The crux of Carragher's argument stems from Wirtz’s extensive time on Merseyside without delivering a return on his massive £116.5m price tag. While newer arrivals like Barcola can be afforded a period of adaptation, Wirtz is now an established figure in the squad who has repeatedly failed to step up.
"What Florian Wirtz is doing for Liverpool is not enough right now," Carragher explained. "He’s played 55, 60 games for Liverpool. If we were looking at Barcola, he has played four or five. You would want more but hold your horses. If you were critical of him, it would be over the top, but not the guy that has played 60 games."
The former centre-back ultimately concluded that the German offers zero attacking pedigree in his current state, saying: “He shouldn’t be in the Liverpool team right now. I don’t want to hammer Liverpool players. But we’re not saying this after five-ten games, we’re saying this after 50-60 games.
“Wirtz never looks like scoring a goal. You don’t come away thinking he missed chances or he worked the goalkeeper. There was absolutely nothing today where you thought he put someone through, or nearly scored. There’s absolutely no goal threat whatsoever.”