ไทย
English
中國人
Jamie Carragher has once more expressed his frustration with Florian Wirtz, urging Liverpool to leave the $158 million attacking midfielder out of the lineup in upcoming fixtures.
The situation looks increasingly bleak for the 23-year-old, who, more than a year after arriving at Anfield, continues to put in below-par performances in England. He was especially poor during the weekend's 3–0 loss to Manchester City.
Another toothless display sparked fury from one of Wirtz's most vocal critics in recent months, former Liverpool defender Carragher, who tore into the playmaker for having "absolutely no goal threat whatsoever."
Carragher vented on Sky Sports: "What Florian Wirtz is doing for Liverpool is simply not good enough right now. He's played 55, 60 games for Liverpool. If we were looking at [Bradley] Barcola, he has played four or five. You would want more but hold your horses. If you were critical of him, it would be over the top, but not the guy that has played 60 games."
He continued: "He shouldn't be in the Liverpool team right now. I don't want to hammer Liverpool players. But we're not saying this after five to 10 games, we're saying this after 50 to 60 games.
"Wirtz never looks like he's going to score. You don't walk away thinking he missed chances or tested the goalkeeper. There was absolutely nothing where you thought he put someone through, or nearly scored. There's absolutely no goal threat whatsoever."
Liverpool fans were prepared to give Wirtz the benefit of the doubt during his first season, accepting a settling-in period within a team that struggled under Arne Slot. But patience is now wearing extremely thin.
Wirtz has managed just one goal involvement this season across seven appearances, adding to a modest 15 from last term. Given the club-record fee Liverpool paid for him at the time, far more is required to quiet the mounting criticism.
So, how might Liverpool breathe new life into their No. 7?
Follow Carragher's Advice
Liverpool have already persisted with Wirtz through lengthy spells of poor form. He started 40 of his 49 appearances during his debut year at the club, frequently being picked despite uninspiring showings in both domestic and European competition.
One thing Liverpool haven't yet tried, however, is dropping him altogether.
Carragher has a point: at present, Wirtz does not merit his place in the starting eleven. Perhaps Liverpool should take heed of their former center back's counsel.
An injury to Dominik Szoboszlai certainly makes this option less straightforward, with the Hungarian being the natural candidate to replace Wirtz as a No. 10, but the German can have little argument if he finds himself on the bench once Szoboszlai is fit again.
Not only would Szoboszlai pose a greater goal threat in that role—he has already netted three times this season—he would also offer Liverpool more defensive solidity thanks to his impressive work without the ball.
Perhaps stepping away from the pressure of being Liverpool's creative focal point could do Wirtz some good. Introducing him from the bench in the final 30 minutes could allow him to flourish against fatigued defenses, giving the Reds some composure and creativity as matches open up.
If he can contribute goals and assists in those late cameos, it could deliver a much-needed confidence boost that paves the way for a return to the starting lineup.
Mix Up Wirtz's Position
"I see him more probably in that position behind the striker. We know that he has played with Germany more on the left sometimes. But, I think we're going to start working with him in that position behind the striker," Iraola enthused back in July when asked about the best way to deploy Wirtz.
However, following a sluggish start under the Spaniard, perhaps Liverpool's only remaining strategy to revive Wirtz's fortunes involves some experimentation. A change in his role could be the final option.
Wirtz has been deployed on the left wing by both Liverpool and Germany in the past, though it is far from his favored position. He started on that flank 14 times for the Reds last season, scoring once and registering two assists, with several of those performances coming in late December and early January—the period in which Wirtz produced his best football.
Given that Liverpool currently have four natural left wingers in their squad, two of whom were brought in over the summer, a move to that side seems unlikely, but there is currently an unclaimed spot on the right wing. Could Wirtz flourish—or at least be less of a liability—in that position?
According to Transfermarkt, Wirtz has featured 11 times as a right winger throughout his senior club career—and his numbers there are not bad. He has scored four goals and provided three assists for Leverkusen and Liverpool, with three of those contributions coming in just two appearances for the latter last campaign.
Another potential option for Wirtz is a false nine role—possibly as a short-term fix for Alexander Isak's absence through injury. Again, this is not a position he knows well, but it was occasionally trialled by Slot last season, even if the outcomes were inconsistent.
With Isak sidelined, Hugo Ekitiké out for an extended period and no other senior specialist strikers available, Iraola could look to use Wirtz as a deep-lying center forward in the coming games.
At this stage, Liverpool have very little to lose by trying him somewhere new.