Nagelsmann blames Liverpool for Wirtz woes

Florian Wirtz arrived at Liverpool as the kind of signing that was supposed to usher in a new creative era under Arne Slot. But a few months into life at Anfield, the reality of English football is proving less forgiving than the hype that preceded him. 

With the £105million man already a topic of debate in England, Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann has dumped petrol on the fire burning around one of his top young talents, insisting that the reason Wirtz has struggled to lift off is because “Liverpool don’t like to shoot the ball in the goal.” Ouch.

Brilliant at Bayer Leverkusen, where his technical precision and composure made him one of Europe’s most sought-after talents, Wirtz is still trying to find rhythm in a side that’s very much a work in progress. His start has been disappointing – with no goals or assists in 11 Premier League games and a maddening tendency to drift in and out of games. 

In a press conference on Monday, Nagelsmann stepped in to defend his player, calling for calm amid rising scrutiny.

“Liverpool has changed a lot since their Premier League title,” Nagelsmann said. “Several leaders have left, and every new attacker wants to be the star. It’s not easy for a youngster like Flo.”

Nagelsmann, who has long been one of Wirtz’s biggest admirers, insists that the midfielder remains on the right trajectory.

“He’s moving in the right direction. We all know what he’s capable of,” he added. But then came the line that set tongues wagging across Merseyside.

“Liverpool don’t like to shoot the ball in the goal,” Nagelsmann quipped – half a joke, half a jab – and a comment that will do little to ease the scrutiny on Slot’s new-look attack. 

For Wirtz, this is the first real test of his young career: adapting to the Premier League’s physicality, earning trust in a changing team, and proving that the artistry that lit up Leverkusen can thrive at Anfield, too.

If he can weather the early turbulence, that promise remains a tangible possibility- but for now, the patience of England’s most demanding football city is being quietly tested.