24 Sep 2026 17:52:15
Hi Ed01,
I am a Wirtz fanboy, so I tend to notice the good things he does in a game, and that bias probably isn't helping here. Everyone has gone berserk over his performance against Bournemouth, but I thought he improved quite a bit in the second half, including his link-up play. He was subbed off in the 71st minute, and I felt we were much more open after he left. That could be down to a combination of factors, including Bournemouth pushing forward more with us only leading by one, or it could simply be my bias making me see things that aren't there. What's your opinion?
{Ed001's Note - I think most people are following the ball and so miss most of what happens, which is why they have no idea how important he is to the team and the way we play. I don't think he was that bad against Bournemouth, it wasn't a great performance, but it was not as bad as people are making out. If he wasn't the latest scapegoat, nothing much would be made of it.
Bournemouth are the hardest working, highest pressing team in the Premier League, which meant it was a tough game for all the players, so not sure why he is the one getting crucified? Once again he was left getting the ball while the rest of the team stood around watching him. Somehow that is always blamed on him.}
24 Sep 2026 18:44:55
And without his run to the near post, Isak's winner doesn't happen!
24 Sep 2026 18:55:58
I agree about the Bournemouth game, first half it looked like they had 13 players, not one of our players had a particularly good half. I thought Wirtz was much better second half, as was the entire team. That was only Bournemouth's second home defeat in 2026, it's an exceptionally hard ground to go to.
24 Sep 2026 18:56:50
Many thanks for your response, Ed01.
{Ed001's Note - very welcome.}
24 Sep 2026 19:11:19
Is he injured tonight.? ✌.
24 Sep 2026 19:42:00
Klopp picked 45 players split over 2 squads that play 2 games each, wirtz is in the squad that plays the last 2 games.
24 Sep 2026 21:10:20
When Wirtz isn't in the team we miss him ( last season and this). He gives the ball away when not under pressure which is odd because his high risk passes are nearly always decisive. It would help mid his team mates particularly Dom actually gave him the ball at the right time and in the right place.
In other words we are not getting the best out of him because we are not playing to his strengths.
{Ed666's Note - I think 3 more weeks of talking about Florian Wirtz and Slob is gonna put me in the loony asylum.
25 Sep 2026 00:51:44
What's a high risk pass? Just pass to another red (or away kit) shirt.
If it's risky, don't pass it. Keep the ball.
He's not managing simple passes nevermind risky ones. Risky passes are not ones that should be attempted too often and that's why they are called risky.
He's hardly making loads of risky passes and creating goals but giving the ball away, as well.
He's got one assist, I think, and no goals.
It's The Emperor's New Clothes with Wirtz, so far. You have to see what just hasn't happened for fear of being wrong or the fear of looking stupid.
I'd sooner look stupid and say he's not doing anywhere near enough. But I've got the figures to back me up.
25 Sep 2026 03:49:19
Rigsby high risk passes are were goals come from. Only ever doing easy risk free sideways passing is how you become derby county.
24 Sep 2026 22:39:05
Wirtz is getting judged for his price tag.
It's not fair, to my eyes he's the hardest working player in the team.
I'm sure Iraola sees it.
Agree with Ed001.
25 Sep 2026 02:10:56
"If it's risky, don't pass it" Is Arne Slots football ethos, and that's why he is no longer here.
25 Sep 2026 08:38:31
Who's ethos is it"to not make a lollox of every pass you try? ".Bloke makes a mean near post run though?.Seriously though the bloke is working hard that can't be taken away from him but some of the occasions he loses possession are atrocious. Maybe the coupla weeks away from the club will do him good.
25 Sep 2026 07:50:13
Ron, and ED01, Working hard during a game is what he's meant to be doing regardless! That's his bloody job! It's every players job. That element of a players game should be a given not a attribute to be lauded. We did buy him to actually do more than just what the likes of Milner and Henderson did.
Anyway I've enough of the Wirtz stuff myself just like ED0666. I'm staying off this subject for a while it has become boring and fractious on here. Let's just see how it goes from now. Hopefully upwards and onwards for FW and the rest of us. YNWA.
{Ed001's Note - nobody say it wasn't part of his job, but that doesn't mean a player working harder than the rest shouldn't get praise for it. We did not buy him to do more than Milner or Hendo, we bought him to do a completely different job but then bought lazy forwards who don't give him any opportunity to do what he was bought for and moronic pundits blame him rather than the players not doing their jobs.}
25 Sep 2026 09:01:32
I think we have different ideas on what risky means, Nev & Brown.
High risk passes are not where goals come from, imo. A pass or cross in the opponents penalty area isn't necessarily risky or dangerous. It might be a dangerous pass for the opposition but not us. It was said that Wirtz is giving the ball away because he attempts risky passes. If he is giving the ball back to the opposition then it's not even risky for them.
Brown, I didn't know that that was Slot's ethos.
But Wirtz has been coached by Slot longer than Iraola. Is it Slot's fault that Wirtz didn't play risky passes and now he's gone he is playing them because Wirtz was disappointing last season as well?
If risky passes do lead to goals how many times has he attempted them because he doesn't have that many assists?
Anyway, I'm not slagging him off. He's got ability and he seems to want to succeed but I'm just saying that he's been disappointing so far. So far.
Maybe I'm expecting too much or can't read the game as well as some of you but I'd love him to show what he's obviously capable of and help us win a load of games and trophies.
25 Sep 2026 09:03:20
Shankly then why are you not roundly condemning the players who are not working hard during the game?
Szoboszlai gets a pass because he runs up and down the pitch like a marathon runner but half the time he is running alongside someone and he cannot tackle to save his life. Gravenberch is worse. MacAllister is working hard but that is one player in the midfield doing the work of three.
Wirtz is getting the spotlight because of his fee, that's unavoidable but Szoboszlai and Gravenberch are over £10m a year and offering jacksh.
25 Sep 2026 10:04:03
I honestly couldn't care less what pundits say. I've been watching football long enough to know what I'm watching, and I'm certainly not one of the new breed of fans who Nevada makes reference to above.
I'm struggling to think of another player who we've had, back to the early 70s, who has had so many excuses made for him. And before folk pile in, it's not just him, I accept. However, in the case of Wirtz, he's been with us now for 14 months and I'm being kind when I say he's been disappointing. It was nothing to do with Slot and it's nothing to do with lazy forwards in front of him. We paid a ridiculous amount of money for him - which isn't his fault, I know - he needs to step up and prove he is the supposed "next generational talent" we thought he was.
25 Sep 2026 10:06:45
It's ok to criticise Szobozslai, Gravenberch and MacAllister as well as Wirtz.
It's ok to criticise anyone but what happens is that folk react to criticism of a player they like by attacking another player or players.
It's just a deflection, really. And we shouldn't take criticism of a player that we like personally.
We all like some players more than others. I find it harder to criticise van Dijk and Alisson than any other current Liverpool player but it doesn't mean it can't be done or that I take it personally.
Not with fellow Liverpool followers anyway ?.
25 Sep 2026 10:37:12
I don't agree at all about praising him just because he works harder than the rest. He gets very well paid to work hard. My point is that that is the absolute least we should expect of him and any other player that plays for our club and that's my reference to Milner and Henderson. They were workhorses and did it diligently week in week out without question or plaudits. However the fee, expectations and hype surrounding his arrival signalled that he was to be a star and offered more than just being a worker. I expected a different level player that could turn draws into wins and losses into draws, a Kevin De Bruyne 2.0 or something similar so to speak. If Arsenal or City or United had signed him and he was putting in these performances then we would all be on here laughing at them for doing so and singing what a waste of money.
Conversely if he was putting in MotM performances every other week we'd be here saying what a great lad we bought, he's going to win us the whole lot. Like I said before perhaps I expected too much from him but running around the field trying to win the ball and make things happen is the least he should be doing. He isn't doing a whole lot more than that and certainly isn't justifying his reputation. And yes I agree that the players surrounding him are not helping. Hopefully it'll all change soon under Iraolas charge and we'll get going and see the absolute best of them all. I want it to happen and I think we're all on the same page regarding that.
25 Sep 2026 10:46:07
Some would say Wirtz is also on £10m a year and offering jacksh.