TIME RUNNING OUT? Wirtz has had long enough - now Liverpool boss Iraola must consider biting the bullet by dropping struggling star

When you put a £100m price tag on a player, expectation levels immediately go through the roof.

That is why the judgement on Florian Wirtz has to be harsh. The reality is the Liverpool playmaker has not remotely delivered - and it feels like he is going backwards rather than actually making progress.

Wirtz joined Liverpool in June 2025 for £107m and not only was he viewed as an outstanding player but one so good that Arne Slot bought him with the idea of building a whole team around him.

The Germany international arrived to be the focal point of midfield, their playmaker, a move away from the formation and tactics which had won them the title in 2024/25 and towards Wirtz as more of a No10 rather than a midfield three. Wirtz was supposed to be the main man.

That is one hell of an investment of faith and finance in a player. You cannot for a moment say that Liverpool have not given him every chance to succeed.

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Ultimately, it did not work for Slot last season (and the big signings like Wirtz did not help) and he was replaced in the summer by Andoni Iraola. The new manager favours high press, high tempo and a midfield full of industry and legs.

Iraola effectively compromises on his tactics to get Wirtz in there. And yet we are still waiting for him to come good.

Against Manchester City, Wirtz just did not work. There were little touches. A couple of pieces of skill and brilliance. But nothing else. He got lost in the frantic nature of the game.

But, in my view, the best player on the pitch was Rayan Cherki. He scored, was City’s best attacker and showed the sort of work rate which really caught the eye. He never stopped.

That made the judgement on Wirtz even more harsh. You cannot say that a skillful player could not thrive in that sort of crazy, 100 mile-an-hour frantic match. Because Cherki did.

And that has largely been the story of Wirtz’s career at Liverpool so far. Five Premier League goals last season and three assists. This season, six appearances and just one assist to show for it. He is just not in the same bracket as other No10s like Cherki, Bruno Fernandes or Cole Palmer.

Jamie Carragher bleeds Liverpool and you can feel his passion when listening to his post-match view on Sky. He was excellent on this issue.

Carragher said: “Every time I watch Cherki, Bruno, Palmer play, they’ll score or assist. If they don’t, they come very close to. Palmer has eight goals or assists in his last 10 games, that’s top level. Wirtz never looks like scoring a goal.

“Liverpool play with touchline wingers, not inside forwards like Salah and Mane. So if you’re number 10 isn’t going to score and your wingers hug the touchline, you only look at you’re centre forward as the only player who’s going to score.

“Liverpool have a real problem with scoring and creating chances under Iraola, and that’s what you bought Wirtz for! He’s doesn’t offer anything defensively and he’s not offering anything going the other way.”

Both Carragher and Gary Neville agreed you have to get Ryan Gravenberch in the team. Midfield players like Gravenberch - whose form has dropped since the first half of the last title-winning season - have been sidelined for Wirtz.

Now you have to get him back in for his industry because Wirtz does not work hard enough either.

There are mitigating factors. Alexander Isak was bought for £125m and was supposed to feed off Wirtz and yet he has been injured for so much of his time at Anfield.

I’m not entirely sold on Bradley Barcola. But you have to give him time. It’s way too early. But Wirtz has had time.

Yes, it is a different style of play for Wirtz. But we have waited long enough. Iraola is a very good manager, excellent tactician but will only be a success if he is true to himself. He has to make big decisions and that includes taking Wirtz out of the firing line.

Confession time: I’m a sucker for a skilful player. Why else would you watch football unless it is to be entertained? That’s why I was so excited when Wirtz arrived. I tipped him to be my Footballer of the Year in that first summer. Shows what I know.

But that is how highly I thought of him and the signing. He just has not delivered and maybe Liverpool have to bite the bullet and accept something has to change. Wirtz is not delivering and Liverpool cannot carry passengers.