"We all agree where Flo Wirtz belongs, where he feels most comfortable. He showed it at Leverkusen, at Liverpool too, and he is getting better and better there. And now also in the national team," said the former Bayern Munich captain on Sport1's Doppelpass.
Wirtz played in the No 10 role in Jürgen Klopp's team in the 2-0 win against Serbia and gave the German attack decisive impetus. He capped a strong display with a goal and an assist, then was named player of the match. He can "decide matches, he showed that in the Bundesliga too. But if you push players into a position where they do not feel comfortable, then it does not work," Effenberg explained.
Effenberg asks Wirtz question: what happens when Musiala returns?
Under Julian Nagelsmann, Wirtz had been used at the World Cup in North America, among other roles, as a left winger so that Jamal Musiala could play in attacking midfield. Against Serbia, though, the Bayern star had to sit out through injury. For Effenberg, that could raise an interesting question for the future: "What happens to him when he comes back? That is a much more exciting discussion than the one about Kimmich." The positional debate around Kimmich has occupied the German national team for years. While the Bayern star played mainly at right-back under Nagelsmann, Klopp moved him back into central midfield.
Sport1 expert and former Bundesliga coach Peter Neururer also underlined the central importance of the role and praised Wirtz: "At last Florian Wirtz can play in the position where he is strong, where he grew up, where he has at times produced world-class performances. On the left wing he is cut off and dependent on other people."
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Chiming with that view, Eintracht professional Timothy Chandler sees the situation in similar terms. "He is a difference-maker for every team he plays in. He is a free spirit. He has to play in the No 10 position, where he can move freely. That is simply where he belongs," said Chandler.
For Liverpool at club level, Wirtz also usually plays as a No 10, but he has so far only partially lived up to the high expectations since his 125 million euro move last year. In 55 competitive appearances for the Reds, the 23-year-old has seven goals and 11 assists to his name, simply too little for many experts and fans. Wirtz is also still waiting for his first goal for Liverpool this season.