Andy Robertson has backed Florian Wirtz to come good at Liverpool and explained why he has sympathy for the challenges the midfielder faced during his first season at Anfield
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammate Andy Robertson during a Premier League match against Sunderland
Andy Robertson has spoken about former Liverpool teammate Florian Wirtz(Image: Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Former Liverpool defender Andy Robertson has opened up on the challenges new players faced last season and why he believes Florian Wirtz has the tools for success.
The pair played just a single season alongside each other as Robertson departed as a free agent in the summer and joined Tottenham. Wirtz, meanwhile, was signed for big money from Bayer Leverkusen last year but is yet to truly live up to the price tag.
While Alexander Isak, another player signed for a British-record fee, has put last season's woes behind him and started the new campaign brightly, Wirtz is yet to truly get up and running. After below-par performances against Fulham and Bournemouth in recent weeks, the Germany international continues to be under intense scrutiny from fans and the media alike.
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That said, Robertson has offered some key insight into the challenges his new teammates faced last year, coming into a dressing room grieving the loss of Diogo Jota. He also highlighted the attributes Wirtz has that give him every opportunity to turn his time at Liverpool into a success.
"I have so much sympathy, in football terms, for all the new signings," the left back explained on the latest episode of the Stick to Football Podcast. "They came into a new team that was... like, we were elite in everything we've done for years, and maybe we couldn't be that because of that [Jota's death].
"They then started to get a lot of criticism, and that's why I think these lads will be absolutely fine at Liverpool. I would treat this season as their first season. That's the way I would do it. I would now go, 'Okay, this is [Milos] Kerkez's first proper season, this is Florian Wirtz's first season, this is Alex Isak's first season. And let's see how they get on."
Last season, Wirtz scored seven goals and registered 10 assists across all competitions. He had to wait until December for his first Premier League goal, which came in a narrow 2-1 win over Wolves.
It was also in December that he registered his first league assist in the meeting with Sunderland. But Robertson believes the onus is also on Wirtz's teammates to convert the chances he produces for them.
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool reacts during the Premier League match against Fulham
Florian Wirtz has endured a challenging start to the new season wirh Liverpool(Image: Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
"With Flo, I just see a really special footballer - but I know he's got to prove he can do it in the Premier League," Robertson continued. "There's so many special footballers who have come to the Premier League and sometimes not done it.
"But, at times last season, he would put a ball on a sixpence for somebody, and they wouldn't score. He needs people to score.
"He'll know he needs more. He's really hungry as a player. He wants to be the best... he's got the attitude and the mentality to go and do it. He just needs things to start.
"Sometimes, as playmakers, you need things to drop for you. How many times has Kevin De Bruyne put an unbelievable cross in and somebody misses it? Or he makes a five-yard pass and somebody bangs it in from 40 yards?"
Wirtz has registered one assist in the Premier League so far this season, which came in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest. He was also involved in the buildup to Isak's winning strike against Bournemouth before the international break.
For now, it will be hoped he can build some confidence while away with the German national team. Then, a testing run of fixtures arrives, starting with the visit of Manchester City in October.