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Photo By Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile via Getty Images
Andoni Iraola during Liverpool vs Spurs
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Jurgen Klopp has shown Liverpool fans a side to Florian Wirtz they definitely did not know about
Jurgen Klopp has shown Liverpool fans a side to Florian Wirtz they definitely did not know about
Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images
Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images
Liverpool four-grid
Photo by Paul Faith / AFP via Getty Images
Photo by Paul Faith / AFP via Getty Images
Photo by Matej Sagan/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Matej Sagan/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images
Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images
The international break had barely even begun when Jurgen Klopp set the tone for how he was going to deal with the growing issue of Florian Wirtz and his startling lack of form for Liverpool.
“Florian Wirtz’s footballing abilities are beyond any doubt,” Klopp said in the build-up to his first match in charge. “We will do everything we can to contribute. I think he’s on the right track.”
10 days on from those comments, and the former Liverpool manager was largely proven right. Wirtz was exceptional while scoring against Serbia, and also showed flashes of the brilliance he has been lacking at Anfield during the 0-0 draw with Greece on Sunday.
But while Liverpool fans will be relieved to simply see Wirtz looking a little more like his old self again, perhaps the biggest takeaway was Klopp‘s decision to hand the 23-year-old the captain’s armband for Sunday’s match. As the search for leadership at Anfield following the exits of Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, Klopp has shone a light on Wirtz as a surprise leadership candidate.
Klopp leans into Wirtz’s leadership
During his time at Liverpool so far, Wirtz has not shown any kind of leadership qualities. Seemingly a fairly shy, even awkward personality off the pitch, the No. 7 has also frustrated supporters with his lack of gumption on the pitch.
It is not that Wirtz goes missing when times are tough, he is usually still looking to get on the ball and trying to make things happen, but it is more that when things are going wrong, he very rarely steps up and pulls Liverpool out of a mess. In short, he has looked anything but captain material.
With Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker potentially on the way out of next summer, though, Andoni Iraola may need to look for new leaders within his squad. Whether he previously knew it or not, Wirtz could now see himself as being a candidate.
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Klopp has a way of building up players and seeing things within them that they may not have even seen themselves. The confidence and belief he puts into his players can take them to new heights and bring out qualities that may not have been previously visible.
By giving Wirtz the armband – not once, but twice – the former Liverpool manager was telling him that he is his man, and whether it inspired him or not, the £116m man certainly looked like a better player than he has been showing recently.
The one caveat here is that this was an incredibly youthful Germany team. Incredibly, Klopp’s team against Greece had an average age of barely 24, with five players in the starting XI being younger than Wirtz. With 48 caps, the Liverpool man was the most experienced international in the team.
Nevertheless, Klopp had a club captain in the side in David Raum, and given the RB Leipzig left-back has only eight appearances fewer than Wirtz for Germany, he would have been a natural choice. That Klopp chose Wirtz instead was telling.
It would be a surprise if the former Bayer Leverkusen star keeps the armband on a permanent basis once Joshua Kimmich returns and the likes of Serge Gnabry and Leon Goretzka are back in contention. That should not matter, though, Klopp has hinted at a leadership plan for Wirtz, and as he looks to finally find himself at Liverpool, that can hopefully have a positive knock-on effect back at club level.