Liverpool’s 3-0 loss to Manchester City at Anfield has sent supporters and pundits into a meltdown for various reasons. One is Florian Wirtz’s form. The German, who was signed for £116 million from Bayer Leverkusen, has failed to replicate the form he showed during his time in Germany, which saw him voted Bundesliga Player of the Season.
Six games into the 2026/27 Premier League campaign, he has only one assist to his name, while creating 11 chances. Since the Florian Wirtz Liverpool transfer in the summer of 2025, he has failed to consistently show the creativity and decisive impact that made him one of the most exciting playmakers in Europe, with pundits like Jamie Carragher openly questioning whether he is delivering value for the fee.
The secondary concerns are growing frustration over the delay in resolving Manchester City’s 115 charges case. More than two weeks have passed since the announcement that the club had been found guilty of several financial breaches, yet fans are still waiting for clarity on the potential consequences. Supporters have now made their feelings known, with some arguing that every victory Manchester City secure while the case remains unresolved is a blow to the credibility of the Premier League as a whole.
Florian Wirtz’s Form: Is Liverpool’s Tactical System Holding Him Back?
Questions have been raised about Florian Wirtz’s form since joining the club, particularly as other players who commanded fees in the region of £100 million, including Morgan Rogers, Enzo Fernández and Elliott Anderson, have made promising starts for their respective clubs.
Despite approaching 60 appearances for Liverpool, the German has struggled to meet expectations, fuelling frustration among supporters. The debate surrounding the Florian Wirtz Liverpool career has now shifted towards whether the German playmaker is worth his hefty transfer fee or is finding the Premier League more difficult than anticipated. Signed to provide an extra spark in attack, particularly following Mohamed Salah’s departure, Wirtz was expected to help Liverpool unlock stubborn defences and compete for major honours. His modest return has inevitably attracted attention.
There is a difference between a player who is genuinely underperforming and one whose strengths are not being fully utilised by his team’s tactical system. That distinction is central to understanding Florian Wirtz’s form. While his numbers leave room for criticism, they do not necessarily tell the whole story of his performances or explain why Liverpool have struggled to get the best out of their attacking midfielder.
At Bayer Leverkusen, he established himself as one of Europe’s most exciting attacking midfielders, playing a pivotal role in the club’s unbeaten Bundesliga title-winning campaign under Xabi Alonso in 2023/24. He finished that season with 11 league goals and 11 assists before following up with another productive campaign, recording 10 goals and 13 assists the following season.
Liverpool were therefore not simply signing another attacking midfielder; they were investing in a player expected to become a creative force capable of deciding matches. His transfer fee reflected those expectations, but it has also increased the scrutiny surrounding every quiet performance.
The challenge now is determining whether the struggles in the Florian Wirtz Liverpool project stem from a decline in individual performance or a tactical environment that does not maximise his strengths. This brings the German’s position into sharper focus, and over the past three seasons, the playmaker has worked under three different managers, each with a distinct tactical philosophy.
At Bayer Leverkusen, under Xabi Alonso, he thrived as a left-sided, drifting playmaker, enjoying the freedom to overload the left flank and combine with overlapping full-backs. The system allowed him to receive the ball between the lines, turn towards goal and cut inside on his stronger right foot, maximising his creativity and attacking threat.
Under former Liverpool boss Arne Slot, however, Wirtz was deployed more centrally as an attacking midfielder, with less freedom to drift wide and exploit spaces as he had done in Germany. Positioned directly behind the striker, he was expected to operate in central areas. This often forced him to drop deeper to collect possession rather than make his trademark bursts into the penalty box. Despite these tactical adjustments and the fluctuations in Florian Wirtz’s form, he still managed a respectable seven goals and eight assists across all competitions by the end of the season.
This season, the German faces another tactical challenge under Liverpool’s new manager, Andoni Iraola, who has introduced a high-intensity, front-footed pressing system. Wirtz is now being deployed as a pressing number 10, a role that demands considerable defensive work, aggressive pressing and quick transitions. Rather than being given the freedom to dictate play through intricate combinations and clever movement, he is also expected to help initiate Liverpool’s press and disrupt opposition build-up.
Although Wirtz has created 11 chances so far, the question is whether this system allows him to operate in the areas where he is most dangerous and whether it has contributed to a dip in Florian Wirtz’s form. His creativity remains valuable, but if he is spending more time pressing opponents and fulfilling defensive responsibilities, he may have fewer opportunities to influence Liverpool’s attacks in the final third, and this distinction matters when assessing Florian Wirtz’s form. If the German is failing to execute the responsibilities of his position, the criticism is justified. However, if Liverpool are struggling to create the conditions in which he can fully utilise his best qualities, then the problem extends beyond the player himself.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United: Three Key Battles Ahead Of The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League Clash
Florian Wirtz’s Form: Why Liverpool’s £116 Million Star Looks Like A Different Player For Germany
Wirtz performs well for the German national team, but when it’s time to perform in the Premier League, he looks weak, shy and lost. This has been the growing criticism surrounding Liverpool’s £116 million playmaker, whose struggles to replicate his international form at club level have raised questions about his adaptation and ability to justify his hefty transfer fee.
Despite his inconsistent Premier League output, Florian Wirtz’s form makes him a completely different player when representing his country. With Die Mannschaft, the 23-year-old continues to showcase the vision and technical ability that made him one of Europe’s most sought-after talents. He registered three assists during the 2026 FIFA World Cup and followed up those performances with another impressive international break, scoring once and standing out for Germany under Jürgen Klopp.
Under the former Liverpool coach, Germany’s attacking setup allows Wirtz to find pockets of space between the lines, combine with teammates and influence play in the final third. These opportunities mirror the freedom he enjoyed under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen. That freedom is important because Wirtz is at his best as a drifting playmaker when he can influence the game rather than simply occupy a fixed position.
Ultimately, Florian Wirtz’s form should be assessed in the context of both his individual performances and the system around him. If Liverpool’s system requires him to prioritise pressing duties, maintain a fixed position or repeatedly drop deep to collect possession, those responsibilities could limit his opportunities to influence the game in the way he does best.
Extra Time Notes
With Florian Wirtz’s form yet to improve, calls for Liverpool to sell the German have begun to emerge across social media, with supporters’ patience clearly wearing thin. The solution would begin with giving Wirtz better support in the final third, where he is most dangerous receiving the ball between the lines, turning towards goal and releasing teammates. Liverpool must create more intelligent off-the-ball movements around him, with forwards running in behind the defensive line, wingers stretching the opposition and midfielders offering passing options in advanced areas.
In modern football, it is almost impossible to find an attacking player without defensive responsibilities. Nevertheless, the key is finding the right balance between Wirtz’s defensive duties and his creative freedom. Iraola cannot afford to let one of his most technically gifted attacking midfielders spend so much energy chasing opponents that he has little left to influence proceedings in the final third.
Finally, patience is essential in the Florian Wirtz Liverpool story, although it is often one of the hardest things to demand from supporters who have just watched their club spend over £100 million on a generational talent. The expectations are understandably high, and Florian Wirtz’s form must take responsibility for delivering performances that justify the investment. Nevertheless, a substantial transfer fee does not automatically guarantee immediate success, and Liverpool must ensure their tactical approach gives him the best possible chance to fulfil his potential.
More Premier League News
Liverpool vs Manchester City: Jeremy Doku Brilliance Wins The Day For The Cityzens
Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur: Michael Carrick Seems To Have Lost His Magic
