Florian Wirtz sparks serious concern after ‘perfect scenario’ failed at Liverpool
Florian Wirtz has been criticised by a Liverpool legend after he failed to shine once again for the Reds as they scraped past Burnley in a last-gasp win over the weekend.
Florian Wirtz was a star in the Bundesliga for a number of years, and became one of the most highly-rated young midfielders in the world after firing Bayer Leverkusen to an unprecedented unbeaten league title in 2024.
Football Insider revealed in May that Liverpool were making progress towards a huge deal to sign Wirtz after meetings with him and his family, despite serious interest in his services from German giants Bayern Munich.
Wirtz officially made the move to Liverpool in June for an initial fee of £100million [Sky Sports], and explained that he was “very happy and proud” to be joining the club, but he has largely failed to impress on Merseyside so far.
The German playmaker is now yet to register a goal or an assist after his first four Premier League appearances for the Reds, and a club legend has slammed him for his showing against Burnley on Sunday (14 September) as he failed to make the most of a golden opportunity to shine against a newly-promoted team.
Steve Nicol critical of Florian Wirtz after he ‘didn’t turn up’ against Burnley
Arne Slot has handed Wirtz starts in all of Liverpool’s four league games up to now, and even though they have won each of them, the 22-year-old has struggled to make his mark.
He failed to have a shot on target against the Clarets on Sunday, while he had just eight touches in the opposition’s box, made only four passes into the final third and won just two of his six ground duels [Fotmob].
Reds legend Steve Nicol offered his verdict on Wirtz’s recent performance on ESPN Extra Time (14 September), and slammed him for not making the most of playing against a team whom many have predicted to struggle this season, as he failed to do anything of note.
He said: “There’s one guy that Liverpool spent a lot of money on this summer, who really was brought in for this type of situation…Mr Wirtz.
“This was the perfect scenario for him to get on the ball in the final third and show us those little passes, those little movements, those little connections, little one-two’s, all the things that he did in the Bundesliga in the last couple of years.
“This was set up for him to show what he is made of, and unfortunately he didn’t turn up again… that has to be a concern.”
Wirtz should be dropped to the bench to bring his Liverpool career to life
Wirtz has arguably been given a pretty easy ride at Liverpool up to now, as he was an instant starter in both the Community Shield and Premier League, and has played from the off in every game despite hardly impressing.
He is obviously a top player, and is likely to go on to do great things at Anfield, but he has not warranted his place as yet and so should be dropped from Slot’s eleven for the Reds’ first Champions League clash of the season against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday (17 September).
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 197 | 57 | 65 |
It is not as if the Dutch boss is lacking options in attacking midfield, with Dominik Szoboszlai likely to move there if Wirtz was put on the bench and Conor Bradley then starting at right-back, so it may be exactly what the Germany international needs to really come to life in a red shirt.
The idea that he needs to prove himself and actually earn his place in the starting team could then properly kick Wirtz into gear if he does come off the bench against the La Liga side, and his first meaningful goal contribution of the season would surely open the floodgates for him to impress for the rest of the campaign.