Florian Wirtz is an issue for Liverpool and “looked like a little boy” within the 3-0 defeat at Manchester Metropolis, in response to Gary Neville.
Wirtz, a £100m summer time signing from Bayer Leverkusen, has struggled to adapt to the Premier League and is but to register a single aim or help after 11 video games within the competitors.
Neville says endurance is operating skinny for the 22-year-old to ship on his promise after Wirtz had “a really bad day” within the heavy loss at Metropolis, which leaves the champions eighth after 11 video games.
“Wirtz is a problem,” the Sky Sports activities pundit stated on the Gary Neville podcast.
“Let’s just call it as it is. It’s an issue. He’s £100m+, and to be fair, I said a few weeks ago [Milos] Kerkez looked like a little boy out there. Today I thought Wirtz looked like a little boy. That can’t be the case.”
He added: “We have been tiptoeing round him for just a few months, round the truth that he is younger, he is coming to a brand new nation, however he is £100m+, you are going to have to face up quickly.
“He is clearly acquired one thing, he is a extremely good participant, he is technically unbelievable, however he is been mauled on the market right this moment by Matheus Nunes and by others.
“He’s been chucked around the pitch, and didn’t deliver on the quality side of things as well, so his performance was a real worry.”
Wirtz has not settled in rapidly at Liverpool
Neville says Liverpool need to discover a technique to deliver the most effective out of Wirtz, who has regarded extra at dwelling within the Champions League since transferring to Anfield.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot, who began utilizing Wirtz centrally, has restored him to his favoured left-wing place during the last two video games. He impressed in opposition to Actual Madrid however went again into his shell at Metropolis.
“He’s a Germany international of great standing, and he looks well short in respect of what you’d expect in a top physical Premier League match,” added Neville.
“They’ve got to get him up to speed, they’ve got to get that little bit of tenacity into him, and that little bit of something that means he’ll start to get into form, because what they have to do is stick with him and persist.”
Neville damning of Liverpool efficiency at Metropolis
Liverpool are eight factors off leaders Arsenal after 11 video games
Liverpool had been blown away by Metropolis on Sunday as objectives from Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez and Jeremy Doku inflicted the defending champions’ fifth defeat in 11 Premier League video games.
League leaders Arsenal are actually eight factors away from Liverpool, who’re additionally beneath fierce rivals Manchester United on aim distinction.
“I thought it was a really, really poor performance. It was one of the worst that I’ve seen from a Liverpool team for a long time,” stated Neville.
“It was a bit like they didn’t know what to do. I think it was a worry.
“They should mainly go and have a superb take a look at themselves, as a result of they’ve hit excessive requirements, they usually’re a gaggle of gamers who know the right way to win issues, they usually’ll know that they are nowhere close to in the meanwhile.”
It was one other disappointing day for Liverpool
Liverpool, like Wirtz, have saved their greatest performances for the Champions League, with the physicality of the home recreation proving an excessive amount of for them, and Neville says that will probably be an enormous concern for Slot.
“Their tempo in the game was nothing,” stated Neville. “They looked physically really, really well short in the game, they looked physically short in terms of their running, physically short in terms of actually just getting out-muscled.
“Bodily I would be nervous if I used to be Arne Slot taking a look at that workforce, just a few of them appear like they can not run, and I all the time suppose that whenever you go on a dropping streak you begin to doubt every thing.
“That’s wrong, because obviously there are some excellent players out there with great attitudes, so it’s not a time to throw the baby out with the bath water here, but Slot’s going to need this next week to reflect and think about how he fixes the problems, both going forward and in defence.
“They regarded horrible on the again. I assumed they acquired messed round right this moment, I assumed it regarded like Metropolis might rating a lot of objectives. They weren’t adequate up entrance, the combos weren’t there.”
