'He couldn't do it': Steve Nicol really disappointed with one Liverpool player after their performance vs Burnley
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Liverpool produced a disappointing performance against Burnley, but some players looked worse than others.
It was a dismal day at Turf Moor, not just in terms of the conditions but also the football on display as the Reds managed a 1-0 late winner thanks to Hannibal Mejbri’s handball, which gifted Mohamed Salah the opportunity to convert from the spot.
However, the penalty may have papered over the cracks of a display that left a lot to be desired, as Arne Slot’s men struggled to break down the compact, low block of Scott Parker’s side for the majority of the 90 minutes.
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Even when the Clarets went down to 10 men after a Lesley Ugochukwu second yellow for a foul outside the box, it was difficult to see them scoring.
The tone was set by an early ‘ruthless’ Milos Kerkez first-half substitution after his dive in the penalty area found him in the referee’s book before a second foul, which did not incur a booking, looked likely to ruin the rest of his game.
It was a difficult day for any player to shine, given how well the newly-promoted side defended in their own half, but there were some bright sparks amongst the group.
Ryan Gravenberch proved why he is one of the best holding midfielders in the world, and even produced a few pieces of creativity in a side which was lacking it.
There was also a solid defensive display from Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, despite not needing to be called upon too often.
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However, there was a general feeling of being let down by the showing of the whole squad, and Steve Nicol did not hold back when talking about a player he was disheartened by.
The four-time league title winner gave his verdict on the performance of German star Florian Wirtz to ESPN FC immediately following yesterday’s game.
Nicol said: “If we were going to talk about one player who is disappointed the most, I think we’d have to say, if ever a player was brought in to break down a game, this was it today… And that, I’m afraid, is Florian Wirtz’s job.
“That’s what he was brought in to do.
And today, just again, he couldn’t do it, and he hasn’t done it yet since he’s come to the club now.
The fact that Liverpool wins again probably means that Arne Slot can keep pushing Florian Wirtz in the starting 11 and keep giving him time, hoping that his true form is going to come out.”
Wirtz has had a tough start to life at Liverpool, and while some key stats have shown his star quality from his first performances, he has not produced the all-important goal or assist.
The Scotsman now believes the manager has to look at changing his mind on the former Bayer Leverkusen man.
“Well, there has to be a point where you do bench them.
You could try and play him on the left,” he said.
“I mean there has to come a point where Arne Slot has to decide whether Florian has to sit (on the bench)… If that’s the best thing for the team, then again Slot that’s why he gets paid the big bucks.
You have to make tough decisions regardless of whether you paid £112 million for somebody or not, if they’re not producing.
“Then you have to make a decision, and that can’t be that far away, quite honestly.”
It would be hard to argue that most of the squad had a good individual performance on Sunday, but it would be difficult to suggest the No.7 had a great day on the pitch.
According to Statsmuse, the 22-year-old lost possession 21 times during the match, which is unusual for a midfielder of his calibre.
He also struggled in one-on-one situations, losing seven of his 10 duels.
Wirtz has clearly not adjusted to the pace of the Premier League just yet, but if he continues like this, it will be difficult to find a place in the team for the next few matches.