Robbie Fowler and Steven Gerrard agree on Florian Wirtz’s talent, but believe more is required from the 23-year-old German under Andoni Iraola.
Wirtz is yet to score for Liverpool this season and has faced criticism, with Jamie Carragher calling for him to be dropped from the starting XI.
However, Iraola has so far resisted making that change, potentially due to a growing injury list that includes several attacking players.
“I think he’s a wonderful player,” Fowler said while working as a pundit for ViaPlay last weekend. “I think he’s one of them players who’s clever. He can produce things.
“He’s got something in the locker but as a player, you know, playing for Liverpool, you would probably want a bit more.
“When you don’t reach the peak, and what we have seen of him, you know, what we have seen of him at Bayer Leverkusen, people are always asking questions, and that’s what football is.
“But he is a good player. He’s probably not at the heights that we want to see but you probably need to see him fighting a little bit over a longer period.”
Gerrard shares a similar view, arguing that Florian Wirtz needs those around him to perform better to bring out the best in his game.
“I think Wirtz’s best position is number 10,” Gerrard said on The Overlap. “I don’t think he’s got the speed to play out wide.
“If you go back to his Bayer Leverkusen days, his history is creating and scoring goals from that number 10 position, and a team being built around him and that type of player.
“I’m not sure this Liverpool team is set and ready for Florian Wirtz to come in and thrive. Maybe if they had Sadio Mane still and Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, maybe he would thrive more. I believe he would thrive more.
“And if Liverpool can get Barcola firing, Alexander Isak firing, Victor Munoz, Hugo Ekitike, Rio Ngumoha, if he can get them all fit and available, I think he’ll feel better because he’ll have more forward runs in the team, he’ll have better players around him.”
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