I’ve Defended Florian Wirtz, But Liverpool Can’t Keep Waiting Forever

I’ve spent a lot of time defending Florian Wirtz since he arrived at Liverpool, and I don’t regret doing that. I wanted him to succeed from the moment we signed him, and I still do. But after Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, I’ve reached a point where I need to challenge my own thinking.

Am I being too stubborn? Am I making excuses because I desperately want this transfer to work? Would I show the same patience if Liverpool had paid £30 million for him rather than £116 million?

Those are uncomfortable questions, but they’re fair ones.

I’ve always promised to be honest with you, even when that means changing my opinion. And my opinion now is that Wirtz needs to come out of Liverpool’s starting eleven.

I haven’t given up on him. I’m nowhere near demanding that we sell him. But I cannot keep watching the same problems and convincing myself everything will eventually fall into place.

Liverpool need results, and the collective has to come before any individual.

Florian Wirtz Has Had Time To Make His Mark

What frustrated me most against Manchester City was that we’d spent the entire build-up talking about this being Wirtz’s opportunity.

With Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo unavailable, Liverpool needed somebody to take responsibility. We needed our expensive attacking players to influence a huge occasion.

Wirtz didn’t deliver.

The Liverpool Echo reported that he lost possession 16 times in the first half. Creative players will always surrender possession because they’re attempting difficult things, but that figure is incredibly difficult to defend.

It’s the basic elements that concern me. His first touch, his passing and his ability to retain possession under pressure have all been inconsistent.

Nobody can question his work rate. He presses, he tracks back and he genuinely appears to be trying. But we’re into his second season at Liverpool, and effort alone cannot justify his place in the team.

I’ve watched him for Germany and seen a much more comfortable footballer. I’ve seen what he produced at Bayer Leverkusen. The talent is there, which makes this situation even more frustrating.

Bradley Barcola also struggled against City, but I refuse to judge somebody who’s only been here a matter of weeks by the same standards as a player who’s already had a season to settle.

We gave Wirtz that first season. We said he needed time to adapt to the Premier League. I supported that argument completely.

Now we need evidence of progress.

I don’t know how much longer we can keep waiting for a performance that convinces everybody he’s finally turning the corner.

Steven Gerrard Has Offered Liverpool A Sensible Solution

I was interested in Steven Gerrard’s comments about Wirtz because they closely reflect where I’ve arrived.

Gerrard still believes there’s a major talent in there, but he also recognises that Wirtz needs support and might benefit from watching somebody else play in his position.

That makes perfect sense to me.

Taking Wirtz out of the team doesn’t have to mean abandoning him. It could give him some breathing space away from the constant scrutiny and allow him to rebuild his confidence.

Bring him on for the final 20 or 25 minutes against tiring opponents. Give him opportunities to influence matches without expecting him to carry Liverpool’s creativity from the opening whistle.

And let’s try somebody else at number 10.

I’d be comfortable seeing Dominik Szoboszlai there, while Alexis Mac Allister could also operate further forward. With Ryan Gravenberch suspended, Trey Nyoni deserves consideration in midfield.

We need to establish whether Liverpool’s problems are primarily about Wirtz, the system or the balance of the players around him.

We won’t discover that by selecting the same eleven and hoping for different results.

I’ve even heard suggestions that we should try Wirtz as a false nine. But Liverpool have invested enormous money in Isak and Hugo Ekitike. Are we seriously going to rearrange our entire attack again to accommodate one player?

At some point, the manager has to make a decision.

Andoni Iraola has shown he’s prepared to trust young players like Lewis Koumas, and I want him to demonstrate that nobody’s place is guaranteed.

Chelsea Rumours Raise An Uncomfortable Question

Reports suggesting Chelsea are interested in Wirtz have inevitably started another conversation about his future.

I want to be clear that I have no idea whether Liverpool would consider selling him, whether Chelsea’s interest is substantial or whether Wirtz would entertain a move.

But the rumours have made me think about something I’d previously dismissed.

What happens if this never works?

I’m not ready to have that conversation as a serious transfer proposal today. I’d give Wirtz the remainder of this season, starting with a spell on the bench and a gradual return to the side.

However, if we’re still having these conversations next summer, Liverpool will have some difficult decisions to make.

And if we ever reach the point of selling him, I’d much rather he moved outside the Premier League.

Imagine watching him rediscover his Leverkusen form at Chelsea. Imagine him becoming the player we thought we’d signed, only for that transformation to benefit a direct rival.

That would hurt enormously.

I understand supporters who believe we should cut our losses. I also understand those who fear giving up on a potentially world-class footballer too early.

I’m somewhere between those positions now.

I still believe in his ability. I’m simply becoming less convinced that Liverpool have found the right way to use it.

Liverpool Must Fix The Team, Not Protect Reputations

The wider recruitment picture cannot be ignored.

Liverpool have spent extraordinary sums, yet our midfield still lacks the balance I’d like to see. We need somebody who can provide defensive security, win possession and give the attacking players a stronger platform.

That’s why I’m so interested in Lamine Camara.

I’ve spoken before about Liverpool’s contact with his representatives, and I hope we’re firmly involved if an opportunity emerges in January. He could provide some of the qualities we’ve been missing.

But signing a defensive midfielder won’t automatically improve Wirtz’s first touch or make his passes more accurate.

Those are things he has to address himself.

Liverpool face LASK on Wednesday and Brentford on Saturday. We’ve taken only half the Premier League points available to us, and we haven’t won a home league match this season.

We’re still close to the Champions League places, but the margin for error is shrinking.

I want Iraola to succeed, and I want Wirtz to become a Liverpool superstar. Nothing would make me happier than seeing him prove my current doubts completely wrong.

But supporting a player doesn’t mean guaranteeing him a starting place indefinitely.

Sometimes the best thing you can do for somebody is take them out of the firing line, give them a chance to reset and ask them to earn their way back.

That’s where I am with Florian Wirtz.

I’m not giving up on him.

I’m giving up on pretending that simply waiting is a solution.

Much Love.