared how much he is enjoying playing alongside Wirtz and Tom Bischof, with the young Bayern Munich pair happy to play a more conservative role if it helps get the best out of their Liverpool counterpart.
“It was incredibly fun playing alongside Tom and Flo [against Serbia]," Pavlovic said. "You can see that we all have a lot of quality on the ball together. We complemented each other well defensively, too. On the ball, Flo obviously has complete freedom, and we try to get the ball to him as much as possible.
Germany's midfielder #17 Florian Wirtz (R) celebrates scoring the 2-0 goal with his teammates during the UEFA Nations League Group A2 between Germany and Serbia at the Allianz Arena in Munich, southern Germany on October 1, 2026. (Photo by Karl-Josef HILDENBRAND / AFP via Getty Images)
Liverpool star Florian Wirtz (right) is mobbed by his Germany team-mates after his superb goal against Serbia(Image: Karl-Josef HILDENBRAND / AFP via Getty Images)
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“Ultimately, the coach decides what role I have, but I simply want to contribute my qualities to the team when I play.
“Control the game when I have the ball, press when we don't have the ball, go into duels, help the team defensively and offensively.”
Liverpool have had their issues in midfield so far this season, with it not just Wirtz who has struggled to impose himself on matches.
Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai have also both toiled to find their best form and the Reds have proved to be vulnerable and too easy to play through when they are partnered together at the heart of the engine room.
With both players eager to get forward, this was most prominent on the opening day of the season as Gravenberch coughed up possession twice in attack as Newcastle United scored both of their goals when then hitting Iraola's side on the counter with ease.
Subsequently, Alexis Mac Allister’s return to form has seen him usurp Gravenberch as Liverpool’s number six, while there have also been calls for Trey Nyoni to be handed a starting opportunity.
Evidently, Iraola has more to solve than just getting the best out of Wirtz. While the former Bayer Leverkusen star is yet to show his best form for the club, he should at least be better placed to deliver once the Reds crack the ideal base behind him.
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