Wirtz On The Left Feels Like A Waste

There’s a version of Liverpool’s attack that looks clever on a tactics board but feels clunky the second you picture it actually playing out. For me, Wirtz on the left is that version. He’s too good between the lines to be spent hugging chalk, and the whole point of having a player like him is to put him where he can stitch the game together.

The issue is the left side doesn’t currently solve itself. Gakpo hasn’t looked comfortable there, and while Ngumoha looks a serious talent, asking him to carry minutes in a title-chasing side is a different conversation entirely. So if you don’t love those options, you either force Wirtz wide or you change the structure.

Ekitike left, Isak central: it actually fits

Ekitike starting off the left with Isak through the middle makes a lot of sense, as long as the key condition is met: Isak has to be properly fit. He’s clearly a high-class striker when he’s available, but the stop-start nature of his injuries means you can’t build a whole plan around him unless the body holds up.

Even then, it’s not just about positions on paper. It’s about profiles. Ekitike can carry the ball, arrive into the box, and link play without the attack dying when it goes wide. Isak gives you that centre-forward presence and finishing threat. Crucially, neither option requires Wirtz to be shunted out of the game.

Two up top, Wirtz behind: why not?

There’s also the bolder option: play both Ekitike and Isak up top, with Wirtz in behind. If the width is coming from wing-backs, or from one of the forwards drifting into the channel, you can keep the best players close to goal and close to each other.

That idea also ties into the bigger point: Isak and Ekitike aren’t just short-term solutions. They’re the sort of signings you make with an eye on the day Salah isn’t the reference point anymore, and possibly when other forwards move on too. Planning the next attacking shape matters.

The shape depends on the manager, and the balance

If Liverpool ever did go down the back-five route that some managers prefer, then yes, you can see how it could suit certain profiles: wing-backs bombing on, two holders to keep the rest defence tidy, and a fluid front three that rotates rather than stands still.

But it isn’t magic. You’d still want proper depth at centre-back, and you’d still want a reliable holding midfielder, even if a couple of youngsters might grow into those roles over time. Get those bits right, keep Wirtz central, and the attacking combinations start looking genuinely exciting.

Written by RedDawn: 29 January 2026