13 Oct 2026 11:43:39
I think the issue with Wirtz is just the way the modern Premier League is. No matter what position you are on the pitch you need a certain level of aggression and pace to impose yourself, otherwise games will pass you by. KDB never lost his ability to play those passes, but once the pace went he wasn't the same player.
Wirtz is 5x the footballer of someone like Morgan Gibbs White for example. But Gibbs White is better equipped to be impactful in the league. You need to be able to put yourself about physically. Even the likes of Thiago learned how to do that.
13 Oct 2026 12:13:16
It's very difficult to solve the Wirtz puzzle at the moment. The squad construction is not ideal for any particular system, never mind the new coach's philosophy. The lad is in his own head at this point. Rival fans are on his back. The Bayern-influenced press back home are on his back. We are now on his back too.
We don't have the luxury of numbers in the forward or in midfield departments to have him simply sit out and settle his mind down right now either. Games are coming thick and fast. He'll just have to knuckle down and play through this period.
As Klopp used to say, the good thing about football is there is always the next game.
13 Oct 2026 13:18:24
Why are we twisting ourselves and trying to find solutions to something that is more up to him than up to us? Talented, skillful player, probably even world class? Yes. Did we pay world class money for his services? Yes. Has the team tried different things to play around him and suit his skills? More than likely, yes. It hasn't worked out to expectations and my feeling is that it probably won't. It's football.
I clearly remember his purchase being called "an opportunistic one", at the beginning. In a way that basically means "sod the fit and compatibility with the team and players that we already have, he should be good enough and make us win everything" That's on the people running the show at the time. The same people who threw money at Darwin Nunez to counter Haaland joining the ManCheats. And the same gents who have since thrown money at Frimpong, Isak and Barcola. They lucked out with Ekitike and Jacquet. Throwing club record amounts at players has never been the LFC way and it never will be.
Not trying to flog a dead horse and bring up the past. Just saying, these are the consequences.
13 Oct 2026 13:32:46
It's just not going right for wirtz. I think he's been pretty poor since he's signed however he hasn't had the correct players around him either. Apart from gakpo and munez who's raw. We have no real quality wingers. This was NOT addressed in the summer. Especially on the right.
Anyone can miss me with the barcola nonsense. He looks the exact player that I said I watched in France.
I repeated and repeated how average a player he is.
Andoni needs to majorly improve a £120 million "superstar". Absolute terrible recruitment by Hughes.
Centrally, Maccas running with bags of cement on his back. Doms an average central midfielder. He can score and has some useful attributes, he's not a good central midfielder.
Grav unpredictable. We've been screwed with recruitment.
13 Oct 2026 13:38:00
Wirtz's issue is not physical, it's purely mental, there's been countless players of similar stature who've managed to assimilate, Silva, Cazorla, Fabregas, Coutinho etc. Mascherano was only the same size as Wirtz and he was like a relentless pitbull. The 'physical excuse' needs to stop, he's not getting manhandled, he's literally the best in the league at finding space and receiving passes, the issue is what he does with the ball after that.
The kid needs to sort his head out, he has no confidence, it's plain to see.
13 Oct 2026 13:52:27
Chewy, I fully agree with all you have said. As much as the other posters on the thread made very good and valid points, Wirtz cannot be labelled as "lacking physicality" because he is a very hard worker, gets stuck in, wins tackles and has a decent amount of ball recoveries.
The issue with Wirtz right now is that he is playing scared offensively. He has become way too scared to even try the most basic of things because the world is on his back hence, confidence is below the floor.
And as much as he needs to take responsibility, grow a spine and get his act together, he needs help from the manager and his team mates too because if anyone thinks he should be the only one to solve all the other issues the team has, in addition to his own issues then, we might as well get rid now and move on.
13 Oct 2026 13:56:32
There's a decent thread on Twitter from Martin Rafelt providing some interesting analysis on the Wirtz issue.
13 Oct 2026 13:58:57
No one is expecting him to solve the team's issues. I just expect him to assist and score goals every now and then. Not much to ask.
13 Oct 2026 14:34:53
I agree Oli, but there's only so much 'help' you can get, and there's only so far it will take you. I think equal parts Wirtzs mentality and a lack of understanding in the relationship between him and the entire front line are to blame, but he's been brought in to essentially 'run' that front line by dictating our attacking play. If those around him aren't doing what he needs in order to provide opportunities, he needs to let them know, and on no uncertain terms, but again, that brings us back around to his mentality. If he hasn't got the stones or the confidence to assert himself on the game, including those around him, how can we expect the relationships to develop? Hence why I say it's all about his mentality, it's a vicious cycle he's caught in.
Of course the manager needs to ensure that each of the players are playing their part, and that they understand how it is they should be looking to link up in certain situations, I have thought for quite some time that our off-the-ball movement is severely lacking, but at the same time there's only so much instruction he can give, when those boots hit the grass Wirtz has to take the reins. I desperately want him to figure it out. Ironically, his own off-the-ball movement is absolutely next level, he is genuinely on a different wavelength in that regard. He is an exceptional natural talent, but sometimes that's just not enough.
13 Oct 2026 14:49:59
Oli I'm not sure he wins tackles mate. The sliding challenge from Anderson on Sunday was a prime example. Wirtz was favourite to win the ball but Anderson came in and Wirtz just dangled a leg at it and got wiped out.
That's his problem and Barcola is the same. You can't get away with half hearted tackles in the blood and thunder of the Premier League you'll get eaten alive.
Wirtz runs around a lot and presses quite well but he tackles like Harvey Elliott and that's a problem.
He needs to understand the league he's in and understand that us fans will cheer just as loud when he goes all in and wins a tackle as we will when he scores a goal. Plus if he does win a few tackles and is getting huge cheers from the crowd it gets the crowd and his confidence up.
At the moment his confidence is low so backing out of challenges and getting groans from the crowd is only making matters worse.
13 Oct 2026 16:37:29
I wouldn't use that full throated tackle from Anderson as a reference of Wirtz's willingness to stick a foot in.
13 Oct 2026 18:09:40
I agree Fly, I'm actually sick to the teeth of hearing fans criticise the most lightweight player on the pitch for not wanting to get injured by over committing to a tackle he was clearly never going to win, it's utterly moronic.
Wirtz actually wins an exceptional percentage of tackles for a player of his stature and position, he's about 87% success rate for this season I believe and was something like 95% for last season. His duels are in around 50% for both last season and this one, which is more than anyone should expect for somebody his size.
13 Oct 2026 20:08:48
Wirtz.
• Tackles: 9 total tackles attempted (44.4% won)
• Duels: 53 total duels with a 49.06% duel success rate
• Aerial Duels: 57.14% aerial duels won
• Interceptions: 1
• Clearances: 3.