Liverpool have been under some severe scrutiny over the last week or so.
The Reds managed to lose their Premier League and Champions League winning streaks in the space of seven days, with Crystal Palace and Galatasaray both getting the better of them.
Of course, this could just end up being a blip, and Arne Slot’s men could go back to how they were before last Saturday, but, on the face of things, that doesn’t feel all that likely.
The recent lack of form from Liverpool has prompted pundits, fans, and journalists to share their thoughts on what has gone wrong with some players, with Florian Wirtz being singled out as a particular problem.
Simon Jordan hits back at Wayne Rooney’s claim about Liverpool and Florian Wirtz
It’s no secret that Wirtz hasn’t hit the heights that most people expected him to this season.
The attacking midfielder had the best season of his career last term with Bayer Leverkusen, and although he has one assist to his name, he’s been miles off the pace.
This caused Wayne Rooney to say the following about the German: “I’ve seen players come into this league and it takes time. For me, it’s not the price tag, it’s not the player and his ability.
“I don’t see where he fits into what Liverpool do in that system.
“So, is he a third midfield player? For me, no, he’s more of an attacking player. So if I have to choose between him and Szoboszlai, then I choose Szoboszlai.”
Indeed, Wirtz’s form hasn’t been the best, but the fact that Rooney can’t see that the German’s creativity and ability to play in attacking midfield or on the wing is baffling.
These are also the exact thoughts of Simon Jordan, who hit back at the claims Rooney made while live on talkSPORT.
“I would suggest that a manager whose main focus in life is to get teams relegated would not really be giving advice to a manager that has won the Premier League,” he said.
“I don’t think Arne Slot has got blindspots that Wayne Rooney is going to fill for him.
“Wayne can’t necessarily give the same advice to a manager about how to assemble a team, he can tell you what an elite player looks like, and what an elite player does, because he was one.”
Florian Wirtz needs to have a game or two out of the spotlight at Liverpool
Although Liverpool will want to play Wirtz as much as possible due to the £100m+ fee they could end up paying for him, at the moment, it feels like it would be better if he were left on the bench for a game or two.
The attacking midfielder is clearly lacking confidence, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t creating chances.
Although his numbers don’t suggest it, the young German is creating an awful lot of potential goals that Liverpool just can’t seem to make work.
Players such as Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak have also been well below par this term, and although it’s still early days, it’s a worrying sign.
At the moment, it’s anyone’s guess what could end up happening, but with everything that has gone on recently, it really feels like Wirtz could do with a game or two on the bench, just so he has some time out of the spotlight.
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