Paul Merson suggests Arne Slot has been playing 'superb' Liverpool player in completely the wrong position
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It has been a difficult season for Florian Wirtz at Liverpool, and being put on the bench against Everton does not help his confidence.
The Reds were victorious in the Merseyside Derby, edging out their local rivals 2-1 in a game which in the second half looked like it may escape the home side.
There were standout performances from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike, who found themselves on the scoresheet in the first half at Anfield, but the overall team display left a lot to be desired in the final 45 minutes, where the Toffees tried to fight back.
However, one of the notable omissions from the early kick-off was one of the summer’s star signings Wirtz, who had bounced back with a good performance against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
Arne Slot decided to bench both the German and Alexander Isak for the game, but he decided not to play the 22-year-old at all, and brought the Swedish striker on for a cameo.
Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Before the start of the season, Steve McManaman picked ‘superb’ Wirtz as the young player to watch for the season, but he has not been able to show his incredible qualities since joining from Bayer Leverkusen.
It is a very different pace and style of play compared to the Bundesliga, so for the attacking midfielder, it has not been an easy transition to becoming a standout in the team.
However, in the opinion of Paul Merson, it might not necessarily be the fault of the £100 million signing.
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During the Soccer Saturday broadcast, the former Arsenal player explained that he feels Slot is not playing him in his correct position, and it has led to a poor start.
READ MORE: Peter Crouch gives verdict on how Liverpool’s midfield three looked without Florian Wirtz vs Everton
Instead of playing him in a traditional midfield three, the 57-year-old has said he believes the player needs to be played towards the left-hand side.
Merson said: “For me, I think this is their strongest team bar is at the moment, but I would have played Wirtz out on the left.
“I would have played him out on the left away from all the havoc, where he can come drifting in, where we saw Doku the other day.
He’s playing on the wing, and he comes and he ends up getting the ball in the inside right position and setting up the goal for Foden.
“I think it’s just a little bit tight in there for Wirtz.
But again, now they’re not playing.”
After a summer of wholesale change, it is difficult for the Dutchman to choose his best team, especially with some players arriving later than expected.
But the strength of depth is also a plus for their side because of the number of competitions they are expected to compete in every season.
It is a headache, though, for the coach, given he will need to stand firm on a starting XI sooner rather than later.
It is difficult to remove Ekitike from his position currently, but because of the arrival of the £125 million Swede, he won’t be happy staying on the bench most weeks.
We have seen with decisions on Federico Chiesa that he can be ruthless, and that kind of streak is what is needed to make the right decisions for the club’s future.
He may not know his best XI yet, but he is winning games despite the outside noise casting doubt over how long last season’s champions can keep up this incredible form.