Micah Richards believes he has identified the reason that Florian Wirtz has struggled in the Premier League for Liverpool.
The 22-year-old has dominated headlines across Europe since completing his eye-watering £116 million move to Anfield via Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.
Wirtz registered his first goal contribution for the Reds only four minutes into his competitive debut when he assisted Hugo Ekitike during the Community Shield loss against Crystal Palace.
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However, his fortunes in the Premier League have not been as promising, and as the pressure continues to mount, Arne Slot was urged to drop Wirtz for the 1-0 win against Burnley on Sunday.
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool looks on during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St James' Park.
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Mohamed Salah’s rare goal at Turf Moor secured the three points after he converted his 95th-minute penalty, but now, in the aftermath of the shock last-minute victory, the attention has turned back onto Wirtz.
Florian Wirtz has surprised Micah Richards since joining Liverpool
When discussing Sunday’s result on The Rest Is Football podcast, Richards admitted he has been surprised by Wirtz’s slow start in English football but believes he knows the reason behind it.
“Yeah, I think if I was a Liverpool fan, you’d be really happy with getting over the line. I think in midfield, though, with Wirtz, at this moment in time, it’s not clicking. It will come good because he’s that good of a player. When you spend £100m plus on a player, you expect (him to click) straight away.
“He’s obviously very tidy, but he’s finding it harder than I thought he would. I thought he would slot in straight away. But that’s something that they have to look at.
“If you look at Liverpool in previous years when they’ve been successful, I won’t say workmanlike midfield, but high energy midfield, he slows it down a little bit. Obviously can see a pass, can play a ball, but he’s not the Wirtz that I expected at this moment in time, and once he starts firing, they’ll be even better.”
Wirtz impressed Liverpool fans after his sensational display for Germany against Northern Ireland during the international break, as he appeared to be demonstrating his best form for his country.
He emerged from the half-time interval during the 1-0 win against Arsenal, heading into the break, and produced his best 45 minutes in a red shirt after the German left the supporters disappointed with his first-half showing.
Although the supporters may feel disheartened by his lack of immediate impact in the Premier League, Reds legend Jan Molby feels the criticism of Wirtz is “unfair”, echoing Richards’ point that it is only a matter of time before he finds his feet in English football.
Wirtz has been culpable for losing possession far too lackadaisically when trying to maintain the tempo of the Liverpool attack, and this appears to be the biggest stumbling block facing the midfielder as he aims to make his mark for the Reds.
How did Florian Wirtz fare against Burnley?
Although Wirtz is likely to be scrutinised once again, his efforts at Turf Moor tell the story of a player still coming to grips with the demands of English football.
He was lively in the centre of the park and contributed to proceedings by creating several chances for his teammates.
Florian Wirtz vs Burnley Total
Touches 82
Shots 3
Pass accuracy 79%
Chances created 4
Cross accuracy 33%
Long ball accuracy 100%
Ground Duels won 33%
Aerial Duels won 25%
Statistics provided by Fotmob.
However, he was significantly weak in duels, winning only 30% of his contested duels on the day, highlighting one of the most pressing concerns in his game.
Wirtz simply must be stronger when contesting for the ball and cannot continue to allow the opposition to get the better of him. Once this issue is resolved, all other concerns should subside.