Florian Wirtz under fire after Carragher's Bournemouth verdict

Jamie Carragher said Florian Wirtz was one of the poorest players he has ever seen in a Liverpool shirt after Liverpool's 1-0 win over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. He also said Wirtz would not be in his Liverpool team and added that Manchester City at home is a game where he cannot be in the side. Wirtz now heads into Germany duty before Liverpool resume against City on Sunday, October 11.

Carragher's selection call

Carragher's sharpest line was about the team sheet, not just the performance. Speaking after Bournemouth vs Liverpool, he said: "Wirtz would not be in my Liverpool team." He followed that with, "Manchester City at home, for me, he can't be in the team."

That is a stronger verdict than a bad-game reaction. It turns one noisy night into a wider question about whether Arne Slot can keep Wirtz in the starting XI for a match of that size.

The criticism is early, though. Wirtz has made only five Premier League appearances for Liverpool and has one goal contribution. His average rating across those games is 6.53, which is ordinary rather than catastrophic, even if Carragher clearly expected more against Bournemouth.

Carragher also said of the display: "That was one of the poorest I've ever seen him in a Liverpool shirt." On the numbers alone, that sits alongside a mixed start, not a total collapse.

The midfield balance issue

Carragher's other concern was structural. He argued that playing Wirtz at No 10 pushes Dominik Szoboszlai into central midfield, a role he does not really suit.

Szoboszlai's average rating is 6.96, a little higher than Wirtz's 6.53, and that gap helps explain why Carragher is looking at the balance of the side as much as the player himself. His point was not that Wirtz can never work, but that Liverpool may be carrying the wrong shape to get him into the team.

Wirtz also has Germany duty coming up before the club side face City. Liverpool then return to league action against Manchester City on Sunday, October 11, which is the next obvious checkpoint for the discussion around his place in the XI.