Carragher tells Iraola to drop Wirtz for Manchester City clash

Some performances go by unnoticed. Others set off every alarm bell in sight. Florian Wirtz's showing against Bournemouth falls firmly into the second category, at least as far as Jamie Carragher is concerned. The former Liverpool captain held nothing back after the 1-0 win at the Vitality Stadium, going as far as to suggest the German shouldn't even start Liverpool's next match against Manchester City.

"That was one of the worst games I've seen him play in a Liverpool shirt," Carragher said bluntly on his own podcast. And he didn't stop there: during the match broadcast itself, he had already made his frustration with the German's first-half performance clear.

It's just nothing. Absolutely nothing is happening there.Jamie Carragher

What's striking is that, according to Carragher himself, this isn't a one-off slump. It's something he's been noticing for a while now, even before Wirtz arrived at Anfield amid the kind of hype that surrounds a signing of his caliber.

I don't think Wirtz has been out of form since he joined Liverpool. I actually think what we're seeing is just what he is.Jamie Carragher

A warning sign from a year ago

Carragher pointed back to a match against Burnley, settled by a late Mo Salah penalty, as the moment he first began to have doubts about the midfielder. "He's tidy, he's neat, but I don't see how he's going to hurt you," he explained, going even further by suggesting the fee paid for Wirtz should have been "half" of what Liverpool ended up spending.

The analysis doesn't stop at Wirtz himself. Carragher also pointed to a knock-on effect: when the German plays as a No. 10, it forces Dominik Szoboszlai to drop back into central midfield, a zone where, in the former defender's view, the Hungarian doesn't perform at the same level.

To illustrate what he feels Wirtz is missing, Carragher drew comparisons with other Premier League midfielders who, without the same reputation or anything close to his market value, consistently contribute goals and assists: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall at Everton, Morgan Gibbs-White at Nottingham Forest and Emiliano Buendia at Aston Villa.

Is it time for Andoni Iraola to make a drastic call? Carragher believes the manager has already shown he has the nerve for it, pointing out that he left Jeremie Frimpong out and has constantly rotated the right-back spot with Milos Kerkez. That's why he's calling for the same approach with Wirtz ahead of the clash against City at Anfield after the international break.

There is, however, a glimmer of hope on the horizon, and it has a name: Jurgen Klopp, now in charge of the German national team. Carragher is hopeful the legendary coach can restore Wirtz's confidence during these three weeks with his country.

There's a scenario where Jurgen Klopp and Germany have a great international window, he gets goals and assists and comes back with his confidence high. The next game is against Manchester City, he influences that game, and everything is forgotten and forgiven.Jamie Carragher

In the end, beyond the criticism, Carragher made clear there's nothing personal in his message. "It's not because I don't like Florian Wirtz, I'm desperate for him to do well. I just want Liverpool to win. That's it, basically," he concluded.