06 Nov 2025 00:55:00
Flo played well on the left but I still think his place is left of a midfield four like Coutinho used to play
We still need a wide player in my opinion and possibly two as Salah has been grim this season and will go this summer or next anyhow.
Barcola on the left and Olise on the right would be lethal.
06 Nov 2025 08:35:09
Wirtz is just one of those players who you need to give a free role too, otherwise you waste his talent by shackling him into a rigid tactical approach.
He will work as hard as anyone else for the team still, but you need to give him that freedom to go where the space is and crop up in all sorts of positions as that makes him impossible to mark.
We saw against Madrid, that although he was playing on the left on paper, he was regularly cropping up on the right to slide a ball across for Dom, or tackle Huijsen by the right corner flag etc.
At Leverkusen he played like this, on the left of a front 3 but with total freedom, and he was unplayable. It's about time we got him back to that. Yes, he can play as a 10 or a false 9, but those are not the roles where he is a £100m player. Those are just role he can do a job in.
Coutinho is a decent comparison to an extent because he also needed a free role to really thrive in possession. The difference is, that Wirtz is also a grafter, something Coutinho never was. He'll press, he'll track back, he'll fly into tackles etc.
We've seen many players like this down the years (Ronaldinho, Payet, Nedved, Hazard etc) who playing off the left with total positional freedom are absolutely world class, but if you forced them into something more rigid it stifled their game completely. Very few players like this work as hard as Wirtz though, which is what really sets him apart. You don't need to coach a player like Wirtz. Put him on the pitch and let him play. Mavericks should not be shackled.
06 Nov 2025 08:45:39
Coutinho was left of a front 3 when at his best at Liverpool. We signed Salah, moved Mane to the left and tried Coutinho in the midfield and he was shocking.
I do think Coutinho was more of an attacker than Wirtz is though. Wirtz has a better engine and can get about the pitch. If he improves his physicality he could play in our midfield. Think Macca with more ability on the ball.
His physicality was much better against Real but can he do it on a rainy Tuesday night at the Emirates?
06 Nov 2025 09:30:00
Flo will eventually be the 10.
06 Nov 2025 10:17:01
Back the squad as is.
06 Nov 2025 10:22:51
Great post mk, my sentiments exactly.
06 Nov 2025 10:35:45
I think Wirtz already had a free role overall vs RM even tho, he started on the left on paper. He popped up on the right combining with Macca and Ekitike as much as he was on the right combining with Szobo which led to him laying that ball on a plate for Szobo that Courtois saved.
Now I do agree that Wirtz will eventually end up centrally in the 10 as I think that he is starting wide right now to drift in-field to create and combine cos it suits our setup right now, IMO.
06 Nov 2025 11:47:09
The thing is that wirtz' favored position actually is out wide or in the left half space even though he might start as a central attacking midfielder on paper.
A lot of times for Leverkusen he was picking up the ball on the inside left channel or all the way out wide near the touchline and then coming inside, he would also drift right in his free role on occasion, but the thing is that he was playing with two central forwards in boniface and schick who would rotate with him based on where he liked to go, frimpong as a super wide wing back pushed up the field and grimaldo staying wide or coming inside or holding back depending on frimpong.
Right now starting him on the left does kind of make sense, because he won't be tasked with as much responsibility off the ball, and because Dom's way of playing the 10 is so critical to how we press right now, he is like a non stop pressing machine closing down the keeper, center backs, and midfielders all at once.
06 Nov 2025 13:13:37
The Coutinho comparisons should end.
Not only are they very different players, but Wirtz is MUCH better than Coutinho ever was, other than the long-range strikes.
I’m saying this to anyone who’ll kindly listen: Wirtz will be the best player in the league next season.
{Ed025's Note - big shout that Lowe, you do know that Grealish and Ndiaye will be in that league as well dont you mate.. :)
06 Nov 2025 13:52:49
"The thing is that wirtz' favored position actually is out wide or in the left half space even though he might start as a central attacking midfielder on paper. "
This is indeed very true, PB. As for being in defensive transition, Wirtz was very effective in his work rate and pressing at Leverkusen. So him running his legs off covering spaces and pressing effective vs RM, was no surprise to me, personally.
06 Nov 2025 13:47:00
Steady on @25, it’s not 100% certain that the “People’s team’ will be in the same league next season, let alone any of the players ?.
{Ed025's Note - i would expect we will WDW, this season is just the start of the re-build mate and it is only going to get better from here.. :)
06 Nov 2025 14:01:19
Big fan of Ndiaye, Ed. He’s a quality player.
You never know, might even get a move across town someday ;)
{Ed025's Note - hes very good Lowe but needs a bit more help i feel mate, that will come i expect and he would be a great replacement for Mo but once this club has touched your heart there is nowhere else to go.. :)
06 Nov 2025 14:59:05
Will they be playing in Everton blue or city blue ed25?
{Ed025's Note - there is only one shade of blue that matters John...the royal one, its the colour of kings and queens mate.. :)
06 Nov 2025 18:56:11
As Derek Trotter famously said “This time next year …” @25 ?.
{Ed025's Note - i will feel like a millionaire on Saturday WDW, im going to my first game at the Hill Dickinson Stadium mate.. :)