Florian Wirtz’s difficult start to the season showed no signs of easing on Saturday, with Jamie Carragher delivering another pointed assessment of the German’s form after Liverpool’s 1-0 win at Bournemouth.
Wirtz struggled for rhythm throughout the game at the Vitality Stadium and was substituted in the 71st minute, with Alexander Isak’s second-half strike proving the difference.
Carragher questioned during his Sky Sports commentary and podcast work whether the 23-year-old will ever justify the expectations that came with his British-record transfer.
The criticism has not been confined to Merseyside. Germany great Toni Kroos took a sarcastic swipe at Wirtz on his podcast last week, naming him as one of three players supposedly overlooked at the World Cup, despite Florian Wirtz featuring in all four of Germany’s matches.
Jurgen Klopp, now in charge of the national team, moved quickly to defend the midfielder and called for the pressure on Wirtz to ease.
Amid the noise, one voice has offered a more considered take.
Speaking on The Overlap, former Liverpool defender Andy Robertson gave his verdict on the playmaker’s first 15 months in England.
“I see a really special footballer, but I know he’s got to prove he can do it in the Premier League,” Robertson said.
“At times last season he would put a ball on a plate for somebody and they wouldn’t score, he needs people to score.”
Robertson, who left Liverpool for Tottenham Hotspur as a free agent this summer, pointed to specific reasons why Wirtz’s end product suffered during his debut campaign.
He noted that Mohamed Salah endured his worst season for goals, Cody Gakpo did not score as often as he could have from the left, and Isak was injured for long spells after his deadline-day arrival from Newcastle.
Hugo Ekitike, he added, “did well, to be fair to him.”
“He could easily have ended up with 10 to 12 assists last season,” Robertson said. “He’ll know he needs more.”
He was clear, though, on Wirtz’s mentality. “He’s really hungry as a player and he wants to be the best,” Robertson said. “He’s got the attitude and mentality to go and do it.”
Florian Wirtz joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in summer 2025 in a deal worth £116 million, including add-ons, making him the most expensive transfer in British football history at the time.
His first season yielded modest returns as Liverpool’s title defence collapsed, the club finishing fifth and 25 points behind champions Arsenal, a slide that led to Arne Slot’s sacking and the appointment of Andoni Iraola as head coach in June.
That upheaval was compounded by a major squad turnover last summer.
Salah left for Trabzonspor, Robertson joined Tottenham, and Ibrahima Konate departed for Real Madrid, all as free agents, as Liverpool moved into a new era under Iraola.
Six appearances into the new campaign, Florian Wirtz has just one assist to show for his efforts, and Iraola has publicly urged patience, insisting the German should be judged in the same context as any other player still adapting to English football.
Robertson’s assessment offers a similar message from someone who watched the difficulties unfold at close quarters and who believes the numbers will eventually follow.
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