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The Liverpool star struggled in the 0-0 draw at Anfield on New Year's Day and was replaced in the 67th minute as the Reds searched for a winning goal against the relegation-threatened side
Former Leeds United goalkeeper Nigel Martyn has delivered a damning assessment of Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz following his underwhelming display at Anfield on New Year’s Day.
Wirtz’s lackluster showing exemplified Liverpool’s performance on Thursday, as the Reds were held to a goalless draw by the relegation-threatened Yorkshire outfit. Liverpool dominated for long stretches against Leeds, amassing two-thirds of possession, but found it difficult to create clear-cut chances.
The Premier League champions managed just one shot on target in the second half, which came via a long-range Dominik Szoboszlai effort that stung the palms of Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri. A small group of supporters made their frustrations clear at the full-time whistle, and Virgil van Dijk admitted post-match that fans’ grumblings were evident from the pitch.
READ MORE: Arne Slot offers honest Liverpool verdict with Arsenal and Man City comparison - 'Clear and obvious'READ MORE: Virgil van Dijk: 'I could sense Liverpool fans’ frustration vs Leeds'Liverpool’s slow, ponderous build-up play was at the heart of that disappointment, especially against a side that made four changes. James Justin, for instance, made just his second start of the campaign.
He was one of Leeds’ 10 summer arrivals, and Martyn claimed that those signings have settled quicker than Liverpool’s cohort of summer additions.
“Full credit to them. They have had to wait a long time to get a full start and that is because of the players in front of them playing so well,” the former England international said on Leeds’ LUTV channel after the game.
“Now they have held their hands up and we can all see that they are comfortable at this level.
“It will take a while to get used to it. But I think our boys that we have recruited have certainly taken to the Premier League probably quicker than somebody like Wirtz at Liverpool, who looks really like he is struggling.”
The inability of Liverpool’s summer signings to quickly adapt to life at Anfield has been a major problem this season. Of the eight first-team recruits, only Hugo Ekitike has really hit the ground running.
Jeremie Frimpong, Giovanni Leoni and Alexander Isak have struggled with fitness and injury concerns, while the latter has also performed poorly when selected. Milos Kerkez has struggled for consistency, while Wirtz failed to register a Liverpool goal until his 23rd appearance.
However, the German international has begun to find some consistency lately, and the underpar Leeds display has been the exception to the rule in recent weeks.
Arne Slot also revealed post-match that Wirtz was struggling with an injury issue in the build-up to the opening game of 2026.
“Two days after the game, he [Wirtz] felt his hamstring still too much. That's why he couldn't train and only trained yesterday,” said the Liverpool head coach.
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