Florian Wirtz Embraces Andoni Iraola's Vision at Liverpool

Florian Wirtz is only two weeks into pre-season under Andoni Iraola, but he already sounds like a player who knows exactly what he has signed up for.

The Liverpool midfielder, speaking after a 3-2 defeat to AS Monaco, cut a relaxed but focused figure: impressed by his new head coach, aware of the work ahead, and very clear that this version of Liverpool is still in its early sketches rather than the finished painting.

Wirtz buys into Iraola’s vision

Iraola arrived at Anfield earlier in the summer, stepping in after Arne Slot’s departure and walking away from Bournemouth at the end of a three-year spell that quietly enhanced his reputation in England. Wirtz has seen enough of that work to be convinced.

“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.”

Those are not empty pre-season pleasantries. Wirtz has already started to feel the shift on the training ground.

“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.”

Enjoyment, yes. Comfort, no. Not yet.

Encouraging flashes, clear flaws

Liverpool’s defeat to Monaco underlined exactly where this side stands: somewhere between promise and preparation.

“I think only the first 30 minutes were good from us,” Wirtz admitted. The early spell brought intensity, patterns, and the kind of attacking intent Iraola sides are known for. Then the levels dropped, and Monaco punished them.

For Wirtz, who was involved in 15 goals in all competitions in his first season in England, the message is simple: the ideas are there, the execution is not.

“We just have to work on that even more now,” he said. “I think we still have a lot to improve in training and also in the next match.”

The emphasis is on repetition, on drilling Iraola’s principles until they become instinct rather than instruction.

England’s demands, Germany’s education

Wirtz knows all about adaptation. One year in England has already taught him that the rhythm of the Premier League bears little resemblance to what he left behind in Germany.

“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 experience matters now. Iraola’s football is demanding: high tempo, aggressive pressing, quick transitions. It suits players who have already felt the physical and mental strain of the English game, and Wirtz is starting his second season with that grounding behind him.

He has not delved deeply into tactical specifics in public — “I've not spoken about the style so much. I think he has his ideas of playing football” — but his tone makes one thing clear: the dressing room understands that the standard is about to rise.

The ideas belong to Iraola. The responsibility to make them work will fall on players like Wirtz.