Gerrard Claims Dropping Wirtz Could Help Liverpool Star Regain Form

Gerrard advises Liverpool to bench Wirtz

Former Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard thinks dropping Florian Wirtz could help the 23 year old find his form. Wirtz joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for 116 million pounds ($156.27m) last summer. Fans are still waiting for him to live up to that price tag after a difficult start to the season.

Wirtz has featured in every match for manager Andoni Iraola this season but has not scored a single goal. He set up Bradley Barcola for a goal in a 6-3 Champions League win against LASK on Thursday, which was only his second assist of the campaign. Last season, Wirtz scored seven goals in 49 games for the club.

Injuries force Wirtz to remain in lineup

Speaking on The Overlap, Gerrard noted that Wirtz lacks confidence and is giving away simple passes. Gerrard recalled experiencing similar dips during his own career. He stated that taking a break from the team helped him rebuild his consistency in training.

Wirtz started in the No. 10 role during Liverpool's 3-0 Premier League loss to Manchester City on Sunday. He failed to impress and was the first player substituted after Ryan Gravenberch received a red card.

Gerrard acknowledged that Liverpool cannot easily bench Wirtz right now due to existing injuries. Hugo Ekitike is missing, Cody Gakpo is injured, and Alexander Isak has been inconsistent recently. Gerrard believes Wirtz needs coaching support and video analysis, adding that judgment should only be made if he is still underperforming after two full seasons.

What it means for the next game

Brentford vs Liverpool (Premier League, Sat, 17 Oct): Brentford win 44%, draw 25%, Liverpool win 31%; expected goals 1.67 to 1.36. Our safest pick: Over 1.5 goals. Our best value pick: Brentford to win.

Liverpool vs Villarreal (Champions League, Tue, 20 Oct): Liverpool win 59%, draw 22%, Villarreal win 19%; expected goals 2.05 to 1.09. Our safest pick: Over 1.5 goals.