I’m going to say something I never thought I would say this early into Florian Wirtz’s Liverpool career.
I’m worried.
I’ve been one of Wirtz’s biggest defenders on here.
I’ve repeatedly said he needs time to settle into Liverpool, adapt to Andoni Iraola’s football and understand the demands of the Premier League.
But after watching him against Ipswich, I’m running out of excuses.
Because that was not good enough.
Wirtz was dreadful
There were moments when Wirtz simply couldn’t keep hold of the ball.
He was losing possession, getting crowded out and struggling physically against Ipswich players.
For a player of his ability, it was extremely frustrating to watch.
And this isn’t about expecting him to score every week.
It’s about seeing the basic qualities we know he possesses.
The sharp passing.
The movement.
The ability to receive the ball under pressure.
The creativity.
We didn’t see enough of it.
And, if anything, I’m starting to wonder whether Wirtz has actually gone backwards since arriving at Liverpool.
The biggest problem for me is the speed
This is what really concerns me.
Iraola wants Liverpool to play quickly.
Move the ball.
Move the opposition.
Attack spaces.
Be aggressive.
But Wirtz is currently doing the opposite too often.
He receives the ball and the attack slows down.
He takes an extra touch.
He gets surrounded.
He loses possession.
And Liverpool have to start again.
That isn’t what Iraola wants.
We’ve already seen what Liverpool can look like when the ball moves quickly.
Look at the first half against Ipswich.
Liverpool were flying.
They moved the ball quickly and got Gakpo and Isak involved.
Two goals came inside the opening nine minutes.
That is the football I want to see.
And Wirtz has to become part of it.
I’ve defended him enough
This is the hardest part for me to admit.
I’ve spent weeks defending Wirtz.
I’ve said he needs time.
I’ve said he needs to adapt.
I’ve said we shouldn’t judge him too quickly.
And I still believe a player of his quality deserves patience.
But patience doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine.
It isn’t.
Wirtz cost Liverpool an enormous amount of money.
Depending on how the deal is reported and converted, we’re talking about roughly €136 million.
That comes with expectations.
And after having a full season to settle into English football, those expectations are going to become even greater.
€136m means production
This is the brutal reality.
Liverpool didn’t spend that sort of money for a player who might eventually become brilliant.
They bought Wirtz because they believed he could be brilliant now.
And I’m not demanding 20 goals and 20 assists.
I want to see influence.
I want him demanding the ball.
I want him taking responsibility.
I want him driving Liverpool forward.
I want him creating chances.
I want him making defenders panic.
At the moment, I’m not seeing enough of that.
And Barcola changes things
There’s another reason why this is becoming more important.
Liverpool have now added Bradley Barcola.
Gakpo is playing brilliantly.
Isak has finally announced himself with two goals at Ipswich.
Victor Muñoz has shown plenty of energy.
Suddenly there is serious competition for attacking places.
And that’s exactly how it should be.
Nobody should be guaranteed a place because of their transfer fee.
Not even Wirtz.
If Barcola comes into the team and starts producing, Gakpo continues his form and Wirtz continues struggling, Iraola has to make difficult decisions.
That’s healthy competition.
👀 But I’m not writing him off
Let’s be absolutely clear.
I’m worried about Wirtz.
I’m not writing him off.
There is a huge difference.
He’s still an incredibly talented footballer.
We’ve already seen flashes of what he can do.
Against Ipswich, he produced the pass that led to Isak putting the ball in the net for what looked like a third goal before the flag went up for offside.
So the ability hasn’t disappeared.
But flashes aren’t enough anymore.
The excuses have to stop
I’ve made enough excuses for Wirtz myself.
“Give him time.”
“He needs to adapt.”
“He needs better players around him.”
“Iraola’s system is new.”
All of those things can be true.
But at some point we have to say:
Come on, Florian. Show us what you can do.
Because Liverpool supporters know there is a brilliant footballer in there.
We just haven’t seen enough of him yet.
My verdict
I still believe Wirtz can become a huge player for Liverpool.
But I’m no longer going to defend every poor performance simply because I desperately want him to succeed.
He cost around €136m.
He’s had time to settle.
The competition for places is increasing.
And Iraola wants Liverpool to play fast, aggressive football.
Now Wirtz needs to start producing.
No more excuses from me.
I want to see the real Florian Wirtz.
And I want to see him soon.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
i think exactly the same!