Florian Wirtz took to Instagram in the aftermath of Liverpool‘s win against AFC Bournemouth. Alexander Isak‘s second-half goal secured a 1-0 victory for the Reds at the Vitality Stadium, with the German marginally involved in the build-up as he initially attempted to connect with Cody Gakpo‘s low delivery.
The attacking midfielder was substituted in the 71st minute following a substandard showing, with Trey Nyoni introduced in his stead.
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Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher delivered scathing criticism of Wirtz during his commentary work on the South Coast and once more during his post-match Sky Sports podcast.
-Credit:Richard Sellers/Allstar, Getty Images
By contrast, Reds head coach Andoni Iraola came to the 23-year-old’s defense, although he acknowledged Wirtz had begun sluggishly against Bournemouth, as per the Liverpool Echo.
The German has faced mounting scrutiny for both club and country since initially transferring to Liverpool in a £116 million ($157 million) deal from Bayer Leverkusen last summer.
Disapproval of his displays back in his homeland only intensified after Germany’s early departure from the FIFA World Cup, while he has managed just one assist across six appearances so far this campaign for the Reds.
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Club action now enters a three-week pause for the extended September/October international window, following Liverpool’s victory over Bournemouth, with Wirtz included in the second of two distinct squads chosen by his new national team boss, Jürgen Klopp – who has also pushed back against criticism of the midfielder.
Leading into the international break, the 23-year-old turned to social media to share his thoughts on the Reds’ most recent win.
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Posting an image of himself striking the ball at the Vitality Stadium on his Instagram story, he captioned it: “Into the international break with a win,” accompanied by flexed biceps and flame emojis.
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Wirtz will now join up with Germany at month’s end for their third and fourth UEFA Nations League fixtures as they welcome Serbia before making the trip to Greece.
As a result, he’ll avoid the journey to the Netherlands and hosting Greece, with Klopp’s roster instead participating in Germany’s opening two Nations League contests.
The former Liverpool manager’s choice to divide his squad will likely be welcomed at Anfield, with Wirtz not being overextended during international duty before returning to club commitments, as the Reds’ upcoming match sees them welcome Premier League table-toppers Man City on October 11.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
