Gary Neville has claimed Florian Wirtz ‘needs coaching’ after what he saw from the German international on Sunday.
The Liverpool ace started his third successive Premier League game against Arsenal on Sunday and was replaced by Wataru Endo during the final minute of normal time.
The attacking midfielder threw in a lively performance during the second half of the huge clash but is yet to perform at his world-class best in a Red shirt.
Our No. 7 is adjusting to new tactics, new teammates and a new league so there is no need to panic, but former Manchester United defender Neville made some observations after Arne Slot’s side defeated the Gunners 1-0.
“The boy, Wirtz, we will talk about him maybe,” Neville told his podcast (via The Boot Room).
“He looks like he’s just finding his feet still and, you know, how he can do that, you know, we’ll find out. He’s played in two difficult games against Arsenal and Newcastle.
“And I’m thinking, sometimes you hear expressions, don’t you, by coaches, and sometimes you say, he’s always on the move. And I’m watching Wirtz, he’s always on the move. And I’m thinking, stand still for a second.
“I’m thinking, stand still. I’m watching him there sort of like drift between the lines.
“I’m thinking, he’s probably moving a bit too quick. Because I always think sometimes when you’re playing in the pocket and in the hole, and I used to see it from a different side. I used to see it from being a defender, and there might be a player that you can see just drifting in the pocket.
“So there’s two things, one, I think he’s jogging across the line, and he can’t then really fool or kid people when he gets on the ball, so that’s just a little bit of smartness and intelligence. And then the other thing is, I think just the element of being higher up the pitch by five or six, seven yards, and not going too deep, that means that the midfield players for the opposition can pick you up easily and just shield in front. I almost feel like the centre backs want to come in to get you, rather than actually be the central midfield players are marking you.
“For me, I just think he may be a little bit predictable this moment in time, maybe a little bit deep, but it’s very early in his Liverpool career. I think there will be Liverpool fans, there will be 50, 60,000 in here today, and there will be Liverpool coaches thinking, okay, he needs a bit of coaching.
“He’s not the finished article at £115 million. He’s a young lad, he needs work, he needs coaching, he needs something and he’s got the right man there in Arne Slot”
Wirtz, who was signed from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth £116m earlier this summer, registered an assist on his Liverpool debut during the Community Shield clash with Crystal Palace last month but has not had a goal contribution since.
The big money signing appeared to pick up some sort of knock before being replaced at the weekend but hopefully it’s nothing to worry about.
The former Leverkusen man is part of the Germany squad who are set to take on Slovakia and Northern Ireland in the coming days so it appears we have nothing to worry about regarding his fitness.
The Premier League is a step up from the Bundesliga so it may take some time before we see Wirtz performing at his best.
For now, let’s allow him some time and look forward to what is still to come!
Neville 🤣😅😂😂🤣