Florian Wirtz receives stark warning from Germany boss after World Cup qualifying shocker

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net.

Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has threatened that he may have to drop some of Germany’s best players - a group that includes Florian Wirtz - to ensure the national team's performances improve.

The 2014 world champions fell to a shock 2-0 defeat against Slovakia on Thursday, Germany's first away defeat in a World Cup qualifier.

Nagelsmann's side were sloppy and lacked energy and fluidity in the attacking areas, with Wirtz playing in the wide areas, a decision criticized by former Red Steve Nicol.



Read More.

Wirtz is yet to manage a goal or assist in three Premier League matches.

That may seem too early to draw any form of criticism, but this did not stop German outlet Bild questioning what has happened to the former Bayer Leverkusen man's form.

"Since his mega-transfer to Liverpool, things haven't been going well.

Inadvertently, Nagelsmann may have exacerbated the situation, by stating after the defeat against Slovakia that he might have to consider dropping some of his star names.

"We picked the best players in Germany, but maybe we have to put less importance on quality and more on players who will give it all out there

We want to go to the World Cup, but today we were miles away from that.



Wirtz has not hit the ground running following high profile transfer from Leverkusen this summer

You won't get results with the handbrake on."

The result leaves Germany bottom of its four-team World Cup qualifying group after the first game, ahead of Sunday's clash against Northern Ireland.

Club team-mate Conor Bradley joked that he would ask Wirtz and co to "go easy" in Cologne this weekend, something which is certainly not an option given the German's need for points.