After his £116 million move to Liverpool, Florian Wirtz is under enormous pressure. The German international has yet to score a single goal in eight competitive matches for the Reds, and criticism of the 22-year-old creative player is growing, yet it is largely exaggerated.
Wayne Rooney has a clear opinion on Florian Wirtz.
"I don't see how he fits into Liverpool's system," the England striker icon recently said of the 22-year-old German.
"He has so much talent, but I don't see where he could play in the team."
And Jamie Carragher - who enjoys legendary status at Liverpool - also had nothing good to say about the Reds' new signing.
"At the moment I don't think the balance in the team is right, and the most obvious case is Florian Wirtz," said the former defender after a 1-0 defeat at Galatasaray in the Champions League.
In social networks, where player performances are often reduced to hard facts such as goals and assists, Wirtz has already been the regular target of mockery for weeks.
But if you take a closer look at the 22-year-old's recent performances, it's clear that it won't be long before he cracks.
Unjust criticism
It seems almost paradoxical that the criticism was particularly loud after the game in Istanbul. After difficulties in the early stages - which most of his teammates also had - he still played an above-average game.
Wirtz attempted three shots himself. He achieved a pass rate of 82 per cent and set up two shots on goal perfectly.
In the 63rd minute, he sent Alexander Isak on his way with a wonderful direct pass. If the Swedish attacker had shown more composure when finishing, the DFB player would have been delighted with his assist.
Eight minutes later, he played a precise cross to the far post on the left wing - Wirtz cannot be blamed for the fact that Conor Bradley's header went narrowly wide.
Although both scenes require a high level of technical ability and a good feel for his teammates from the former Leverkusen player, there was a conspicuous lack of praise.
Interestingly, Bundesliga fans recognise that his true strengths lie in dribbling and playing in confined spaces. Here, however, he also showed his ability as a playmaker and passer over long distances. That is cause for optimism.
The right tactical role
Media coverage of Wirtz tends to focus on the things that don't work. A failed ball retention or a lost tackle is quickly cited as proof that Liverpool have reached too deep into their pockets.
The fact is that Wirtz still needs time to adapt to the tactical structure of coach Arne Slot.
The Dutchman has not yet found a suitable concept to get him the ball in the attacking half areas.
As soon as he manages to have more contact with the ball in the opposition penalty area, his scoring will increase rapidly.
At Leverkusen, Wirtz has continuously exceeded his personal xG value: in 2023/24 he scored 11 goals (with a value of 8.9) - and in 2024/25 he scored 10 goals (xG of 9.4).
Room for improvement
Wirtz will also have to adjust to the athleticism and pace of the Premier League gradually.
This became apparent when Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo stole the ball off his foot on his league debut - and the referee failed to whistle, which would certainly have been different in Germany.
However, Wirtz hardly ever makes mistakes like this any more. On the contrary, he chases after every lost ball and moves all over the pitch.
There is also room for improvement in this respect: if Wirtz manages to move more economically across the pitch, it will also be easier for his teammates to recognise his running routes intuitively.
Substitute bench the wrong sign
In short, Wirtz is not yet at the level expected of a £116 million new signing at Liverpool. But an improvement from match to match is clearly recognisable - you just have to look closely.
In my opinion, it would be the wrong sign from Slot to withdraw confidence from him during this development phase and relegate him to the substitutes' bench.
