Arne Slot Defends Florian Wirtz's Performance Amid Slow Start At Liverpool

Add as a preferred source on Google

Florian Wirtz's adaptation to the Premier League is a topic of interest for Arne Slot, who believes the player needs time to adjust. Despite joining Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £109.6 million, briefly setting a British transfer record, Wirtz has yet to score competitively. However, he has contributed three assists, including two in the Champions League against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Liverpool faces a significant challenge as they prepare to host Real Madrid on Tuesday in their next European match. Historically, Liverpool and Madrid have met 12 times in the European Cup/Champions League. After winning their first three encounters between 1981 and 2009, Liverpool has only managed one win in the last nine meetings (D1 L7).

Slot remains uncertain about Wirtz's starting position against Real Madrid after being benched against Aston Villa. He defended Wirtz by stating that adjusting to the Premier League's intensity takes time. "For a player that comes from a different league, which is a very good league by the way, I think 9 out of 10 people would agree that the Premier League is a bit more intense," said Slot.

Liverpool will also be missing key players like Isak, Alisson, and Jeremie Frimpong for their upcoming match at Anfield. Isak has been sidelined for three games due to injury but might return against Manchester City on Sunday. Slot mentioned in his pre-Madrid press conference that "All three are not available for tomorrow." He added that Jeremie and Alisson won't be ready for Sunday's game either.

Slot acknowledges Wirtz's contributions despite his lack of goals. "If you look at that, he's already played a lot. He's had an impact in many games but has been unlucky with the end product, either by himself or by his team mates," Slot noted. He emphasized that Wirtz brings creativity to the team as expected.

Wirtz's age and transition from another league mean he requires time to adapt to playing every three days at such high intensity. Slot expressed confidence in Wirtz's potential and impact on the team despite these challenges.