Liverpool legend blasts $156M star over slump in form

Liverpool facing questions over its performances

The performance in Turkey added to a string of unconvincing displays this season. Slot’s side has relied on late moments of fortune to edge past opponents, including a stoppage-time penalty to beat newly promoted Burnley, a stoppage-time winner at Newcastle United and a late Dominik Szoboszlai wondergoal against Arsenal.

The old saying goes that the best teams find a way to win, but Liverpool’s narrow escapes have only highlighted the growing sense of imbalance. Despite sitting at the top of the Premier League, its uneven performances have left questions over its structure, identity and record summer signings.

"Right now, the balance of the team is not right, and the obvious one that stands out is Florian Wirtz, who is just not at the races at all," Carragher bluntly said on CBS Sports, via Sky Sports. "He's a young boy, coming to a new league, and has plenty of time to go.

"But right now, he needs to come out of the team, Liverpool go back to what they were last season, and try to build some confidence and some stability. Right now it looks like a mess."

"I'm not watching a top team," the club great continued. "Liverpool aren't playing football at the moment, they are playing basketball. It is just end to end and I don't think top teams play like that."

Liverpool’s $156M signing from Bayer Leverkusen arrived with huge expectations after his breakout years in the Bundesliga, but his introduction to English football has been far from seamless. Deployed in a variety of attacking roles, Wirtz has yet to register a goal or assist and has struggled to impose himself in high-intensity matches. Yet, Opta statistics show he has created 21 chances in all competitions this season, the joint highest for a Premier League player alongside Jack Grealish.

The defeat in Turkey only increased the pressure on Slot’s side, coming days after the lackluster display at Selhurst Park. Injuries have further complicated matters, with goalkeeper Alisson Becker forced off in Istanbul and now sidelined, leaving the squad stretched at an early point in the season.

For now, Liverpool remains a team searching for balance. Slot must quickly restore structure, while Wirtz, once tipped as Europe’s next great playmaker, faces the challenge of adapting to the pace and demands of the Premier League spotlight.