Jamie Carragher says Liverpool must drop Florian Wirtz after his poor display against Bournemouth. The former defender and pundit labelled the £116m signing's performance in the recent 1-0 win at the Vitality Stadium as one of his worst for the club.
Carragher made the comments in the wake of Liverpool's narrow victory, secured by an Alexander Isak goal in the 57th minute. That result left Bournemouth 17th in the Premier League table with three points from their opening five matches. The Cherries' next challenge is a trip to face Chelsea on October 10.
Carragher's blunt assessment
Speaking about Wirtz's contribution, Carragher did not hold back. "That was one of the poorest I've ever seen him in a Liverpool shirt," he said. The German international, signed from Bayer Leverkusen for a club-record fee, struggled to influence the game as the hosts defended resolutely.
Carragher suggested the issue may not be a temporary dip in form but a reflection of the player's true level. "I don't think Wirtz is in poor form since he came to Liverpool," he added. "I actually think what we're seeing is what he is." The pundit's view is that manager Andoni Iraola should consider leaving the attacker out for the upcoming clash with Manchester City after the international break.
For Bournemouth, the narrow defeat continued a difficult start to the campaign. Andoni Iraola's side have drawn three and lost two of their league games so far, scoring six goals and conceding eight. They will look to improve their form with key players like top scorer Marcus Tavernier, who has three goals this season, leading the charge. The club's current injury list includes Amine Adli, Eli Junior Kroupi and Julián Araujo.
The report in full is at Daily Mail Sport
