Iraola Shares Thoughts On Best Position For £116m Star | OneFootball

Andoni Iraola’s Florian Wirtz Plan Points to a More Coherent Liverpool Attack

Liverpool’s new head coach, Andoni Iraola, has offered an early indication of how he intends to shape his attack, with Florian Wirtz seemingly set for a central role at Anfield this season. After a first year in England that often felt fragmented, the Germany international now appears likely to become the reference point in the space behind the striker.

Iraola’s view is clear. “We need a very good version of Florian,” he said. “We know what he can give us. I think he’s also suited to our game model.” It is a pointed assessment, and one that reveals plenty about the coach’s broader tactical thinking. In a side that will demand intensity, quick combinations and precise movement between the lines, Wirtz’s ability to receive on the half-turn and connect attacks makes him a natural fit.

Florian Wirtz Set for Central Role

Last season, Wirtz was used across the front line, and that flexibility brought moments of quality, seven goals and 10 assists in 49 appearances. It also brought a certain uncertainty. He drifted left for Germany during the World Cup and had regularly done so in qualifying, but Liverpool rarely looked fully settled in where his best work should be found.

Photo: IMAGO

Iraola seems determined to remove that ambiguity. “I see him more probably in that position behind the striker. We know that he has played with Germany more on the left sometimes. But, I think we’re going to start working with him in that position behind the striker.” In tactical terms, that matters. The central pocket offers Wirtz more touches in decisive areas and gives Liverpool a playmaker capable of knitting together transitions and sustained attacks.

Liverpool Tactics Under Iraola

This is about more than a position on a teamsheet. Liverpool finished fifth in 2025/26 after the sharp decline that followed Arne Slot’s Premier League title in 2024/25, and the campaign frequently lacked fluency. Iraola’s first task is to restore clarity. Building around Wirtz between midfield and the forward line is one route towards that.

The early signs are encouraging. Having linked up with the squad on their United States tour, Wirtz has already made a positive impression. Iraola described him in simple but telling terms: “He’s quite complete as a player,” Iraola added. “I think we are going to try to add more things to what he already has that is very good. I’ve seen him [in the] first days of training in a good place mentally and I hope he starts well and strong.”

For Liverpool, and for Wirtz, the promise lies in definition. Sometimes a player’s best position is not discovered through invention, but through giving his gifts the clearest possible stage.