Theo Walcott says Arne Slot now has a ‘problem player’ in his Liverpool team

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Liverpool’s start to this season couldn’t have gone any better.

Indeed, the Reds have won every single game they have played this term, they’re top of the league, they’re on the board in the Champions League and they’re through in the Carabao Cup.

However, despite the string of positive results, there have been some cracks showing at Anfield lately.

Mohamed Salah has been criticised at times this season, while Florian Wirtz hasn’t quite got going yet.

Speaking on It’s Called Soccer, Theo Walcott has been discussing Florian Wirtz and he’s shared an interesting verdict on the German and his start to life at Liverpool.

Theo Walcott says Florian Wirtz is a problem player

Walcott shared his verdict on Liverpool’s start to this season.

The pundit says that he would have Wirtz has a bench player in this team, claiming that he is the problem player in this side now.

The former England star did offer up an alternative, claiming that Hugo Ekitike should be playing behind Alexander Isak rather than Wirtz.

“Wirtz is on the bench for me when I look at his team. I know I’ve said, for me, that’s the problem player,” Walcott said.

“It’s not that I’m not having him. I do feel like, look, look, look, I know there’s going to be a lot of people on me here, but just hear me out for a minute.”

“I think at times when I’ve watched him play this year, he wants time on that ball and I get it. I think the physical side of things is really starting to show. Ekitike for me is that presence of an Henry.”

“He has something about him, he has a presence about him, it would be fascinating to see him behind Isak, dropping Wirtz deeper or maybe not even having Wirtz starting.”

Hugo Ekitike’s stats as a second striker

Walcott reckons Arne Slot may be best off dropping Hugo Ekitike into a deeper role just behind Alexander Isak.

In theory, that sounds like a great idea. After all, Ekitike is a brilliant player technically, and he could potentially work very well alongside Isak.

However, Ekitike doesn’t have much experience playing in a withdrawn role, and when he has played in that position, he hasn’t been effective.

Of course, two games is an incredibly small sample size, but, at the same time, seven games is too small a sample size to use to judge Wirtz.

Liverpool need to persevere with Wirtz, because the talent is certainly there with this young man.