Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Newcastle United on Sunday served up plenty of early-season talking points, but Jamie Carragher’s sharp assessment of Florian Wirtz feels remarkably harsh so early into Andoni Iraola’s tenure.
Dominik Szoboszlai’s late penalty salvaged a point for the Reds after another chaotic afternoon that exposed familiar structural flaws. Yet, rather than focusing on team discipline or ongoing adjustments under a new manager, Carragher turned his sights squarely on Liverpool’s number 7, who was withdrawn during the second half as Iraola searched for a spark.
Speaking on Monday Night Football, the former Liverpool defender pulled no punches on the German playmaker’s place in the side.
“What to do with Wirtz? I’ve been seen as critical of Florian Wirtz maybe last season. This thing that it takes players a year to settle in the Premier League, I think is a bit of a myth,” Carragher said.
When I see people say he’s got to be number 10, that means Szoboszlai has to be in the team in central-midfield. He is not a central-midfield player. I don’t see where he [Wirtz] fits in at all… you can’t keep going with it.”
Carragher’s claims hit hard, particularly given the squad was already adjusting following Mohamed Salah’s summer departure. But pointing the finger exclusively at Wirtz ignores the wider midfield dynamics currently at play under Iraola.
Midfield balance and tactical roles spark early debate
During the Newcastle draw, structural issues across the engine room left the backline repeatedly exposed to rapid counter-attacks. Both Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch frequently carried the ball past Wirtz or occupied identical zones, leaving Liverpool’s central defenders completely isolated for both Newcastle goals.
Rather than a individual failing from Wirtz, the issue stems from a lack of positional discipline in transition, where at least one central midfielder must sit deeper to offer protection.
Carragher, however, believes moving Szoboszlai further forward is the solution to unlocking the team.
“Liverpool need someone alongside [Ryan] Gravenberch,” Carragher continued. “It doesn’t necessarily need to be a player who can’t get on the ball and he’s just tackling and stopping players. If you play for one of the top teams in the world, you need to be able to get hold of the ball. But I want someone who can run.
“Szoboszlai has to go to the No 10. His biggest strengths are running and shooting. I think playing in that position gives him more opportunity to do that.”
Yet Carragher’s tactical view directly contradicts Szoboszlai himself. Speaking to Liverpudlian for CBS Sports in November 2025, the Hungarian stated outright that his “favourite position is actually a little bit maybe deeper”—making late runs into shooting positions from central midfield where he can arrive onto the ball with power.
Transfer window criticism overlooks building project
Carragher did not stop at individual player roles, turning his attention to the club’s broader transfer strategy following a summer where Liverpool focused heavily on wide reinforcements while coping with Conor Bradley’s injury and Andy Robertson’s exit.
“Liverpool last season conceded 78 goals in the season. 53 in the Premier League, the most they’ve conceded in the league. And all summer, it’s about buying wingers,” Carragher argued.
“No thought about full-back position, position next to Gravenberch – no real thoughts about that either. I just think it’s getting to the stage now where I’m not sure where you fit him [Florian Wirtz] in. I always thought you could put him in a pocket from the left where he plays in Germany, but Iraola loves wingers. He wants players who have got the energy up and down the flank.”
The pundit went even further, labeling Liverpool’s spending spree last summer as “arguably the worst transfer window in Premier League history.”
That kind of sweeping verdict feels prematurely dramatic for a project still finding its feet. Before the campaign began, Carragher himself urged patience with Iraola, stating “we’ll wait” while the former Bournemouth boss implemented his high-intensity principles. Sweeping declarations after a handful of matches do little to assist a squad adapting to significant tactical changes.
Wirtz will know his debut campaign in England did not reach his personal high standards, but contextual factors—including team-wide instability last term—cannot be discarded overnight. With plenty of football left to play, Iraola requires time rather than panicking over early tactical hitches.
