Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher believes Reds star Florian Wirtz should be dropped after "one of his worst displays" in the red shirt in the Bournemouth match on Sunday evening, which ended in a Liverpool win (1-0).
Valued at £116 million, the German has fallen short of expectations since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen. Carragher wasn't impressed in the slightest.
Speaking on the new Jamie Carragher podcast, the pundit said: "That was one of the worst displays I've seen him give in a Liverpool shirt."
He added, as reported by the "Daily Mail": "I've criticised his lack of statistics. But usually when you watch Wirtz, you find him an elegant, organised player who keeps the ball, and there are things you like about him. He gets out of difficult situations where you would normally expect your player to lose the ball."
He continued: "But the reason I'm worried is that I don't think Wirtz has been in poor form since he came to Liverpool. In fact, I think what we're seeing is who he really is."
The verdict laid bare how little Wirtz has done to win people over in England. The Sky pundit added that he simply cannot see "how he will hurt" teams.
Delivering a scathing assessment, Carragher added: "I think the gap he needs to close to justify what people were expecting is far too big. You can't get there."
He continued: "Even if he improves a little and gets there, it's still not what Liverpool thought they were getting."
He went on: "It's not just about Wirtz alone, it goes beyond him to other effects. When he plays in the playmaker role, it means Dominik Szoboszlai will have to play in midfield. I don't think Szoboszlai is a midfielder, I don't think so."
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola now faces a three-week international break with plenty to think about before Liverpool return against league leaders Manchester City on 11 October.
Carragher added: "Iraola has a decision to make here. Wirtz would not be in my Liverpool team."
He noted: "I think the Bournemouth match was an important game for Wirtz. Because if he didn't put in a good performance (against Bournemouth), he would get a three-week break."
He went on: "By the time we're back, we'll be into October. And before we know it, Christmas will be here within six to eight weeks, or we'll feel like we're approaching Christmas. He has to do something!"
Wrapping up his remarks, Carragher said: "Wirtz would not be in my Liverpool team. As for the Manchester City match on our ground, I couldn't include him in the team."
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