Former Three Lions striker Emile Heskey has defended the Germany international after Reds icon Jamie Carragher recently delivered a damning verdict on Wirtz and said Liverpool coach Andoni Iraola should no longer include the 23-year-old in the starting line-up.
"Wirtz was really poor once again. There is simply nothing there. Absolutely nothing is happening. That was one of the worst performances I have ever seen from him in a Liverpool shirt. I think Iraola has to make a decision here in future. For me, he cannot be in this team," Carragher had said on his podcast after LFC's 1-0 win against AFC Bournemouth last Saturday.
Heskey, however, does not believe the German is solely to blame. Wirtz is yet to produce the performances Liverpool had hoped for, but the external circumstances and his team-mates also have to be taken into account, the 48-year-old told Wettbasis.com.
"It was very difficult for him to come from Germany. I have seen it many times before, when players were fantastic there and then moved to the Premier League. Everyone thinks German and English football are similar, but the Premier League is a bit different." Wirtz recognises situations earlier than many of his team-mates, "but the players are not on the same wavelength as him".
How has Florian Wirtz's start to the season at Liverpool gone?
Since Iraola took charge at Liverpool, Wirtz has mainly been used again as a playmaker in the number 10 role, whereas predecessor Arne Slot often deployed the 23-year-old in the half-wide positions.
Heskey believes the role suits Wirtz far better, even if he still needs to pose more of a goal threat himself: "He is a linking player. But for that, the others also have to make runs."
Against Bournemouth, LFC coach Iraola started Wirtz, but the Germany international did little to convince and came off after 71 minutes for Trey Nyoni. After six matches in all competitions, Wirtz still has just one direct goal involvement (one assist).