Florian Wirtz will return to club action following a relatively successful international break on an individual level, with Jurgen Klopp and Andoni Iraola in agreement
Florian Wirtz and Jurgen Klopp after Greece vs Germany in the UEFA Nations League.
Florian Wirtz and Jurgen Klopp after Greece vs Germany in the UEFA Nations League.(Image: Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
Normally, the team or player in crisis heading into the international break faces a grueling examination. With nothing else to talk about, they are front and center for a fortnight.
Not here, though. In part because of the extended break from the club game — Liverpool's last match, at Bournemouth, now feels like a lifetime ago, with five more days to wait until the next — and, probably even more so, because of the huge news that emerged about Manchester City, almost nothing else has been spoken about.
Florian Wirtz, given the strong nature of Jamie Carragher's criticism a couple of weeks ago, has perhaps benefited. While away with Gemany, he has also scored a nice goal and captained his country for the first time.
When he returns to Liverpool, though the extent of the criticism has been extreme, he does have a point to prove. And with a string of important matches coming up — kicking off with the visit of Manchester City on Sunday — he has the ideal chance.
It was interesting to note during Germany's run of games under Jurgen Klopp that Wirtz was very much deployed in a central role. Just like at club level, he was only used as a number 10.
"It was incredibly fun playing alongside Tom [Bischof] and Flo [Wirtz, against Serbia]," Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder Alexander Pavlovic said.
Florian Wirtz of Germany.
Florian Wirtz of Germany.(Image: Marvin Ibo Guengoer - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
"You can see that we all have a lot of quality on the ball. 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."
The number 10 role that Wirtz played for Germany in the international break is the role that Andoni Iraola has used him in too.
While there have been suggestions that Liverpool might need to move him elsewhere — most likely off the left wing, but perhaps also as a left-sided number eight — there have been no signs of that so far.
There are legitimate arguments for both, but neither Klopp nor Iraola have been tempted by them yet.
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"I saw him as a 10 but also someone who can help us in other positions, but I prefer him as a number 10," Iraola said during the summer.
"Then I told him a little bit how the team was going to play. He is an easy to maintain player. Sometimes you have to speak to players a lot, but Flo is very professional.
"There is more to come from every player and I hope we improve every player. But I am happy with what he has given in these games."
If Wirtz flatters to deceive between now and the next international break, perhaps the clamor to try him in a different position will grow. For now, though, Klopp and Iraola are in agreement: the way forward, at least in a positional sense, is more of the same.