12 Jun 2025 01:48:47
Hi Eds,
Where do you think Wirtz will be playing next season?
He could potentially take the No. 10 role as a replacement for Szoboszlai, but Szobo's off-the-ball work is really important to the team. Another option is as a false nine, similar to how Firmino used to play, though recent reports suggest we're targeting a striker (isak or lautaro) so maybe that rules that out?
Could he end up playing on the left wing instead, possibly replacing Gakpo?
{Ed001's Note - seems to have been brought in to play as a 10. Though I have no doubt that he will also enjoy up playing other roles during the season.}
12 Jun 2025 02:36:20
Can full see him playing 9/ 10 so then we maintain our engine room of Dom, Grav and Macca.
12 Jun 2025 03:51:31
Enough games to rotate but I see Szobo getting dropped from first choice 11 and becoming a rotation option or sub to keep the energy up. Great option to have.
12 Jun 2025 04:43:47
Mainly at Anfield.
12 Jun 2025 06:11:22
I don't think szoboszlai will be dropped at all, he is so important to the way we play and if wirtz takes his space he will probably drop deeper into the pivot with grav to make use of his passing range.
Honestly though looking at where wirtz spent the majority of his time on the pitch for Leverkusen, I think there is a real chance that he will start on the left wing and, with kerkez keeping the width, move into the left half space when we have the ball, which is where he is the most dangerous. Alternatively he could play false 9 dropping into midfield and then driving up the pitch. What this means for gakpo and Diaz I don't know.
Dom's position requires a lot of sacrifice from the player, if you play it the way dom is expected to. Given we want to get wirtz on the ball as much as we can in his favourite position on the pitch I don't know if we want him doing so many box to box sprints like Dom is expected to. Wirtz can certainly do it, but I'm wondering if that box crashing, hard pressing midfield role is right for him.
12 Jun 2025 06:21:40
As a 10. Scrabble drops deeper to cover for both Mac and Grav.
12 Jun 2025 07:19:02
Slot will be happy to have extra depth that he trusts, expect a very fluid system depending on who we play.
12 Jun 2025 07:21:12
Slot said a few times in the season Szobo’s numbers should be higher from a Liverpool number 10.
12 Jun 2025 07:21:56
Is Szob a better passer than Mac?
Szob definitely has attributes that are better than Mac but personally I don’t think passing is one of them.
12 Jun 2025 07:42:38
Szobo is the best pressing MF in the game right now (according to jurgen) and anyone who remembers the arsenal game will remember how we looked without him
Wirtz in a diamond 4 or inside left of a 3?
12 Jun 2025 08:01:59
Ed001 do you think Szobo can be used up as the 9 then? I remember some instances when he was sort of a target man and knocked down some air balls for runners. Physically he should be up for it?
{Ed001's Note - he can play anywhere to be honest. I just don't think that makes use of his best qualities. I would prefer to see him played deeper.}
12 Jun 2025 08:43:20
If we buy a ST I can see us going down two routes.
do you keep that energy in midfield with Dom to cover frimpong and bradley you play a diamond to give Wirtz the freedom at 10
Grav sitting, Mac leftside, Dom rightside Wirtz at the 10 with Salah and whoever uptop.
or you go 4-3-3 and play Wirtz in the false 9 with two wingers.
12 Jun 2025 09:19:02
Exactly that, Kloppers. Scrabble’s mentor has said he will be more effective at 8 or even 6 than at 10. As Ed001, Scrabble’s many qualities are better suited to a deeper position. He’d be wasted in a Morientes role.
12 Jun 2025 09:25:28
Wirtz, reminds me of the Coutinho conundrum.
He can play 10, we don’t strictly speaking play a formation to maximize a 10 and we need our midfielders to be the engine.
I see Wirtz is effective with the press and feel like he’d be best served up front and essentially floating.
So either as a LW drifting in, a false 9 and then that will maintain the strength we have in the middle of the pitch with Szobo and Grav’s energy.
And the good thing is, between Gakpo and Diaz they are both flexible to play up front or on the left.
To be fair tho, no matter where they start on the pitch we will have a lot of flexibility within the game for players to rotate as they need to.
12 Jun 2025 09:58:48
Lets leave it to Arne and his coaches they seem to know what they are doing don't you think!
12 Jun 2025 14:51:13
I can see Wirtz in the 10, false 9 or out on the left. As for Szobo, he is an 8, not a 10 so not expecting him to create like a Wirtz who is a creative no. 10. I think he will do well deeper or as a left or right 8 in central midfield, like Macca.