‘Does not do enough’ – Liverpool player who lost 6 out of 9 duels ‘went missing’ at Old Trafford

While many Liverpool players didn’t do themselves justice in the defeat to Manchester United on Sunday, one in particular has come in for plenty of criticism following the match at Old Trafford.

It wasn’t a happy 23rd birthday for Florian Wirtz, who was deployed in an unfamiliar centre-forward role due to the absences of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike but was unable to pose much of a goal threat against Michael Carrick’s side.

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Having scored magnificently against Crystal Palace the previous week, the German playmaker never truly threatened Red Devils goalkeeper Senne Lammens yesterday, and his performance was subjected to widespread scrutiny after the game.

Journalists and pundits critical of Wirtz v Man United

Ian Doyle handed Wirtz 6/10 in his post-match player ratings for the Liverpool Echo, writing that the Reds’ number 7 ‘went missing’ for much of the first half before improving thereafter and ‘could have done more’ on the day.

Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports after the game: “The one player I think has had a very easy ride is Florian Wirtz. I’ve never moved clubs let alone moved to a different country, but I think we’ve given him time. We’ve been very, very kind. He was poor today.”

Lewis Steele also called out the 23-year-old in an article for the Daily Mail on Monday, opining: ‘Florian Wirtz, the £116m signing, simply does not do enough for a player of that price tag. The German is a young lad settling into a new culture who is clearly feeling the pressure, but we must see more of a return on that investment next year.

‘He has not registered a goal or assist in the league against a team higher than 10th in the current table. A supposed game-changer signing does not change games, whereas another target and fellow summer arrival, Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki, is setting the world alight.’

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Wirtz is a fantastic talent, but Liverpool need more from him

Wirtz was tasked with taking up an unfamiliar position at Old Trafford with Liverpool’s attack so severely depleted, and his statistics from the match on Sunday (via Sofascore) weren’t all bad, with the German trying valiantly to influence proceedings in the final third.

As Steele pointed out, though, it isn’t unreasonable to expect more from a player of the 23-year-old’s ability and transfer fee, and his poor record in duels will inevitably lead to further accusations as to whether he has the physicality to thrive in the Premier League.

Former Reds defender Markus Babbel emphatically declared in recent days that we’ll see a ‘top-class Florian Wirtz’ next season, and we firmly believe that our number 7 has the innate talent to come good on that promise.

However, his impact at Liverpool so far has been less than what we expected when he signed from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, with just seven goals and 10 assists in 47 appearances, and yesterday was another game in which he didn’t exert a standout influence.

We need to see more from the Germany international over the next few months, but we don’t doubt that there’s a phenomenal footballer in there who’ll take this league by storm yet.

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