Wirtz, Isak & Diomande shine at World Cup as Iraola plots Liverpool revival

Wirtz, Isak & Diomande shine at World Cup as Iraola plots Liverpool revival Liverpool's new head coach Andoni Iraola will use the World Cup as a fact-finding mission on the players he inherits as well as scouting those he could add to re-invigorate a squad that suffered a miserable defence of their Premier League title last season. And as the Spaniard settles in after succeeding sacked Arne Slot, Iraola will have had an intriguing day gathering intelligence as he had an interest in all games on day four of the tournament. So what will have caught Iraola's eye as he formulates his plots to revive Liverpool after arriving from Bournemouth? Can Iraola release the real Wirtz? Florian Wirtz arrived at Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen last summer amid great fanfare in a then-British record £116m deal - but remained an enigma as he fell far short of expectations. Liverpool still have huge hopes for a gifted forward who has only just turned 23, which means one of Iraola's main tasks is to find a settled position for the German to release the talent he demonstrated before moving to Anfield. This is why Iraola will have been intrigued by what he saw from Wirtz in Germany's 7-1 win against Curacao in their opening World Cup game. The context must be that this was against a side ranked 82nd in the world, but in the colours of his country and in favourable conditions, Wirtz showed some golden touches. In his first campaign at Anfield, Wirtz too often appeared a square peg in a round hole, playing in behind the strikers as well on the flanks, but never flourishing. In Houston, Wirtz played on the left, perhaps giving Iraola food for thought, especially as Cody Gakpo had a poor season in that position, creating Germany's opening goal for Felix Nmecha with the sort of delicate touch and quick thinking that eluded him for much of last term. Wirtz had 39 touches in the final third, instrumental as Germany ran riot. Former England striker Chris Sutton, in Houston for broadcaster Radio 5 Live, said: "The mitigation must be that this was Curacao, but the Liverpool fans who watched the game, especially in the first half, would be wondering if it was the same Florian Wirtz who played for them last season. "He looked happy in a German jersey, at ease and playing with freedom." Sutton added: "He was sharp off the left, drifting inside to play quick, incisive passes. He was creative and cunning. He looked unburdened. He was a real menace with Jamal Musiala." Iraola will hope to lift the weight off Wirtz's shoulders at Liverpool. Mixed fortunes for Iraola's Dutch trio Virgil van Dijk will remain one of the main pillars of Iraola's new Liverpool era. This impression was only confirmed by his performance for the Netherlands in their 2-2 draw with Japan in Dallas. The result was a disappointment for Ronald Koeman's side, who lost the lead twice, but Van Dijk was voted man of the match Van Dijk, who will be 35 in July, scored a goal and was the main barrier of resistance in a Dutch defence that occasionally looked uncertain. He put the Netherlands ahead after 51 minutes with a precise header, then as Japan pressed late on, it was Van Dijk who almost saw out the win with a succession of towering headers. Ryan Gravenberch, who Iraola will hope to return to the majestic form he displayed as a holding midfielder when Liverpool won the Premier League in Slot's first season, was solid and created Van Dijk's opening goal with an inviting cross. In a statistical quirk, Gravenberch's delivery for Van Dijk is only the second ever World Cup goal scored and assisted by a Liverpool player, after Ian Callaghan set up Roger Hunt for England against France in 1966. Gravenberch also provided the assist for Crysencio Summerville's second goal for the Dutch. Iraola, however may have wanted to see more from the third member of Liverpool's Dutch contingent as Cody Gakpo had a subdued match. Gakpo's game descended into predictability in Liverpool's struggles last season, too often resorting to simply cutting inside, a ploy easily detected by opponents as his form faded. He fell into similar traps against Japan, although Gakpo's cause was arguably not helped by coach Koeman's selection of Tottenham Hotspur's Micky van de Ven at left-back. A central defender by trade, Van de Ven offered little attacking assistance, allowing Japan to crowd Gakpo out. Gakpo also falls into the category of a player Iraola will hope to revive after a dramatic drop in standa