“We have to find out what is going on”: Florian Wirtz causes great bewilderment because of his performances at Liverpool

Florian Wirtz was Germany’s best player on the pitch in the 2-0 win against Serbia, with one goal and one assist. In England, however, his strong performance raised a few question marks.

Florian Wirtz may be sparkling for Germany right now, but he has often failed to meet the huge expectations at Liverpool. That is also on the minds of Premier League pundits. "Unbelievable. There are some mysteries in football. The handball rule - we will never understand it any more. And secondly: what is going on with Florian Wirtz at Liverpool?" wondered former Frankfurt pro Jan Aage Fjörtoft on ESPN FC.

Fjörtoft pointed to the contrast in Wirtz's demeanour: "When we see him play like this ... there is a different body language, there is a different intensity, there is a different energy. I mean, we have to find out what is going on. We cannot figure out why he is not producing it for Liverpool."

Ex-Chelsea pro: "He is a different player for Germany"

Craig Burley also sees a clear difference between Wirtz in a Germany shirt and at the Reds. "He is a different player for Germany. [...] He plays for the national team and does so with his chest puffed out. It simply seems as if he is much more in his comfort zone," Burley explained.

Burley, 55, suspects the public pressure in England also plays a key role. "He hears all these little digs: Florian Wirtz is not playing well. He will be a flop." While Wirtz is one of Germany's main figures, he has a much tougher time at Liverpool. Burley called it a classic situation: "A confident player sets off for Germany, and then when he is back at Liverpool, he plays nervously."

Since his 125 million euro move from Bayer Leverkusen in summer 2025, Wirtz has faced almost constant criticism in England. In 55 competitive appearances for the Reds, the 23-year-old has managed only seven goals and 11 assists so far, a disappointing return for many pundits and fans. Even this season, Wirtz is still waiting for his first club goal.

For Germany, though, things are currently going far better. After his strong display against Serbia, Wirtz is expected to lead the side out as captain for the first time on Sunday against Greece.