Analysis of Florian Wirtz's first nine appearances for the Merseyside club has typically reached the same conclusion - it has been an disappointing beginning.
Some have gone further. Ex- England striker the Manchester United legend stated the expensive acquisition "disrupts the equilibrium" of Liverpool's structure.
"He's a quality footballer and I'm sure he will improve - but he's experienced a slow start and I think there's no denying that," commented Rooney.
Wirtz is still without a goal or provide an goal contribution for his new club, but does that paint the complete story?
Here we examine how effective he has performed, why he isn't performing as anticipated so far, and how Liverpool could get the best out of him.
The Team's Evolving Style - and Wirtz's Role
Liverpool's equilibrium is off, but they are evidently going through a phase of change.
Manager Arne Slot has altered his tactical setup this campaign - and possibly the absence of defender Trent Alexander-Arnold created greater challenges than expected.
Following a comparable pattern to the manager's Feyenoord team, Liverpool are looking to operate with a increased frequency of rotations between teammates, progressing through the middle of the pitch with rapid, small-space interplay.
It therefore makes sense for Wirtz to be the primary creative hub to knit everything collectively.
But, in reality, he has been asked to perform a role that is slightly different from the position he is familiar with.
And that has minimised how frequently he positions himself in positions to find the net or create chances.
This setup fails to extract the best out of Wirtz as an singular talent, but he hasn't been bad in this less-than-ideal role.
Wirtz is Getting the Possession Much Further Back
Wirtz is getting the possession deeper more often.
The right-back was impressive in his ability to pass the play when operating deep, and the team appear to be sorely missing that attribute.
Captain Virgil van Dijk's diagonal passes to forward the Egyptian winger is a effective method for them to get the ball forward reliably. Otherwise, Liverpool are missing the passing quality in defence to locate teammates up the field.
This duty has fallen on Wirtz at times. He has been dropping deep to get the possession before turning and attempting to drive it up the pitch. He is capable to perform this role because of his skill level, but it is limiting the time he operates close to the opposition net.
If possession duties can be shouldered by a different teammate, it potentially enables the attacker to position himself more advanced the pitch.
The academy graduate has the capability to do this in a double pivot or on the left wing, and could represent an option the manager could turn to as he aims to complement Wirtz's preferred style.
Similar to Grealish, The Midfielder Thrives Driving into Open Areas
Among the most significant contrasts Wirtz is encountering in the English top flight is the limited room and heightened pressure applied to him.
Positioned through the middle between the defensive units against extremely compact defensive sides such as Crystal Palace, Wirtz has found himself with less time and room to play.
During his time at Bayer Leverkusen, there were matches in which Wirtz would position himself on the left wing while his colleagues advanced the ball forward before passing to him.
In other situations, he would position himself in central attacking midfield areas, particularly against sides that provided more room between the lines in games that became more counter-attacking in style.
Former Bayer boss the Spanish manager utilized the talent well because both of these situations would enable him to get the ball with space - meaning he could collect and carry forward with distance between himself and a defender.
For extracting the maximum out of the player, getting the possession to him when there is not instant marking on him is ideal.
Whenever he is able to receive the play on the half-turn and drive it forward - with space between himself and the closest opponent - he is able to use body feints and a variation in speed to destabilize opposition defensive structures.
In a similar manner to the Merseyside club forward the England international, his best work both on the dribble and in his passing comes from situations in which he is driving with the ball and driving at players.
This is why many of the German's best instances this campaign have occurred in counter-attacks.
Separation can be found by deploying him on the wing initially or by passing to him in the midfield early. If he is positioned between the lines, especially when an opposition's structure is spread, team-mates must therefore play direct balls to find Wirtz.
The Player's Effort Could Be Impeding Him
The Premier League's intensity has strategic implications but also impacts footballers personally - and the German appears to have still not completely adjusted to this change.
Under Slot's quicker and more rotation-based style of offensive play, the team are vulnerable to counter-attacks, with fewer players supporting the ball. This demands forward players like the midfielder to counter-press with energy when the possession is lost.
Wirtz has fully committed to the defensive instructions and has pressed intensely. In attack, he is being encouraged to retreat to assist in constructing play while maintaining the freedom to contribute to offensive moves on both the left and right flank.
All of this is taxing physically, and several of his subpar possession decisions may be down to fatigue. Among all footballers to feature significant game time in the top division this campaign, the midfielder has run the fifth-highest distance per full match and the most of all club teammate.
How Physical Requirements Affect Technique
During a recent discussion with German media, Wirtz spoke about the difference in his displays this campaign compared to the previous year.
He stated the manager had expressed a opinion "it could be because we harass a frequently and I run a lot".
Wirtz added: "For example, the running stats: I am always at the top in that category because I attempt to exert maximum effort and execute what the coach demands. I need a significant strength and stamina for that. When I have the ball, I could be missing a little bit. The expectation it will simply come step by step, as I play more games, get fitter, be able to perform actions more effortlessly, and then, whenever I have the play, be {fit|conditioned
