Florian Wiltz was seen in good spirits when he joined the German squad on Monday despite being benched during a recent match against Liverpool’s Chelsea. The young playmaker was taken to the pitch as Liverpool was pushing for a goal from Moises Caseko. He quickly influenced Mohamed Sara with his clever flicks, but the Egyptian player missed the target with his weak feet. Despite some impressive moments, Wirtz couldn’t help Liverpool breaking their winning streak.
Cody Gakpo was able to level out Liverpool’s score, but Estevao’s last-minute goal was defeated for Arne Slot’s team for the third consecutive time. This loss meant that Arsenal had to give up his top position in the Premier League table. Currently playing seven Premier League matches, Wirtz is waiting for his first goal or assisting in England’s top tier league. As a result, the “007” meme continues to circulate.
An international break may be a welcome break for 22-year-olds. Germany will host Luxembourg before heading to Northern Ireland for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
Some of the country’s football icons continue to support Wirtz as his dullness continues, starting in Liverpool.
German sports director Rudy Voller has acknowledged Wirtz’s struggle at Anfield to adapt alongside his new colleagues, claiming that he needs time to develop chemistry.
“The big difference lies in Bayer Leverkusen. Despite the individual qualities of other players, he was always looking for,” Voller told German media.
“Players like Granit Xhaka, Alejandro Grimaldo, Robert Andrich certainly ran the game, but at the moment Florian was available he always got the ball. As a young man, he was already the chief.
“I purposely watched some Liverpool games with him, he did an incredible job, made a lot of sprints and got deeper.
“But he’s not playing in the way he’s used to with Leverkusen or the national team. It’s something that has to be developed over weeks and months.”
German football icons Bastian Schweinsteiger and Rossal Massaus also expressed confidence that Wurtz’s talent will ultimately thrive in Liverpool.
“We have to give players a little time,” Schweinsteger said when he introduced it to Dortmund’s German Football Hall of Fame.
“There’s a bit of adjustment, especially when I move from the Bundesliga to the Premier League, and I’ve experienced that myself.
“He captivates us all moving forward. He’s a great footballer and a great character. We’re happy to have such a player in Germany.”
Meanwhile, Matt South said: “That’s normal after making big moves abroad, but he’s a great player and over time he’ll get used to the Premier League and be able to handle even more pressure.
“I felt the same way at Inter Milan at first, and Andy Breme, whose transfer was pretty quiet, was quickly executed at Inter.
“Because of the media hype and increased transfer fees, I had to get used to everything.”
