Carragher Urges Liverpool to Drop Wirtz After Ineffective Man City Display

Jamie Carragher, former Liverpool defender, has called for the team to drop midfielder Florian Wirtz following a performance described as "drab" in the recent match against Manchester City. Wirtz, a high-profile signing from the previous season, has struggled to make a significant impact, drawing criticism from Carragher.

Wirtz joined Liverpool last season amidst considerable anticipation, but his debut campaign in the Premier League was considered below par, with many attributing his struggles to adjusting to a new division. However, his difficulties have persisted into the current season under a new manager. The German midfielder has yet to score and has recorded only one assist in six top-flight matches.

Carragher voiced his concerns on Sky Sports, referencing a previous critique of Wirtz after Liverpool's game against Bournemouth. He recalled suggesting that Wirtz might need individual attention from manager Jurgen Klopp, drawing parallels to Wirtz's better performances for Germany under Klopp's guidance. "But he has come here today, I'm looking at the game with no Isak and no Gakpo, our two best attackers this season. We need Barcola and we need Wirtz to step up and help Munoz and Koumas at the top of the pitch," Carragher stated, adding that teammates Munoz and Koumas performed better than the expensive signings.

Carragher questioned Wirtz's place in the team, particularly in light of other midfielders' performances. "There is no way Wirtz should be playing ahead of Gravenberch," he argued, noting that Gravenberch had a poor start but was removed from the team, implying Wirtz should face a similar consequence. He emphasized that Wirtz's contributions over his 56 appearances for Liverpool, which include seven goals and 11 assists, have not been sufficient.

"What Florian Wirtz is doing for Liverpool is not enough right now," Carragher said. "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 defender elaborated on Wirtz's lack of offensive threat. "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."

Wirtz arrived at Liverpool as the team was celebrating a Premier League title, with Dominik Szoboszlai often playing in the No. 10 role. Szoboszlai has since been moved to a deeper midfield position. Carragher concluded that Wirtz's current performance level does not warrant a starting position.

"He shouldn't be in the Liverpool team right now," Carragher reiterated. "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."