Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
Jurgen Klopp has given his backing to Florian Wirtz despite the Liverpool playmaker coming under increasing pressure to deliver for the Reds.
Scrutiny has ramped up on the 23-year-old in the past week, with Jamie Carragher notably beginning to lose patience with him following a poor display for Liverpool against Bournemouth.
But when asked for his thoughts on Wirtz‘s form as he prepares to play him for the first time as Germany national team manager, Klopp said that he did not want to be drawn into creating headlines, while putting his belief in the £116m signing.
Klopp refuses to be drawn into Wirtz debate
There is little doubt that Wirtz has not delivered for Liverpool since joining the Reds from Bayer Leverkusen in 2025. However, it is possible that some of the recent criticism is beginning to go over the top.
Klopp certainly seems to think so, and with Reds fans desperate for their legendary former manager to get more out of Wirtz and restore his confidence, he commented on the way he sees the situation during a press conference on Friday.
“Regarding the whole situation in Liverpool and England, it makes absolutely no sense to comment on it now,” Klopp said. “That would create headlines we don’t want to create. Anything I say will cause a huge stir.
“Florian Wirtz’s footballing abilities are beyond any doubt. We will do everything we can to contribute. I think he’s on the right track.
“But it’s always the case that people want everything as quickly as possible. He came to Liverpool at the worst possible moment, because of the death of Diogo Jota. For some players, football took a bit of a backseat then. But he certainly learned a lot.
“Now is a new season under a new coach, he started all games I think. He’s physically doing very well. The team is starting to find itself again. Attacking players always need a functioning team around them.
“Everyone who loves football can still see what an outstanding player Flo Wirtz is. We can’t do more than we’re doing here, namely build him up in our team with enough training and playing time. Bit by bit give him certainty, a good feeling and then send him back to Liverpool. I wish him all the best”
Having left him out of his first match – a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands on Thursday – Klopp will likely deploy Wirtz against Greece on Sunday.