Bournemouth Masked A Deeper Concern Over Wirtz’s Form

Liverpool came away from the south coast with three points and a fourth win in five, but anyone who actually watched the game at Bournemouth will know the scoreline flattered the performance in one specific area. Florian Wirtz set up Alexander Isak for the only goal of the afternoon, and on another day that assist would be the headline. Instead, it is his overall struggle to influence matches from an advanced role that keeps dominating the conversation, and we think it is time to stop treating that as a passing phase.

The Numbers Do Not Lie

Wirtz finished the first half with a passing accuracy lower than any other Liverpool player on the pitch, just 63 per cent, and that is not a small detail. It is a symptom of a player who still looks like he is translating the game into a different language before he acts on it. Liverpool paid a huge fee to bring a genuine creative spark into this side, and right now the tempo drops every time the ball reaches him, which is the opposite of what he was signed to do.

Troy Deeney did not hold back when he assessed the display, saying live on air that Wirtz “doesn’t look like he belongs in this league” and that his hesitancy is starting to affect teammates around him, with Bradley Barcola and Cody Gakpo both denied quick service because of it. It is a harsh verdict, but watching how often Bournemouth were able to regroup and reset their defensive shape whenever Wirtz had the ball, it is hard to argue Deeney got it entirely wrong. Andoni Iraola’s frustration on the touchline throughout the middle period of the game backed that up too.

Isak Continues To Carry The Weight

What saves this story from becoming a genuine crisis is that Alexander Isak keeps finding a way to be decisive. He took his chance well after the break, and it continued a strong start to life as Liverpool’s central striker. Even his own display was not flawless, with suggestions that he is overthinking situations that should come naturally to him in open play, but he is delivering in the moments that count, and that buys everyone else time.

Patience Has A Limit

Wirtz arrived from Bayer Leverkusen for £116.5m off the back of a difficult first campaign that still produced seven goals and nine assists in all competitions. Six appearances into this season, he has neither scored nor assisted in the league, and reports of Bayern Munich’s interest will not help calm the noise around him. Our view is simple. The talent is not in question, anyone who has watched him at his best knows exactly what he can do, but Liverpool need him to start affecting matches rather than merely appearing in them. Bournemouth was a result to enjoy. It should not be allowed to disguise a problem that needs solving.