Carragher claims Liverpool losing intensity because of their summer signing

Jamie Carragher has had his say on Florian Wirtz’s slow start at Liverpool and how his arrival has affected the team negatively from a tactical perspective.

It was just a week ago that Liverpool looked like they would run away with the Premier League title after five wins from the opening five games.

They have lost twice since, to Crystal Palace in the league and to Galatasaray in the Champions League, and they no longer look uncatchable.

If there is one thing that Liverpool supporters would be most disappointed about, it would be Wirtz’s underwhelming output as a number 10 so far.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot even switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation to accommodate Wirtz, but the attacking midfielder has yet to score a goal or make an assist.

According to Carragher, this has caused problems for the team overall.

“The introduction of Florian Wirtz into the three-man midfield, which was so effective at pinning opponents into their own half last season, has fundamentally changed how Liverpool play,” Carragher wrote in his column for The Telegraph.

“It sounds odd to say it, but Wirtz was signed to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold – a No 10 to provide the passing range and creativity of a unique full-back.

“He is yet to add what Liverpool are missing without Alexander-Arnold, while at the same time the team has lost the intensity which made them so difficult to play against.”

Carragher further added that the underwhelming start to Wirtz’s career at Liverpool will leave Slot in a dilemma of whether he should persist with his current set-up or revert to the 4-3-3 system.

Understandably, Liverpool would want to aid the player they brought in for a reported £116million as much as possible by playing him in his best role.

As Carragher pointed out, however, this comes at a cost of losing the midfield intensity compared to having three centre midfielders.

That said, it is still early days for Wirtz, and the numbers do not tell the whole story.

While Wirtz has not had an assist to his name this season, at Liverpool, only Cody Gakpo has more than the 10 chances he has created in the league.