Florian Wirtz Embraces Andoni Iraola's Vision for Liverpool
Florian Wirtz is already sold on Andoni Iraola’s vision. Now he wants Liverpool to catch up to it.
The 23-year-old midfielder, speaking after Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat to AS Monaco, cut a relaxed but realistic figure: excited by the new head coach, clear-eyed about how far this team still has to go before the season starts.
Iraola arrived earlier in the summer to replace Arne Slot, stepping in after leaving Bournemouth at the end of last season. His work on the south coast clearly left an impression on Wirtz.
“Yeah, I think especially the last three years he did at Bournemouth, you could see what he can do with the team,” Wirtz said. “Of course, we are looking forward to working with him.”
That respect has only grown in the short time they’ve shared a training pitch.
“The first weeks for me, I think it’s only two weeks now that I’m training, so I can just say that I’m enjoying it,” he added. “I like the idea of football he has, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
There is no sense, though, that anyone at Liverpool believes the transition is complete. The Monaco defeat underlined that. A bright opening spell faded, and Wirtz didn’t try to dress it up.
“I think only the first 30 minutes were good from us,” he admitted. “I think we still have a lot to improve in training and also in the next match.”
That blend of optimism and urgency fits a player who quietly put together a strong first campaign in England. Wirtz was involved in 15 goals in all competitions last season, a solid return as he adapted to a league he openly describes as a different kind of challenge.
“I’ve played one year now in England. I’ve said this often enough that it’s a different style of football in England than in Germany,” he said. “You just get used to the games and the opponents.”
He knows Iraola has a clear blueprint. The details can wait; the work cannot.
“I’ve not spoken about the style so much. I think he has his ideas of playing football. We just have to work on that even more now.”
Two weeks into pre-season for Wirtz, a handful of sessions under a demanding new coach, and a defeat that exposed familiar flaws. The enthusiasm is there. The ideas are there. Now Liverpool have to turn Iraola’s “idea of football” into something that lasts longer than 30 minutes.
