Florian Wirtz reacts after Liverpool’s defeat against Manchester City (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
It’s fair to say it’s proving to be another tough night for Liverpool summer signing Florian Wirtz against Leeds United.
The first half of tonight’s game ended 0-0, with Wirtz once again struggling to make a positive impact against the kind of opposition Liverpool fans would really expect to beat quite comfortably.
The Reds notably dropped points against Leeds recently in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Elland Road, while tonight they are struggling to find a breakthrough at Anfield.
Some notable media figures are now commenting on Wirtz, with vlogger Mark Goldbridge calling his performance “shocking”, while the Germany international has also been criticized by other journalists.
Florian Wirtz draws criticism after quiet first half for Liverpool against Leeds
See below for some of the comments circulating about Wirtz’s unconvincing display so far tonight…
Wirtz has been shocking so far
–Mark Goldbridge (@markgoldbridge) January 1, 2026
Bad touch from Wirtz on a Liverpool break involving the fast Frimpong. Control drops him after the cut-back and he commits a foul. https://t.co/7zKfe16a7Q
– Paul Gorst (@ptgorst) January 1, 2026
Meanwhile, Leeds fans outside Anfield also trolled Wirtz with the chant below…
“What a waste of money!” the Leeds fans chanted after Wirtz fired a shot high and wide.#LFC #LIVLEE ?https://t.co/FF8BnCIsGl
– Theo Squires (@TheoTheoSquires) January 1, 2026
Wirtz’s understated performance also didn’t go down well with the Liverpool Echo, who released their half-time ratings, giving him only a 6/10 based on what they’ve seen so far.
Florian Wirtz continues to struggle for Liverpool
Wirtz joined LFC from Bayer Leverkusen for big money this summer, and there’s probably no one left to say he’s been anything other than a big disappointment.
The 22-year-old looked like an elite talent during his time in the Bundesliga, scoring 57 goals in 197 games in total for Leverkusen, usually reaching double figures each season.
Wirtz has scored just one goal in 23 appearances for Liverpool so far, in the recent win over Wolves, who are bottom of the Premier League table.
Tonight’s performance is another big worry for Liverpool fans, as Wirtz still appears far from being able to adapt to Arne Slot’s team or English football in general.
