Sean Dyche says Florian Wirtz looks 'a little bit boyish' but needs time to adapt at Liverpool. Separately, Germany team-mate Jonathan Tah says criticism of Wirtz is extreme.
Florian Wirtz returned to Germany action
Florian Wirtz returned to Germany action(Image: Alexander Hassenstein, Getty Images)
Sean Dyche has emerged as the latest footballing figure to offer his verdict on Florian Wirtz's displays for Liverpool - with the former Everton boss expressing his view that the Germany international has appeared 'boyish' in the Premier League.
The Reds secured an agreement to bring Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, though he experienced a difficult debut season in England as Arne Slot's squad fell woefully short of retaining the Premier League crown.
The 23-year-old has also seen his international performances come under growing examination in his native country, with his new national team manager, Jurgen Klopp, publicly backing Wirtz on multiple occasions after he was partially blamed for Germany's early departure from the 2026 World Cup.
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The midfielder has begun the current campaign tentatively at Anfield under new head coach Andoni Iraola, failing to find the net and managing just a single assist across his first six outings.
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has emerged as one of Wirtz's most vocal detractors, recently arguing he deserves to be benched after the Sky Sports analyst remained unconvinced by his contribution in the 1-0 triumph over AFC Bournemouth, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Dyche recently featured alongside Carragher on the most recent instalment of The Overlap Fan Debate, sponsored by Sky Bet.
However, while acknowledging that Wirtz has yet to acclimatise to English football, he maintained the Reds star could still fulfil his potential and simply requires additional time to settle. "Players can get fearful when the expectation on them is so big," he said.
"They can get fearful of being in the right place. They hover around the box.
"As you know, when forwards are flying and absolutely purring, they're in the box every time the ball is in there.
"He [Florian Wirtz] still looks a little bit boyish to me in the Premier League. I still think he looks like that on the eye, just visually he's a little bit boyish in how he plays.
"But that could come with knowing and learning about the Premier League. Some players go in like hand in glove, for others it takes time, and they build up to the Premier League."
Sean Dyche delivered his verdict
Sean Dyche delivered his verdict(Image: NurPhoto, NurPhoto via Getty Images)
These remarks followed Carragher's earlier suggestion that Wirtz might need to come out of Iraola's starting XI, stating: "They're (Isak and Wirtz) the two most expensive players we signed last year. Alexander Isak is now getting the goals and coming into it, but it's still not happening for Florian Wirtz.
"I'm not going to say any more on it, but I wonder if there are other options in the squad to maybe change this."
One of Wirtz's colleagues has now come to his defence amidst the persistent criticism from pundits including Carragher.
Fellow Germany international Jonathan Tah, who previously shared the pitch with the Reds' No. 7 at Leverkusen, maintains the negative commentary has gone too far.
"Of course I'm aware of how people are talking about him, but I can't quite understand it," he said. "I know what kind of player he is. I know he'll perform even better and shine even brighter.
"But I find it a bit extreme how he's being attacked right now. He should just keep going.
"I watch every Liverpool game where Flo plays, he's not playing bad games - sometimes the last moment is missing to score a goal or play a decisive pass. But that will come."