Florian Wirtz hasn’t exactly had the start to life at Liverpool that many of us expected.
The German arrived at Anfield with enormous expectations, and while there have been flashes of his quality, he hasn’t yet produced the consistent performances Liverpool supporters were hoping for.
But Andoni Iraola isn’t concerned.
In fact, the Liverpool head coach has made it clear that he remains very happy with Wirtz and believes the summer signing should be judged in exactly the same way as every other player in his squad.
And I think that’s important.
We need to give Wirtz time
It is incredibly easy to judge a £100m-plus player by his price tag.
Every misplaced pass becomes a talking point.
Every quiet performance gets analysed.
Every missed opportunity gets magnified.
But Wirtz is playing in a completely new team, under a completely new manager, in a completely different system.
Liverpool are changing the way they play under Iraola.
That doesn’t happen overnight.
We’ve already seen how difficult the transition can be.
Liverpool dominated possession against Fulham but struggled to create enough clear opportunities, while the midfield has also looked unsettled at times.
Wirtz isn’t the only player trying to adapt.
Iraola is right to defend him
Iraola could easily have thrown Wirtz under the bus.
Instead, he has backed his player.
That is exactly what a new manager should be doing.
Wirtz has enormous ability and Liverpool didn’t spend that sort of money because they expected him to be an instant finished product.
They bought him because they believe he can become one of the most important players in the team.
And we’ve already seen glimpses.
There have been moments where his movement, technique and ability to find space between the lines have shown exactly why Liverpool wanted him.
The consistency will come.
Hopefully.
The Spurs game was a reminder
Interestingly, Wirtz was left out of the squad altogether for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup victory over Tottenham.
That was understandable given Liverpool’s schedule.
Iraola made 10 changes for the 3-1 victory after admitting his team had lacked energy against Fulham.
It also gave several other players the opportunity to impress.
Cody Gakpo took his chance with a goal and an assist, while Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai also got on the scoresheet.
That’s exactly what Iraola needs.
Competition for places.
Wirtz shouldn’t be guaranteed a place simply because of his price tag.
But equally, he shouldn’t be written off because he hasn’t immediately hit the heights expected of him.
Now let’s see what he can do at Bournemouth
Liverpool travel to Bournemouth on Sunday with Iraola returning to his former club.
There are no fresh injury concerns, although Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni and Federico Chiesa remain unavailable.
Wirtz is expected to come back into contention after being rested against Spurs.
And this is where I’d like to see him respond.
Not because he needs to prove his critics wrong.
Not because he needs to justify his price tag.
But because Liverpool need their best players to start producing consistently.
The Spurs victory was a huge positive, particularly after the disappointing Fulham draw.
Now the challenge is taking that momentum into the Premier League.
Wirtz can play a massive part in that.
Iraola has made his position clear.
He believes in Florian Wirtz.
Now Liverpool supporters need to give him the time and patience to show us exactly why the club spent so much money bringing him to Anfield.
And when it finally clicks, I have a feeling we’re going to see a very special player.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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