Carragher launches scathing attack on 'really poor' Wirtz after disaster show for Liverpool

20 Sept 2026 19:06 BST | 4 min read

Suraj Radia | Editor

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More than a year after his arrival to the Premier League and despite hiring a new manager, Liverpool are still having the same problems and the same discussions about Florian Wirtz

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The Reds overcame a tough Bournemouth side to record a narrow victory away against Andoni Iraola’s former team on Sunday, with Wirtz being involved in the winner for Alexander Isak.

Current ETV

Florian Wirtz

AM (C), M (CL)

Liverpool

Florian Wirtz

AM (C), M (CL)

Liverpool

ETV Range

€84.2M - €103M

However, the small touch for Isak’s strike masked what was otherwise an alarming poor game for Wirtz in which the €125 million man completed just 70% of his passes and left Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher fuming at half-time.

“That was really poor. He’s been really poor again,” Carragher said on Sky Sports in reference to one of Wirtz’s errant passes. “That’s three times for Wirtz, simple balls into him. I tried to say nothing on the first two, but he’s got to be better on simple passes, simple controls.”

“It’s just nothing. Nothing is happening there at all,” he added. “I know I’m seen as a big critic of Wirtz but I don’t think there’s been much criticism whatsoever if you think about what Liverpool spent on him and what they thought they were getting.”

Although Liverpool are unbeaten in five games to start the Premier League season, Wirtz has produced just one assist in those appearances and, with Isak finding form after a difficult first year, the pressure continued to increase on the German to justify his pricetag.

Wirtz started 'slow', admits Iraola, after Liverpool win

Wirtz provided five goals and three assists in his debut season, although there was an acceptance that Liverpool’s attack never got clicking under former boss Arne Slot, particularly with a number of injuries.

© IMAGO - Florian Wirtz has struggled for form at Liverpool.

The arrival of Iraola was expected to see an uptick in Wirtz’s production given the new manager’s impressive attack at Bournemouth, however the midfielder is still yet to prove convincing despite plenty of game time in his preferred number 10 role and with Isak now fit and scoring.

Iraola admitted after the match that Wirtz had a poor first half, although the Spaniard insisted he was happy with the 23-year-old’s improvement after the break.

“He started the game slowly, I agree,” the head coach told Sky Sports. “The first minute they went quite intense and we were not quite with us. The duels in the middle.

“After that first phase, I think we improved. Florian has helped us also to improve. Second half he was playing much better, he was finding better spots to receive and turn.

“Probably we haven’t found the last part or moment to score but I think I’m much more happy with his second half than his last one.”