'Poorest I've ever seen' - Carragher did not hold back in his criticism of Liverpool star
by Ahad Shaukat · CaughtOffside(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Florian Wirtz is facing renewed scrutiny after another underwhelming Liverpool performance, with Jamie Carragher questioning whether the German is ever going to justify the enormous expectations that followed his move to Anfield.
Liverpool still left the Vitality Stadium with a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth, thanks to Alexander Isak’s second-half winner, but Wirtz struggled for rhythm and looked short of confidence for long periods.
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The 23-year-old completed only 70% of his passes, with Isak the only Liverpool starter to record a lower accuracy.
Carragher raises serious concerns over Liverpool star
Carragher was openly critical during his Sky Sports commentary.
He said, as reported by GOAL:
“Wirtz has been really poor again.”
“It’s just nothing. Nothing is happening there at all.”
Speaking afterwards on the Jamie Carragher Podcast, he continued:
“That was one of the poorest I’ve ever seen him in a Liverpool shirt.”
Carragher added:
“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.”
Carragher’s concerns are significant given Liverpool paid up to £116 million for Wirtz.
There were still some positive signs regarding Wirtz
Wirtz’s performance was poor by his standards, but it was not completely without value.
According to Opta Analyst, he created three chances, joint-most for Liverpool alongside Dominik Szoboszlai. That suggests his creativity has not completely disappeared, even when his overall performance looks flat.
Andoni Iraola also defended him afterwards, admitting he started slowly but insisting Wirtz still helped Liverpool improve as the game progressed.
The bigger concern is consistency. Wirtz can still produce clever touches and passes, but Liverpool need far more decisive actions from a player who arrived for a club-record-level fee.
Three chances created is useful. A 70% pass completion rate and another game without dominating the final third is less convincing.
Carragher’s criticism may be harsh, but the question is becoming unavoidable: Liverpool need Wirtz to become a match-winner rather than simply a technically tidy midfielder.
Liverpool expect January offers for 23-year-old as Bayern Munich step up interest
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