Liverpool's new manager Andoni Iraola has been handed a clear blueprint for unlocking Florian Wirtz's potential at Anfield, with Champions League winner Vladimir Smicer delivering a stark warning about the consequences of getting it wrong.

The former Czech Republic international, who famously lifted the Champions League trophy in his final appearance for Liverpool in 2005, believes the club's £116m investment in the German playmaker risks being squandered unless he's deployed in his optimal position.

Wirtz's debut campaign on Merseyside was far from the triumph many anticipated. Despite breaking the club's transfer record to prise him from Bayer Leverkusen, beating Bayern Munich to his signature in the process, the attacking midfielder managed just five Premier League goals in 33 appearances as Liverpool endured an inconsistent season under Arne Slot.

The Dutchman's struggles to find Wirtz's best position ultimately contributed to his dismissal, with Iraola now tasked with extracting maximum value from one of football's most expensive signings. Smicer believes the solution is straightforward, even if the execution proves challenging.

"I think the price tag and the transfer money from Leverkusen to Liverpool was big, and the pressure was on Wirtz with statistics about how much his goals and assists cost," Smicer told Casinostugan exclusively.

"If you buy a player for 130 million euros, you need to put him in his favourite position and build the team around him. If you buy Wirtz and play him as a left-winger, you throw that money away."

The criticism carries particular weight given Wirtz's stunning form in his final season at Leverkusen. Under Xabi Alonso, he thrived in an attacking central midfield role, contributing 11 goals in 31 appearances as Bayer completed an unbeaten Bundesliga triumph. That performance earned him German Footballer of Year honours in 2025, yet those heights have proven elusive since his move to England.

Smicer's analysis highlights the tactical confusion that plagued Slot's tenure. Rather than building the team around their record signing, Liverpool deployed Wirtz across multiple positions, diluting his impact and undermining the very qualities that made him so coveted.

"At Leverkusen, the team was built for him and he was a free player with wingers on the side and a striker," Smicer observed. "In Liverpool, we were trying to find his best position all season. He was playing right, left, as a striker, and behind the striker."

The former midfielder's assessment extends beyond tactical deployment to the psychological impact of positional uncertainty. When a player of Wirtz's calibre is forced to adapt rather than dominate, confidence inevitably suffers.

"I think he was enjoying playing for Liverpool, but of course when he was a left-winger he was just trying to do the job. You don't feel the same confidence or feeling when playing in a different position," Smicer explained.

With Germany preparing for the World Cup, Wirtz faces the dual pressure of performing on football's biggest stage whilst proving his worth in a Liverpool shirt. The tournament presents an opportunity to showcase the qualities that justified his massive price tag, particularly if deployed in his favoured role behind the striker.

"They need to build the German team around him," Smicer insisted. "If you spend that kind of money on Alexander Isak or Florian Wirtz, you must play them in their best position. That's the hard thing."

For Iraola, the message couldn't be clearer. Liverpool's new manager inherits a player whose talent remains unquestioned but whose Premier League impact has been disappointingly limited. The challenge lies not in coaching Wirtz to adapt, but in adapting the team to maximise his considerable gifts.

The stakes couldn't be higher as Liverpool looks to justify their record investment and Wirtz seeks to silence his doubters.