Florian Wirtz did not need anybody else to frame the challenge.

“I have also the expectations for myself to decide games.”

For a player whose Liverpool performances continue to generate discussion around what he is producing rather than what he is influencing, it was a significant admission.

Wirtz has rarely looked detached from Liverpool’s attacking play during the opening weeks of Andoni Iraola’s tenure.

Often, the opposite has been true.

He has found pockets between midfield and defence, helped move Liverpool through pressure and produced passes capable of changing the shape of an attack in an instant.

Against Atletico Madrid, the perfectly weighted ball that released Bradley Barcola into a one-on-one situation was one of the clearest examples.

The problem is that influence and decisiveness are not always the same thing.

And Wirtz understands that distinction.

Liverpool’s No.7 said ahead of Sunday’s trip to Bournemouth that Iraola has made his ideas “very clear from the start” and believes the squad is improving its understanding of those demands game by game. He also acknowledged that Liverpool have already allowed opportunities to win matches more comfortably to pass them by.

“I think we had a few games where we could have scored more goals to win the game,” Wirtz said.

“We need me and the attackers to finish the games off, so we definitely try to work on that.”

That feels particularly relevant to Liverpool’s start.

They remain unbeaten in all competitions and there have been encouraging signs, particularly in the victories over Atletico Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur.

But one Premier League win from their opening four matches leaves a sense that some good performances still need converting into more substantial results.

Wirtz’s role is not simply about goals

The temptation with Wirtz will always be to reduce the discussion to goals and assists.

Given his profile and the expectations attached to his move to Liverpool, that is inevitable to an extent.

But it is also incomplete.

Wirtz is often most valuable one or two actions before a chance reaches its conclusion.

He receives in crowded central areas, turns away from pressure and changes the direction of attacks. His passing can draw defenders towards him before releasing somebody else into the space created.

That is why judging him solely by whether he scores on a particular afternoon misses much of what Liverpool want from him.

There does, however, come a point where those actions must begin producing more tangible outcomes.

Wirtz appears fully aware of that.

His comment about “deciding games” was not a complaint about his role or a defence of his performances. It was effectively an acknowledgement that Liverpool require another level from him.

Not necessarily more involvement.

More consequence.

Iraola’s Liverpool are beginning to take shape

The timing of Wirtz’s comments is interesting because Liverpool are also beginning to look more comfortable with Iraola’s broader ideas.

The head coach described parts of Tuesday’s 3-1 Carabao Cup victory over Tottenham as close to the version of Liverpool he wants to see, particularly because of the energy and collective aggression within the performance.

Wirtz watched that game from the stands and believes the team are moving in a similar direction.

“I feel that the team understands it more and more and we just make it better every week and in every game,” he said. “I think it’s going in a good direction.”

That development should help him.

Iraola’s football demands aggressive movement around the ball and players arriving quickly into advanced positions. The more automatic those relationships become, the more opportunities Wirtz should have to receive facing goal rather than with his back to it.

It is in those situations where he can be most damaging.

Bournemouth offers another test

Sunday’s visit to Bournemouth provides another opportunity to show that progression.

Wirtz expects an intense game and believes Iraola’s intimate knowledge of his former club could provide Liverpool with a “small advantage”.

But Liverpool’s biggest advantage may ultimately come from their attacking players beginning to turn promising periods into decisive moments.

Wirtz already understands that responsibility.

His adaptation to Iraola’s Liverpool is not about proving that he can influence matches.

He has already shown that.

The next step is ensuring opponents feel that influence on the scoreboard.