Florian Wirtz should not be shielded from criticism and has been underwhelming so far, though the team's issues have not platformed him, Reds expert David Lynch has argued.
Following the Merseysiders' 3-0 loss against Manchester City last weekend, attacker Wirtz was criticised by pundits such as Gary Neville, who claimed that he has not yet settled into the division.
There has at times been a reluctance to critique the German's displays given the Reds have struggled as a collective, with only Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk managing to consistently play well this term.
Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch agreed with Neville that Wirtz has underperformed, but he was also keen to highlight his promising signs, saying: "There's been so many issues. The multiple problems that Liverpool have had to face and him coming into that environment in a team that is unsettled has caused him an lots of problems.
"But his biggest problem is individual at the moment. He is struggling with the intensity of the Premier League. He's not getting separation when he's dribbling, he's being out muscled consistently. He doesn't have to be bigger and stronger - not every single player in the league has to be - but he has to be better.
"Where I would agree with Gary Neville is that we shouldn't be treating him with kid gloves. He cost £116 million, so you've got to have high expectations. What is encouraging is that some of his numbers look okay. He ranks highly for shot-creating actions and chances created, but he's also got to play an awful lot better."
Wirtz has failed to provide an assist or score a goal in the Premier League, though he does rank seventh in the division for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.31).
David Lynch YouTube image
Should Arne Slot drop Florian Wirtz from the Liverpool starting XI?
Boss Arne Slot started the season with Wirtz as his number 10, opting to deploy Cody Gakpo on the left side of attack, but he has started the former in place of the latter in his side's two most recent games.
Wirtz has failed to consistently make an impact since signing regardless of the position he has played, and the team have looked vulnerable defensively whenever he has played in central areas.
Though there have been calls to drop Wirtz, Lynch expressed his view that Liverpool may have to play him through his poor form, telling Sports Mole: "Signing Wirtz has put them in a scenario where they have to play him through [his issues], like they had to play Isak into fitness, though that hasn't worked out.
"But Slot's going to have to play Wirtz through his problems, and he probably has to stick with him regardless of form because if you're paying that amount of money, you need those players to be good.
"The downside of that is that the results will continue to suffer, but what happens if you start putting top four at risk? It's such a hard one to judge because [you don't know] when that click will come. It will come at some point, and I'm hopeful of that fact."
Gakpo is the club's only senior left-winger, and Slot has shown faith in the forward, so it would not be surprising if he regained his place in the starting XI.
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool in action on October 4, 2025
Does Arne Slot know how to get the most from Florian Wirtz?
Wirtz was the best player under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen when they won the Bundesliga title unbeaten in 2023-24, with the 22-year-old operating in a narrow left-sided role as one of two behind a striker.
Slot has stationed the playmaker in the middle, on the left and on the right this season, and he has even used him as a false nine, but the lack of a settled position has fuelled concerns that he does not know how to get the most from the German.
Lynch acknowledged the disruption that Wirtz has dealt with by being used in different areas, when he told Sports Mole: "He's got to play better, but it's right to acknowledge he's only 22. He's younger than Harvey Elliott. What I like is that he took on the challenge of coming to the Premier League because he wants to be better.
"Having said that, if you're going to sign someone for £116 million, then they've got to produce. It's taken him a couple of months to adapt, but that has to start turning soon, and we have to start seeing more from him.
"Wirtz is making the midfield worse at the moment. He's being funnelled out to the left. On a similar note, Isak is making the attack worse than it was last season, and yet they have to get him in, and they have to get Wirtz in too."
There is an argument that signing so many players in the summer transfer window was a mistake given Slot has found it difficult to settle on a preferred XI, and the numerous incomings may also have had an impact on Wirtz's ability to settle into the team.
> Click here to listen to the full discussion on whether Florian Wirtz should be dropped by Liverpool
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