'The New One': Will Jürgen Klopp's Germany Plan Unlock Florian Wirtz?

Jürgen Klopp has declared himself 'The New One', a playful twist on his famous 'Normal One' moniker, as he seeks to foster unity within the long-fractured German national team setup. This quip, in classic Klopp style, comes alongside a more serious call to all present and former Germany internationals to "continue to support" the national team in the lead-up to the 2028 European Championships.

To kick-start this new era under Klopp, Germany will face the Netherlands, Greece, Serbia, and Greece again, over the course of the international break as part of the Nations League group stage.

The most pertinent question for Liverpool fans, when it comes to Klopp's Germany, is whether or not he can get the most out of the Reds' original one-hundred million pound man, Florian Wirtz.

Wirtz had a tumultuous season last time around; his form was up and down throughout the entire campaign. That lack of consistency was often levied against him, but most fans still saw quality in the player and have been hoping to see it unleashed under the new management of Andoni Iraola.

However, Wirtz has begun the season in poor form. He has started six of Liverpool's seven games played so far (he was left out of the squad, with Virgil van Dijk, for the Reds' clash against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup), but has walked away with only one goal contribution to his name - a single assist.

That low return, however, is not the primary reason for Liverpool fans' concern. Rather, it has been Wirtz's inability to execute basic football fundamentals. Too often, his touch is loose and his passing even looser. Against Bournemouth, his wastefulness cost Liverpool in the first half, with the Reds unable to gain control of the game until resetting themselves at half-time.

Before the match against Bournemouth, Wirtz had put in some solid performances, namely against Nottingham Forest and Atletico Madrid. However, consistency and game-changing impact are still sorely lacking. And post-Bournemouth, that proved too much for some onlookers to bear.

Jamie Carragher, speaking on his own post-match podcast with Sky Sports, was scathing in his analysis of Wirtz. He described the performance as one of the German's "poorest" and went so far as to say that "Wirtz wouldn't be in [his] Liverpool team".

The "one hope", Carragher asserted, is that "Jürgen Klopp is the Germany manager", suggesting that Klopp's "stardust" is the only thing that could turn Wirtz's Liverpool career around.

So, how exactly does Klopp see Florian Wirtz, and how could playing under the Liverpool legend help him improve?

During the World Cup, before he was even in the frame to become the Germany manager, Klopp spoke about Wirtz's role for the national team.

He said: "The most important thing is that we involve him in the game...If you really want Flo Wirtz to get into a rhythm, if you want the place to really be buzzing, then give him the ball, because that's when he feels completely at home. It's important to involve him because that's when Flo can feel confident and comfortable on the pitch."

From these comments, it is clear that Klopp rates the player and believes he should have a key role for Germany, something he can implement now that he himself is Die Mannschaft's manager.

He also explained in more detail the tactical nuance of how to get the most out of Wirtz, saying: "He shouldn't drop back and get the ball from his own penalty area, and we expect him to start making plays. We have to find moments where we can use [him], because with his positioning he creates a lot of space for the players next to him, for the full-backs and for everyone who can make runs into those spaces."

This felt like an extremely pointed observation at the time because, last season, Wirtz could often be seen doing exactly that - dropping deep to receive the ball and progress play. Interestingly, his role under Iraola (compared to Arne Slot) has already changed in that sense. Wirtz now plays closer to the frontline, more as a second striker behind Alexander Isak.

However, he does often still drop deep. Many keen observers have suggested that this is down to the make-up of Liverpool's double pivot and its inability to consistently play progressive passes forward. It will be interesting to see if this observation is proven correct when Wirtz plays again for Germany, and whether a change in profile behind him will allow him to remain further forward, and how much that may positively impact his performances.

However, despite it being clear that Klopp rates Wirtz highly, he has made an effort to reframe expectations around the player's performances.

Klopp, defending his selection of Wirtz in his 45-man Germany squad, said: "We have to move away from the idea that we need to see special moments from him. He is there to help us as a team. We have to make sure that Flo feels comfortable with us...You have to be satisfied with a game in which Flo Wirtz gave everything but didn't have a goal or assist."

These are not the kinds of things Liverpool fans will want to hear. After coming in under high expectations as a one-hundred-million-plus-pound signing, the idea that expectations may have to decrease permanently will be jarring for Liverpool fans.

This is something Jamie Carragher also pointed towards, if more harshly, during his post-Bournemouth podcast. He stated his belief that "what we're seeing is what he is", and that the gap between what an improved Wirtz would look like and the expected level when he signed is already too big.

Everything Klopp has said, before and after his appointment as Germany manager, shows that he rates Florian Wirtz, and his reframing of expectations highlights his desire to protect the player from what has been intense scrutiny over the past 15 months. However, whether or not he will be able to sprinkle that 'stardust' and change the direction of Wirtz's Liverpool career is totally unknown. 

All we do know is that Wirtz desperately needs a confidence boost, as right now he is playing like a man devoid of any self-belief. Liverpool fans know Klopp's man-management skills well, and it is those that - more than anything else - could prove decisive in ensuring a rejuvenated Florian Wirtz returns to Anfield after the international break.

Let us know in the comments below whether or not you believe Jurgen Klopp will get the most out of Florian Wirtz, and click here to see more of the latest Liverpool FC news.