How Arne Slot unlocked Florian Wirtz Liverpool solution | OneFootball

Finding rhythm in a new role

Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Real Madrid at Anfield offered much more than three points in the Champions League. For Flo Wirtz, it felt like a personal turning point. After months of scrutiny and adjustment, the German playmaker finally delivered a performance that hinted at why Liverpool were prepared to invest £116m in him last summer.

Hood pulled over his head and socks rolled down, Wirtz looked drained at full time, but this time his expression told a different story. It was the kind of exhaustion that comes from satisfaction rather than struggle. This was one of those nights at Anfield that players hear about long before they experience it, an evening when effort and artistry intertwine.

Seven weeks had passed since Wirtz last started a home game. In that time, excitement surrounding his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen had given way to questions. Was he unsettling Liverpool’s midfield? Could Arne Slot find a role for him without upsetting the balance of a title-winning side?

Slot offered a firm defence of his player before the match, as did Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, who knows him better than most. “I have no doubts. It’s just a matter of time,” Alonso said. “He needs to adapt, but he’s a really special player. Hopefully not (against Madrid), but I hope soon he’ll show his quality and class.”

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Anfield applause for a complete display

On this evidence, Alonso’s faith was well placed. Wirtz’s display against Madrid was sharp, intelligent and industrious. He set the tone early, chasing down Dean Huijsen to create a chance for Alexis Mac Allister and combining neatly with Dominik Szoboszlai. He then fed Hugo Ekitike on a counter, dispossessed Eduardo Camavinga to set up another opening and produced a perfectly timed cut-back that Courtois somehow kept out. Each moment reflected control, speed of thought and bravery in possession.

Perhaps most striking was where he operated. Slot placed Wirtz on the left side of Liverpool’s attack rather than in his preferred central No 10 position. The shift brought both discipline and freedom. From that flank, he linked effectively with Szoboszlai, roamed into pockets of space and carried a creative threat throughout.

Arsène Wenger, speaking before the game, offered an intriguing perspective. He suggested Liverpool promised Wirtz a central role to lure him from Bayern Munich but later recognised it had “destroyed their midfield”. Wenger added, “The manager has said (to Wirtz), ‘If you want to play a game, you have to play wide because I don’t want to disturb the midfield.’”

Adaptation and assurance under Slot

Slot has emphasised that adaptation, not ability, is the key. “I’ve said it many times and I can say it one more time, but (…) if you come from a different league and you have to play every few days and there are so many away games to be played against certain styles of play, you need to adapt to that,” he said. “That goes for almost everyone, let alone for a player that’s 22. I think he’s working incredibly hard to adapt as soon as he can. And he has been so unlucky throughout his career here at Liverpool because even today he created so many chances for the team.”

It is a fair assessment. Wirtz started five of Liverpool’s first six Premier League games, but only one of the next four. For a young player moving countries, languages and football cultures, the adaptation curve is steep. Some of the best in history have taken time: Thierry Henry, Kevin De Bruyne and Didier Drogba all faced early doubts before finding their stride.

Encouraging signs for Liverpool’s future

Against Madrid, Wirtz covered 11.4km, more than any other player on the pitch. It demonstrated a new level of defensive commitment to match his natural creativity. As he left the field to a rousing ovation from Anfield and a high-five from Slot, the satisfaction was obvious. Xabi Alonso offered a warm embrace at full time, while Jeremie Frimpong’s grin suggested recognition of the Wirtz he knew so well from Leverkusen.

Liverpool’s supporters had waited months to see this version of their new signing. Moving Flo Wirtz to the left may not have been part of the original plan, but it could prove the key to his settling in England. For the first time since his arrival, Liverpool fans could sense the beginning of something special rather than simply the promise of it.