I think Florian Wirtz deserves a bit of credit after what he produced against Brentford.
Liverpool needed a response after that disappointing defeat to Manchester City, and the pressure on some of our big-money signings has been growing. Wirtz has been right in the middle of that criticism, with people questioning his goals, assists and overall impact.
But sometimes the numbers tell a different story.
Wirtz has broken a Liverpool record for chances created in a single Premier League game against Brentford.
And when you look at the wider Premier League numbers, it becomes even more impressive.
Only three players have created more chances in a league match over the last decade: Pascal Groß, Kevin De Bruyne and Bruno Fernandes, who each managed 10.
That puts Wirtz in some pretty serious company.
This is what Liverpool signed him for
Let’s be honest, Wirtz hasn’t had everything his own way since arriving at Anfield.
The transfer fee has brought enormous expectations, and I understand why supporters want to see more goals and assists. When you spend that sort of money on an attacking midfielder, you expect him to make a difference.
But I have always felt that judging Wirtz purely on those numbers misses part of the picture.
He is a creative player. He wants the ball, looks for passes that other players might not see and tries to make things happen between the lines.
Sometimes those passes lead directly to goals. Sometimes they create the opportunity for somebody else to make the decisive pass. And sometimes the move breaks down before Liverpool get the reward.
That doesn’t mean the original idea was wrong.
Creating chances is a skill in its own right, and Wirtz showed just how good he can be at it against Brentford.
Liverpool have struggled to create clear opportunities consistently this season. Seeing Wirtz produce a performance like this is encouraging, particularly when the team still needs to find greater attacking rhythm under Andoni Iraola.
The Brentford performance mattered for more than one reason
Liverpool’s 2-1 victory was not straightforward.
Brentford took the lead through Keane Lewis-Potter, and the Reds had to work hard to get back into the game. Wirtz helped turn things around by setting up Victor Muñoz for Liverpool’s equaliser before Alexander Isak scored the winner. Brentford also finished with nine men after two dismissals.
That is the important context.
Wirtz wasn’t simply collecting impressive statistics in a game that meant nothing. He was contributing to a Liverpool comeback in a match where the team desperately needed three points.
And after the criticism following the Manchester City defeat, that matters.
Liverpool still have plenty to improve, but winning away from home after falling behind is a positive response.
Wirtz played his part.
The criticism hasn’t disappeared, but this is encouraging
I’m not suggesting one performance suddenly answers every question about Wirtz.
He still needs to produce more goals and assists. Liverpool need their expensive attacking signings to become more decisive, and Wirtz himself will know that he can offer more in the final third.
But there is a difference between saying he needs to improve and claiming he isn’t contributing anything.
This record is a reminder of the creative ability he possesses.
And it comes at a time when Liverpool need somebody capable of unlocking stubborn defences.
I also think it should encourage Iraola to keep working with him rather than constantly changing his role. Wirtz needs to understand his teammates’ movements, while the players around him need to learn when and where to make the runs he is looking for.
That connection takes time.
The more regularly Wirtz creates chances, the greater the possibility that those opportunities will turn into goals and assists as Liverpool’s attacking play improves.
Of course, that improvement has to happen. Potential and impressive statistics only go so far if the team isn’t converting them.
But there are reasons to be encouraged.
Imagine when everything finally clicks
This is what makes Wirtz so interesting for me.
We’ve already seen flashes of his quality, and now we have a record-breaking creative performance to add to them.
He isn’t the finished product at Liverpool yet. I’m not going to pretend otherwise.
But I don’t want supporters to lose sight of what he can bring simply because the goals and assists haven’t arrived consistently enough.
A player who can create chances at this level is an asset Liverpool need to build around, not somebody we should be writing off.
Now the challenge is turning that creativity into regular end product.
If Wirtz can keep producing opportunities while developing a better understanding with Isak, Muñoz, Gakpo and the rest of Liverpool’s attack, there is every reason to believe we can see much more from him.
And that’s what I want to see.
More of those passes that open defences up. More chances created. More moments where Liverpool’s attackers are getting the ball in dangerous positions.
And, ultimately, more goals and assists to go with them.
For now, though, I think Wirtz deserves recognition for what he did against Brentford.
He has broken a Liverpool record, joined an impressive group of Premier League creators and helped the Reds secure an important victory.
That is something worth celebrating.
His critics are entitled to expect more from him.
But after this performance, I think they should also remember just how much creativity he can bring to Liverpool.
The end product still needs to improve. The talent is there. And I’m not giving up on Florian Wirtz.
By Jamie (The Kopite View)
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