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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.
The Liverpool star earned a 5/10 match rating on the back of what has been a slow start to life at Anfield. 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. Wirtz hasn't impressed at either club or national team," wrote the outlet.
"He was supposed to lead the attack in the absence of Jamal Musiala [broken leg], but against Slovakia, he was almost invisible
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 did not show any emotionality in our game today," said the 38-year-old.
"In terms of emotions, the opponents were miles ahead of us. We want to go to the World Cup, but today we were miles away from that.
"The first five minutes of the second half were a bit brighter, but the rest was pretty grim.
"I trust my team, but they have to understand that simply being a better player than the opponent is not enough if you don't show willingness and desire. 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.
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