Iraola Defends Wirtz's Impact Beyond Numbers

Andoni Iraola is refusing to let the numbers define Florian Wirtz. Not now, and not while Liverpool’s new-look attack is still learning each other’s movements.

The £116m Germany international has only one assist and no Premier League goals to his name this season, and his tendency to concede possession has drawn criticism. Yet Iraola’s reading of Wirtz’s contribution is very different – and rooted in what he sees from the touchline rather than on a spreadsheet.

“Flo played very well against Atlético Madrid and I also think he has been unlucky,” the Liverpool manager said, pointing back to Wednesday’s impressive Champions League win. “I remember the ‘goal’ he scored against Nottingham Forest; they gave it live and then VAR disallowed it. He could have had very good assists but we haven’t finished them. That is why you cannot just play because of the numbers.”

The message is clear: judge the performance, not the stat line.

“Whether a striker scores a lot of goals or he doesn’t, you have to look at the performances. Does he help us to play well? Yes. Well, someone will score the goals and someone will give the assists. I am not too focused on numbers,” Iraola said. “Nowadays everything is about numbers, everyone tells players you have to assist, you have to score goals. For me, you have to help us play well. Someone will score the goals and I don’t care if it is the midfielders like it was the other day. Someone will score the goals if we are doing well collectively.”

Against Atlético, Wirtz stitched attacks together and carved out one of the game’s best chances, sliding an excellent ball through for Bradley Barcola. That combination, Iraola believes, is only a glimpse of what is to come once the 23-year-old fully clicks with Barcola and fellow summer arrival Victor Muñoz.

“There is an argument to make that the wingers have changed more than anywhere else,” he said. “Now we have new weapons we can use with Bradley and Victor. With Florian, he is key for us. I am not worried because he will quickly learn where Victor prefers the ball or where Bradley prefers the ball. And, also, Bradley in just his second game you could see they already had a good association. I am not very worried.”

The numbers will be watched. Iraola, though, is betting that once the relationships sharpen, the statistics will simply follow the football.