Julian Nagelsmann says Florian Wirtz’s Liverpool woes are ‘not his fault’

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Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann has leapt to the defence of Florian Wirtz after another lacklustre display on international duty.

Nagelsmann pointed the finger at Wirtz and his fellow German attackers for not working hard enough during the 2-0 loss against Slovakia in September.

Indeed, German media slammed Wirtz for his performance that day, and now, into the second international break of the campaign, the midfielder’s fortunes have not improved.

He has shown flashes of quality in a Liverpool shirt, but overall, he has significantly underwhelmed compared to the £116 million fee paid to Bayer Leverkusen for his services.

Nevertheless, Nagelsmann has now issued a stark defence of his star talisman and suggested his lack of impact in English football is not entirely his fault.

Liverpool teammates are to blame for Florian Wirtz’s poor form

Germany recorded a resounding 4-0 win against Luxembourg in World Cup qualifying on Friday evening, with Wirtz playing the entirety of the 90 minutes.

Although he could not manage to get himself among the goals, Nagelsmann addressed his situation at Anfield when speaking to Sport 1 after the final whistle.

“Even if he hasn’t scored a goal, he’s the player who creates the most chances in the Premier League. It’s not his fault if his teammate doesn’t create them, and the statistic isn’t even a third of the truth.

“He simply has to get used to the league. I’ve seen him feel completely liberated. He knows what he’s capable of and how things work. Not everything has always been handed to him—he’ll work hard now, too.”

The German boss raises an excellent point: Wirtz has created 17 chances for the Reds thus far, but has yet to record a single goal contribution since the Community Shield loss against Crystal Palace.

And the 22-year-old could have made an instant impact at Stamford Bridge last time out; his first touch of the ball was an audacious flick which sent Mohamed Salah one-on-one with the goalkeeper, who sent his effort wide of the post.

Wirtz has been “poor” for Liverpool, and he has not been the only summer arrival to underperform, but the feeling inside Anfield remains positive that he will soon showcase his talents in the Premier League.

Nagelsmann is not the only one to suggest Wirtz’s struggles are beyond his control; it is clear at this stage that multiple factors are at play regarding why the midfielder has failed to hit the ground running.

Florian Wirtz’s statistics for Germany vs Luxembourg

Wirtz endured another hit-and-miss performance for the national side, but the underlying numbers suggest he is beginning to have a significant impact on proceedings.

He took five shots on goal and created four chances on the night, one of which was spurned by Newcastle United forward Nick Woltemade.

While the midfielder has become a scapegoat at Anfield this season, he is becoming a constant threat from his natural number 10 position.

Arne Slot has experimented with utilising Wirtz on the flanks to help bring out his best form, but the telltale signs are clear – once he breaks his barren spell, the floodgates will surely open.