Former Watford captain Troy Deeney has delivered a scathing assessment of Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz, stating the German "doesn't look like he belongs" in the Premier League following the Reds' narrow 1-0 victory over Bournemouth.
Speaking on talkSPORT after the match, Deeney highlighted Wirtz's perceived lack of attacking intent and impact. "He just doesn’t look like he belongs in this league," Deeney said. "What I mean by that is, he’s clearly talented; clearly he’s got the technical ability. But it’s like he doesn’t believe he’s going to score and doesn’t believe he’s going to impact the game. Liverpool need more from him."
Deeney elaborated on how Wirtz's hesitation appeared to disrupt Liverpool's rhythm. "The rest of the team are starting to disbelieve because every time it goes to him, the tempo slows down," he explained. "And when they get back, it slows the whole thing down. Iraola just in front of us was absolutely blowing his top."
The critique comes as Wirtz, who joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen, continues to face scrutiny over his significant transfer fee. Despite flashes of his technical prowess, he has recorded just seven goals and 11 assists in 55 appearances for the club, leading to mounting impatience from fans and analysts.
During the game at the Vitality Stadium, Wirtz struggled to influence proceedings significantly before being substituted in the 71st minute. This follows similar criticism from Jamie Carragher, who described the playmaker's first-half performance as "nothing." While manager Andoni Iraola acknowledged Wirtz's minor role in the build-up to the winning goal, Deeney's blunt feedback underscores the pressure on the 23-year-old to consistently perform in England's top flight.
