Florian Wirtz Embraces New Era Under Iraola at Liverpool

Florian Wirtz is not panicking about Liverpool’s stuttering pre-season. If anything, he sounds energised by the change on the touchline.

The 23-year-old playmaker, speaking after Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat to AS Monaco, cut a calm but determined figure as he looked ahead to life under new head coach Andoni Iraola.

Wirtz buys into Iraola’s vision

Iraola arrived earlier in the summer to replace Arne Slot, swapping Bournemouth for Anfield after three years in charge of the Cherries. Those seasons 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.”

Two weeks into his pre-season, the Germany international already feels the shift.

“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. I like the idea of football he has, so I'm really looking forward to it.”

That “idea of football” will define Liverpool’s new era. Wirtz is not dressing it up as a revolution yet, but he is clearly on board with the direction.

Early flaws, clear demands

The Monaco defeat underlined how far Liverpool still have to go before the new campaign kicks off. Wirtz did not hide from that.

“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,” he said.

“I think only the first 30 minutes were good from us. I think we still have a lot to improve in training and also in the next match.”

Thirty good minutes, then a drop-off. It is the classic pre-season pattern, but under a new coach it becomes a measuring stick. Iraola’s principles are in place; the execution is not yet at Premier League speed.

Adapting to England – and what comes next

Wirtz arrives at this reset point with a full English season behind him. Fifteen goal contributions in all competitions in his debut campaign marked him out as one of Liverpool’s most reliable attacking outlets, yet he insists he is still learning the league.

“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. You just get used to the games and the opponents.”

That adjustment period now collides with a tactical shift under Iraola. Different league, different demands, different coach. For a player of Wirtz’s technical range and vision, it is also a chance.

He has felt the pace of English football. Now he has a coach whose high-energy, front-foot approach at Bournemouth earned him this step up. If those ideas take hold at Anfield, Wirtz will not just be adapting to England anymore. He will be helping to define what Liverpool look like in it.