Jamie Carragher says that for Florian Wirtz to perform at his best for Liverpool, he should play in the same position Kevin De Bruyne played at Manchester City.
Sky Sports pundits said Werts’ performance against West Ham on Super Sunday was one of his best in the Premier League since his big-money move to the Reds in the summer.
The Germany international was not in a central role in the Reds’ attacking midfield, instead lining up on the left flank for Liverpool while he was playing for Bayer Leverkusen.
Carragher compared Wirtz’s potential influence to that of Premier League great De Bruyne, who played in a similar inside midfield position.
Speaking in extra-time on Super Sunday, Carragher said: “I think that was the first sign that he was not just a Liverpool player, but when he came in I said he could be a replacement for Kevin De Bruyne from a Premier League perspective. He got on the ball and caused problems for opponents.”
“He didn’t lose possession very often and was very smart with the ball. But he had penetrating passes – 42 of 45, which is a lot for a player who is trying to make key passes and get people in, so sometimes he takes chances.”
“The important thing is to put him in the best role. I don’t think the balance of the team is very good, so we can talk about the ripple effect on other players.”
“We talked about Wirtz being a number 10, but he prefers the left channel. When you think of De Bruyne, you think of him playing inside right, and Wirtz needs to play there.”
“At times I thought he would start on the right and come in from the wing, and he did it for Mo Salah in a few games and it was better that way. This is exactly where they want him on the pitch and this is where he is at his best. So today was Liverpool’s best performance so far in the Premier League.”
Another summer signing, Alexander Isak, scored his first Premier League goal for Liverpool at the London Stadium on Sunday.
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Free to watch: Highlights of the Premier League match between West Ham and Liverpool
“The composition of the team is not correct,” Carragher added. “The best way to explain this is to look at it from Liverpool’s point of view. We are delighted that Wirtz looked the real deal and that Isak scored his first goal.
“But then what impact will Wirtz have on Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool’s best player this season? And with Isak coming into play, what impact will that have on Ekitike, Liverpool’s best signing?”
“Without Salah, Liverpool wouldn’t be able to play with a true right-winger. That’s fine because Szoboszlai can come in, but things are not perfect going forward for Joe Gomez.
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“So if a player plays well it will affect others. But I don’t think the manager is thinking about that at the moment.”
Liverpool have two more games this week. They face Sunderland on Wednesday before traveling to Leeds on Saturday, with both games being shown live on Sky Sports.
