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Joe Cole insists Florian Wirtz should not be blamed for Liverpool’s poor start to the season, despite claiming that the German’s signing has disrupted the Reds’ midfield.
Arne Slot’s side continues to be in dismal form after being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Crystal Palace on Wednesday. That now makes it six defeats in the last seven games across all competitions, a run which has also seen four straight losses in the Premier League.
Although Wirtz wasn’t involved against Palace - with Slot’s team selection proving highly controversial - there has been plenty of discussion about his place in the side since his record-breaking move from Bayer Leverkusen.
The 22-year-old has struggled to make an impact, having recorded just three assists in 13 appearances so far, with those contributions coming in the Community Shield and during last week’s 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.
Despite his struggles, and the conversations around whether he should be in the side at the moment, former Liverpool and Chelsea star Cole doesn’t think the blame for the Reds’ downturn can be directed toward him - or any of the other signings.
“Yes, Florian Wirtz’s signing has disrupted the Liverpool midfield, but not in a way that can be laid at Florian Wirtz's feet,” Cole told Paddy Power.
“There's no doubt he's a top player. You don't play number 10 for Germany, and win the league over in the Bundesliga, and produce what he did at Bayer Leverkusen, without being quality. We know he's quality, and he's shown it in flashes.
“Don't lay the blame on the four players coming in, or the four players coming out, or the managers, it’s just a collection of everything.
“In hindsight, if Liverpool could do a restart of the season, they'd have probably put one or two players into the team, and we'll keep with what we're doing, and just gradually change it, and by January, you'll start looking to get Wirtz into the squad, into the team regularly, giving the time to come off the bench.
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“It's all well saying that, but Slot trying to explain to the owners who just bought you a £100 million player while he's on the bench is going to be a difficult sell.”
Cole added: “It's a collection of about three or four different things, but Wirtz is a quality player. Whether he's the right player for Liverpool or the Premier League, he's going to have to prove that. He can't shy away from that.
“There are certain players, good players, who go to clubs, and they just don't fit. And he's had a bad start, so the spotlight’s on him, and he's going to have to go and, in the next year, prove that he's a Premier League footballer.”
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