Former England international Jamie Carragher has delivered a scathing assessment of Florian Wirtz’s recent performances, directly urging Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola to drop the playmaker from his starting XI. Following a lackluster display against Bournemouth that left fans frustrated, Wirtz has found himself at the epicenter of a growing storm on Merseyside.
Despite arriving with immense expectations and a staggering price tag, the German international has struggled to find his rhythm or impose himself in the Premier League. Speaking on his self-titled podcast, Carragher didn’t mince words about what he has seen from the midfielder, labeling his recent outings as “really poor” and arguing that reputation alone shouldn’t guarantee a spot in the side.
“That was one of the poorest I’ve ever seen him in a Liverpool shirt,” he said. “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’s 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. And maybe that was a little bit early to say that, but I didn’t say it.
It was just in the back of my head.” “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.