Gary Neville says, “We’ve been fair to them,” but he criticizes Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak after Liverpool’s draw with Newcastle.
Gary Neville thinks Liverpool’s Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz have been “too nice” on the pitch and need to improve their attack to avoid more criticism after their disappointing game against Newcastle.
It was a tough day for both players as Liverpool left St James’ Park with just a lucky point. Isak, back at Newcastle, missed two big chances and barely touched the ball in the opponent’s box, while Wirtz was taken off after about an hour, struggling to make a difference.
Since joining Liverpool for big fees, neither has impressed consistently. Neville feels fans and experts have actually been “too kind” to them so far.
Talking on his podcast after the 2-2 draw on Sunday, the former Manchester United defender was honest but said he still believes in both players.
“With a front two costing a quarter of a billion, Isak and Wirtz, we’ve all been pretty patient with them,” Neville said from St James’ Park. “But soon enough, they have to start performing. Right now, they’re too nice, and if you’re going to be nice, you’d better be amazing at football.”
He added, “I don’t see enough fight in Wirtz. He looks like a nice player moving around but not really giving his all. That can happen sometimes, but I want to see more from him because I know he’s got the talent and knows his role well.”
Neville went on: “For me, the biggest letdown on Sunday was those two. I’ve watched them for a year, and I do still have faith in them. Isak is a brilliant player — I’ve seen him cause big problems for strong defenders like Gabriel Magalhaes and Virgil Van Dijk when he played for Newcastle.”
“I know what he can do, and Liverpool fans and coaches need to see that too, especially since they spent £125m on him. As for Wirtz, he needs to get it together. We’ve talked about him a lot, and he’s young and in a new country, so I want to encourage him, but enough is enough.”
“Isak missed last season due to injury, and Wirtz hasn’t been at his best. Now it’s time for serious focus. I see a real player in both of them, but I can’t keep watching performances like Sunday’s — especially when the team is behind and needs goals.”
Liverpool coach Andoni Iraola will be counting on Isak and Wirtz to step up, especially after Mohamed Salah left the club, as he was a key goal scorer for the team.