Former Liverpool star takes aim at duo after Man City defeat

Former Liverpool star takes aim at duo after Man City defeat Florian Wirtz Under Pressure as Andoni Iraola Weighs Liverpool Selection Call Liverpool’s 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City has intensified scrutiny on Florian Wirtz, with the attacking midfielder coming under renewed pressure after another difficult afternoon at Anfield. There were mitigating factors around the result. Injuries to Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai left Andoni Iraola short of proven attacking quality, and Liverpool were also hit by Ryan Gravenberch’s second yellow card during a key phase of the contest. Even so, attention has turned sharply towards Wirtz, whose contribution again fell below the level expected of a marquee signing. The 23-year-old was among those expected to shoulder greater responsibility in the absence of several senior forwards. Liverpool had moments before the dismissal and did find the net, but the overall lack of incision and end product proved costly against a side that needed little encouragement to take control. Jamie Carragher Questions Florian Wirtz Role The most pointed criticism came from Jamie Carragher, who doubled down on concerns he had already raised before the international break. His argument centred on output, physical impact and whether Wirtz currently merits a starting place in Iraola’s side. He said: “I was critical of him at Bournemouth. I was critized by Liverpool fans but I thought going away with Germany, Jurgen Klopp could get the best out of him. “He did well in the international break and he has come here today, with no Isak or Gakpo, and Liverpool needs Wirtz and Barcola to step up, to help Munoz and Koumas. But they were better than the two £100m players.
“What Florian Wirtz is giving Liverpool right now is not enough. He has played 55-60 games for Liverpool. He should not be in the Liverpool team right now. Players have ups and downs but there has been no up.
“Barcola hasn’t been amazing and you want to see more but he is still getting used to the club and the Premier League. It would be harsh to judge him right now. If you think of the other big teams, Cherki, Bruno Fernandes, Palmer, and Odegaard – they score or assist every game, or look close to doing that. Wirtz never looks like scoring.
“There was absolutely nothing from him. He looks really small. When he is taking set pieces, it is like he doesn’t have the strength to put it in the middle or to the back post.” Andoni Iraola Faces Liverpool Midweek Decision The timing of the debate leaves Iraola with a significant call ahead of the Champions League trip to LASK. With Szoboszlai still unavailable and attacking options stretched, squad depth may force Wirtz back into a prominent role regardless of the noise surrounding his form. That is the challenge for Liverpool’s head coach. He must balance the need for patience with the demand for immediate performance. Wirtz remains a player of obvious technical pedigree, but Premier League football continues to ask different questions of him, especially in games where intensity, duels and final-third efficiency shape the outcome. Liverpool Need More Creativity and End Product For Liverpool, the broader concern is clear. When key forwards are missing, elite attackers in supporting roles have to provide goals, assists and authority in possession. At present, those attributes are appearing too infrequently. Away at LASK, there is an opportunity to reset the narrative before a demanding domestic test at Brentford. Yet the focus will remain on Florian Wirtz and whether he can produce the kind of display that ends the growing debate around his place in this Liverpool side. Further match details were reported via the original report.