Gary Neville has launched a strong criticism of Florian Wirtz after Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against Newcastle United, claiming the £116million midfielder now needs “a rocket up him”.
Liverpool twice came from behind at St James’ Park to rescue a point in their opening Premier League match under Andoni Iraola.
But Wirtz endured another difficult performance and was substituted after around an hour despite Liverpool chasing the game.
Neville sends brutal Wirtz message
Wirtz arrived at Liverpool for £116m last summer, but Neville believes the Germany international is still failing to consistently demonstrate his quality.
The former Manchester United defender insisted patience is beginning to run out.
“I want to put a rocket up him,” Neville said. “There’s ability there, there’s talent there, the understanding of his position.”
Neville then delivered an even stronger message.
“Wirtz, he needs to sort himself out. Enough is enough now; we’ve talked about him enough.
“He’s young and he’s come to a different country and I’m all for willing him on.
“I can see a real player there, but I can’t keep watching this stuff.”
Neville also questioned the significance of Iraola replacing Wirtz while Liverpool were 2-1 behind and desperately searching for an equaliser.
Newcastle furious with Liverpool penalty
Liverpool eventually rescued the game deep into stoppage time after Lewis Hall brought down Victor Munoz inside the penalty area.
Dominik Szoboszlai converted the resulting spot-kick to make it 2-2.
Newcastle manager Matthias Jaissle described the decision as “really soft”, but Liverpool legend Steve Nicol strongly disagreed.
“It’s either a foul or it’s not a foul,” Nicol said.
“If it’s a foul, it’s a penalty and it’s not soft.”
Iraola identifies Liverpool midfield problem
Liverpool also had problems defensively, particularly when Newcastle attacked in transition.
Ryan Gravenberch and Szoboszlai were exposed on several occasions, but Iraola refused to blame individual players.
The Liverpool boss instead argued that the entire team must improve how they react when midfielders move forward.
“Situations are just not because one person is playing there,” Iraola explained. “It is something that we have to correct between a lot of players.”
Key Points
- Gary Neville has heavily criticised Florian Wirtz after Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at Newcastle.
- Neville says Wirtz needs “a rocket up him” and believes it is time for the German to deliver.
- Wirtz was substituted with Liverpool trailing 2-1, despite the Reds needing a goal.
- Matthias Jaissle called Liverpool’s late penalty “really soft”, while Steve Nicol strongly defended the decision.
What’s Next?
Liverpool now need to decide how to get more from Wirtz while Iraola works on the midfield issues exposed by Newcastle. With the transfer window still open and the Reds pursuing further attacking reinforcements, pressure on Liverpool’s £116m signing will only increase if his performances do not improve quickly.
Do you agree with Gary Neville, or does Florian Wirtz deserve more patience at Liverpool?
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