Arne Slot has pushed back firmly against Arsene Wenger’s assertion that Liverpool’s midfield has been “destroyed” in order to accommodate Florian Wirtz, insisting the summer signing is progressing exactly as planned and will become increasingly influential as the season develops.
Wenger, who now works as a pundit for BeIN Sports following his long reign at Arsenal, has not shied from bold public opinions in recent years.
His comments regarding Wirtz, who arrived on Merseyside in a £116million move from Bayer Leverkusen, caused particular ripples.
The former manager suggested that the 21-year-old had been encouraged to believe he would play as a No 10 at Anfield and implied that such assurances were a decisive factor in Wirtz choosing Liverpool over Manchester City or Bayern Munich, both of whom had pursued him intently.
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The idea that Liverpool’s midfield shape had been sacrificed to accommodate a single player was always likely to provoke scrutiny.
Slot, who has generally taken a calm stance when responding to pundit commentary, allowed a flicker of frustration to show on Friday.
It was noticeable that his defence of Wirtz came with an emphasis on patience and perspective, particularly after the German delivered his most convincing performance for Liverpool in the 1-0 win against Real Madrid earlier in the week.
Arne Slot has pushed back firmly against Arsene Wenger’s assertion that Liverpool’s midfield has been “destroyed” in order to accommodate Florian Wirtz, insisting the summer signing is progressing exactly as planned and will become increasingly influential as the season develops
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Five things to know about Liverpool boss Arne Slot
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“Everyone has a right to his own opinion and many of them have,” Slot said, acknowledging Wenger’s comments without embracing them.
“That is the nice thing about football, that everyone has his opinion about it.
“If I need open-heart surgery, I am not going to tell the surgeon what he needs to do but about football everyone is telling you what the best thing is to do but that is also the nice thing about football because everyone knows it so we can talk about it.”
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Florian Wirtz impressed for Liverpool in their Champions League win over Real Madrid
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Liverpool have been investing time and attention into Wirtz behind the scenes.
Those close to training sessions at Kirkby speak of a player whose touch and decision-making regularly draw admiration, even if the rhythm of Premier League matches has not always suited him in the opening weeks.
There have been moments in which he has appeared overwhelmed by the intensity of the English games, like many other big-name arrival before him.
Yet Slot’s conviction is that the adaptation process is unfolding in a natural and ultimately rewarding manner.
His decision to play Wirtz from the left against Real Madrid may be repeated when Liverpool travel to face Manchester City on Sunday.
The structure appeared more secure and the midfield unit more cohesive than during earlier attempts to position Wirtz centrally in a traditional playmaker role.
Florian Wirtz has had a tough start to life to life in the Premier League | GETTY“I think we have five or six very good midfielders who can all play together but they need to play more together to get the best out of every single player,” Slot explained.
“Florian, he needs time to adapt to his teammates, teammates need time to adapt to him.
“But he now played off the left. But I can tell you if it is not this season it is the other season or if it is not now it is tomorrow, he will have great performances as a midfielder for Liverpool as well.
“There has been a lot of focus on him individually and I’m more focused on team performance.”
Liverpool supporters have seen enough glimpses to understand why the club invested so heavily in Wirtz.
Slot appears certain that patience will be rewarded.