“He can’t be in the team” – Carragher urges Iraola to ruthlessly axe regular Liverpool starter

Jamie Carragher has called for Andoni Iraola to drop one of his regular starters at Liverpool from the first XI.

Since his £100m transfer from Bayer Leverkusen 15 months ago, Florian Wirtz has started 32 Premier League matches out of a possible 43, including all five at the beginning of this campaign, but has just five goals to show for it (WhoScored).

Even the Reds’ head coach admitted publicly that the 23-year-old ‘started the game slowly’ in the 1-0 win at Bournemouth on Sunday, and the Germany playmaker was substituted with 20 minutes to go.

Carragher calls for Wirtz to be dropped

Speaking on the Jamie Carragher Podcast made by Sky Sports, the former Liverpool defender believes that the Reds’ number 7 can’t be afforded much more patience if he’s to justify his price tag and has implored Iraola to be ruthless with his team selection.

The pundit said: “I think going forward Iraola’s got a decision to make here. Wirtz would not be in my Liverpool team.

“I thought this Bournemouth game was a big game for Wirtz, because if he doesn’t produce, he’s then going to have a three-week break. By the time we come back, we’re into October. Before you know it, it’ll be Christmas in six to eight weeks, or it’ll feel like we’re getting to Christmas. He has to do something!”

Carragher continued: “Wirtz wouldn’t be in my Liverpool team. Manchester City at home [on 11 October], for me, he can’t be in the team.”

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Does Iraola now have a decision to make on Wirtz?

It isn’t just the Sky Sports pundit who’s questioned whether Iraola should drop the £100m playmaker for the visit of Man City to Anfield in our next fixture – journalist David Lynch also suggested that the head coach might soon have a seismic decision to make on the 23-year-old.

The German was all too ineffective against Bournemouth yesterday, comically colliding with Milos Kerkez during the first half, although he did attempt to get on the end of Cody Gakpo’s cross for the eventual winning goal by Alexander Isak.

While Wirtz toiled in 70 minutes at the Vitality Stadium, Trey Nyoni shone during the final 20 after replacing his illustrious teammate, and their respective performances on Sunday might just have given Iraola food for thought.

The 23-year-old at least has a few days off this week and a couple of games for his country under Jurgen Klopp before Liverpool play again in 20 days’ time.

Maybe the former Reds boss will get the best out of him and he’ll come back to Merseyside reinvigorated by two strong performances for Germany. Should that be the case, he’ll almost certainly keep his place for the Man City game.

What’s undeniable, though, is that we do need to start seeing more from the wonderfully talented Wirtz, who’s capable of so much better than what he showed yesterday.