Andoni Iraola returns to his old hunting ground on Sunday as Liverpool take on Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
The Reds will look to bounce back from their disappointing 0-0 draw against Fulham, but will take a lot of encouragement from their Carabao Cup win against Tottenham in midweek.
Florian Wirtz was rested against the Lilywhites, having started each of Liverpool’s five games in all competitions since the start of the season.
He hasn’t been at his best this season but has done a lot of work for the team in and out of possession, which has clearly made an impression with the new Liverpool boss.
And Iraola feels the German international is sometimes held to unreasonable standards, presumably due to his lofty price tag.
Andoni Iraola defends Florian Wirtz’s Liverpool displays
“He should be judged like everyone else,” said Iraola in his pre-match press conference when asked about the 22-year-old’s performances this season.
“I say, how does the team play when you are on the pitch? He understands what we need from him, and he is trying to help in every aspect of the game.”
Every Liverpool fan in the world wants Wirtz to succeed and realise his potential at Anfield. However, he is just another player at the club and the primary aim this season is to win games and, in turn, trophies.
If Liverpool win games 1-0 and 2-0 but Wirtz doesn’t contribute much in terms of end product, they won’t be too fussed with that as long as his overall gameplay positively influences proceedings.
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