Jamie Carragher did not mince his words when talking about Florian Wirtz after another disappointing showing for Liverpool in the Premier League.
Liverpool made a lot of changes over the summer, including a new manager and several new players to bolster their squad. While there has been criticism about the way they have gone about their squad-building project, the focus is steadily shifting towards some of the big-money signings that arrived last summer, especially Florian Wirtz.
Wirtz has not delivered since his big-money move from Bayer Leverkusen last year, and regular underwhelming displays are casting doubt on whether Liverpool made the right decision. Like Arne Slot, Andoni Iraola has utilised the attacking midfielder consistently, but so far the German international has barely produced results that are considered even remotely acceptable.
Even at the start of the new season, and into the fifth game of the Premier League campaign, Wirtz has not convinced observers that there is any scope for immediate improvement. Jamie Carragher, who usually does not mince his words, has had plenty to say about Wirtz, and his comments appear justified when criticising the 23-year-old after another poor outing.
Jamie Carragher’s verdict on Florian Wirtz
Carragher’s comments appeared in the Mirror, where the former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit did not hold back. From his performances to the price that Liverpool paid, Carragher did not mince his words when talking about the 23-year-old German international.
Carragher said, “Wirtz has been really poor again. It’s just nothing. Nothing is happening there at all. That was one of the poorest I’ve ever seen him in a Liverpool shirt. I’ve been critical of the fact that he hasn’t got the numbers. But normally when you watch Wirtz, he’s neat and tidy; he keeps possession; there are things that you like. He gets out of a tight situation where you’re normally expecting your player to lose the ball.
“But the reason I worry is, I don’t think Wirtz is in poor form since he came to Liverpool. I actually think what we’re seeing is what he is. And I was worried for Wirtz probably 12 months ago. I don’t see how he’s going to hurt you. It’s just neat and tidy. And in some way, the price tag for that type of player should be half of what Liverpool have paid. The worry for Wirtz now is that his performances so far, or what he’s given Liverpool, is so low.
“Where we were expecting him was to take Liverpool to another league title, to take Liverpool to a Champions League. The gap he’s got to get to almost justify what people were expecting, I almost think is too big.
“You can’t get there. Even if he improves a bit and gets there, it’s still not what Liverpool thought they were getting. And it’s not just Wirtz, it’s the knock-on effect. So when he plays at No. 10, it means Dominik Szoboszlai has to play central midfield. I don’t think Szoboszlai is a central-midfield player, I don’t.”
Given his loss of form since joining Liverpool, speculation over his future in the media is quite natural, as Bayern Munich have reportedly been linked again. There is a possibility that Liverpool might consider his future if performances continue to falter, with the club reportedly anticipating offers ahead of the next windows.
However, the club are not planning to part ways with Wirtz just yet, and will continue to show faith in the big-money signing despite his poor showing so far. It remains to be seen whether Wirtz can turn things around and make himself a lethal weapon for Liverpool moving forward, as the pressure seems to be mounting externally on the German playmaker to prove his worth.