Florian Wirtz will be embarking on his second season in English football after last summer's move from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool
Florian Wirtz of Germany and Liverpool (Photo by Marcel Bonte/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Florian Wirtz of Germany and Liverpool (Photo by Marcel Bonte/Soccrates/Getty Images)
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Florian Wirtz has to be aiming for a 'bare minimum' of 10 goals and 10 assists in his second season in English football, according to ex-Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy.
Wirtz scored seven goals and assisted eight for his team-mates during his maiden Reds campaign, but his initial lack of goal contributions became a talking point for many as he struggled to settle in Arne Slot's below par side.
The Germany international had to wait until December 27th for his first Liverpool goal in a 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, and although there were often glimpses of what he can do, Wirtz's first season fell well short of expectations following his £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen.
As one of Germany's leading lights he was also criticised for his nation's early World Cup exit, where they succumbed to Paraguay on penalties in the last-32.
Wirtz managed two assists at the tournament, and Murphy feels that it is only through scoring and contributing to goals that the 23-year-old will find his feet at Liverpool.
When asked if double figures for goals and assists has to be a benchmark for him, Murphy said: “Absolutely. Confidence plays a factor.
"Of course, he walked into a team that was in transition. We got some new players and players had gone. When they started struggling, it was harder for him to impact the games.
“Adjusting to a new league and lifestyle is difficult, even for really good technical players. But ultimately, he did have a decent spell in the middle of the season to be fair to him and showed glimpses of what he's about, but it wasn't enough. The step up has to come now. Not just because of the size of the fee, because Liverpool need their best players to be on their best game."
Murphy feels that Wirtz will have learned from last season and can use it to good effect in the coming campaign, where he will be managed by Andoni Iraola following the sacking of Slot.
“I think physically he's going to be better," Murphy told Goal.com, via BetWright. "I'd be amazed if he wasn't physically better when he comes back, which is obviously helpful.
"He'll be more settled with his environment, where he lives, surroundings, team-mates, all those things. But he's going to have to step up in a massive season for him.
“I do feel there's more to come. But unfortunately, the price tag itself doesn't guarantee success. So I think he'll be better. I hope he'll be better. I think he will.
"And I think that if he can start looking at, obviously if you're getting double figures, goals and assists, then you're really impacting the team. That should be the bare minimum.”
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