Florian Wirtz has been written off by many since his £116 million move to Liverpool.
The German’s first 18 months in English football have not gone as smoothly as he would’ve hoped.
Pressure was always going to be high, but the criticism of the 23-year-old has stepped up in recent weeks.
Many hoped that the arrival of Andoni Iraola would mark the start of a new chapter for Wirtz, but the struggles of last season have continued.
Glimpses of the £116 million man that Richard Hughes signed are starting to shine through though, and it is definitely too early to write the German off completely.
Wirtz will make it at Liverpool
There is no doubt that Wirtz is yet to live up to the hype he arrived in Merseyside with, but Liverpool’s season was disappointing all round in 2025/26 and the squad are still finding their feet under new boss Iraola.
A worryingly poor display against Manchester City at home earlier this month was a particular low point for Wirtz, with many supporters both in Anfield and online voicing their frustrations with what little impact the playmaker had on the game.
His two outings since that disappointing collapse have shown a marked improvement however, with Wirtz picking up assists against both LASK and Brentford only a few days apart.
The German had nine key passes in the match against Brentford on Saturday and showed some genuinely promising signs.
Some critics will argue that his first improved performance came against vastly inferior opposition, LASK, and that the second came against 10-man Brentford, but it is hard to knock how the 23-year-old has performed since his low point against City.
Matches against Villarreal and Brighton at Anfield come next, and everyone watching on will hope that Wirtz can continue his spell of good form.
With Alexander Isak fresh back from injury and looking sharp, there will no doubt be opportunities for Wirtz to shine in these games, and it is now down to the German to take his opportunities.
It is far too early to write Wirtz off, especially as he keeps showing glimpses of greatness, and it is time to accept that the German can still come good for Liverpool.