Liverpool need more from their £116m playmaker, but poor form should not be confused with discovering the limits of Florian Wirtz.
There comes a point when patience becomes an excuse.
Liverpool paid £116 million for Florian Wirtz. Nobody needs to whisper that figure or pretend it does not matter. At that price, you expect influence. Goals. Assists. Matches bent to the will of an exceptional footballer.
Liverpool have not had enough of that.
Jamie Carragher was right to criticise Wirtz after Liverpool’s 1-0 victory at Bournemouth. The first half was dreadful in places. His passing was careless, his confidence appeared fragile and too many promising situations disappeared at his feet.
Carragher went much further.
Speaking after the game, he said:
“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.”
That is where he loses me.
There is an enormous difference between saying Florian Wirtz has not been good enough for Liverpool and deciding that, at 23, we have discovered the limits of Florian Wirtz.
One is criticism.
The other is a conclusion.
The evidence does not support that conclusion.
I praised Wirtz to the hilt before Liverpool signed him. I thought they were buying one of Europe’s outstanding young footballers. I wrote about his awareness, his ability between the lines, his pressing intelligence and his willingness to receive the ball in horrible areas. His numbers supported the excitement. He ranked in the 99th percentile for expected assists, big chances created, through balls and successful dribbles.
I am not going to rewrite that assessment because his Liverpool career has been difficult.
I am equally unwilling to pretend it has been good.
That is where this debate should begin.
£116m brings expectations Wirtz has not met
Carragher’s strongest argument concerns expectation.
Liverpool did not buy a promising £25m footballer and hope he might eventually flourish. They committed a British record level fee to a player expected to transform their attack.
That changes the judgement.
Wirtz’s first Liverpool season produced seven goals and eight assists across 49 appearances. During his final two seasons with Bayer Leverkusen he accumulated 34 goals and 33 assists across all competitions.
The difference is enormous.
Liverpool therefore have every right to demand more.
Carragher has compared his contribution with less celebrated Premier League attacking midfielders who periodically produce decisive goals or performances. That is a fair challenge. If Wirtz is going to occupy one of Liverpool’s premium attacking positions, neat football cannot be the destination.
