Germany boss drops positive Florian Wirtz stat amid Liverpool criticism

Feargal Brennan

Germany boss drops positive Florian Wirtz stat amid Liverpool criticism image

Germany national team head coach Julian Nagelsmann has joined the growing list of backers for Liverpool star Florian Wirtz.

Ahead of the October international break, Arne Slot's side lost twice in Premier League action and suffered a  UEFA Champions League defeat on the road at Turkish giants Galatasaray.

That has sharpened focus on Slot's summer expensive summer signings after the Dutchman twice broke the Premier League this summer on Florian Wirtz and  Alexander Isak.

Wirtz's £100m move from Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen set a new club transfer record but his form has been mixed so far on Merseyside.

The 22-year-old has failed to register a goal involvement [goal or assist] in league and European competition but Slot has resisted pressure to drop him from the squad.

Former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has dismissed concerns of Wirtz being a 'flop' and backed his German compatriot to shine in the months ahead.

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Naglesmann backs Wirtz to bounce back at Liverpool

Nagelsmann has taken a similar stance to Klopp with Wirtz still vital to Germany's push for 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.

"Even though he hasn't scored any goals, he's still the player who creates the most chances in the Premier League," Nagelsmann told Sport 1.

"It's not his fault if his teammates don't convert them, and the statistics don't even tell the whole story.

"Wirtz needs to get used to the league. I saw him playing with total freedom. He knows what he's capable of and how things work."

Nagelsmann's claim is backed up by the data with Opta indicating no player has created more chances than Wirtz [21] in the Premier League so far this season.

Despite his struggles at Liverpool, Wirtz is key for Germany, with 90 minutes completed in all three of their qualifiers so far.

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Feargal Brennan

Feargal is a content producer for The Sporting News. He has been working with TSN since the start of 2022 after stints with Reach, Amazon UK and Squawka in a nomadic career in the football media pyramid. Always with a keen eye on Arteta's 'Reds' and Kenny's Ireland 'Greens' and a 100% five-a-side penalty record.