Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes Florian Wirtz must take another step forward next season and has challenged the German to reach double figures for both goals and assists.
Danny Murphy believes Florian Wirtz can become even more influential at Liverpool next season but he’s challenged the midfielder to deliver a better end product.
The Germany international had a promising first season at Anfield after his high-profile move from Bayer Leverkusen and is expected to play a key role under new head coach Andoni Iraola.
While Murphy acknowledges Wirtz’s creativity and technical skills, he believes there’s still more potential for him to reach.
“I think he’ll be better next season, I hope he’ll be better, I think he will.”
Raising expectations
Wirtz arrived at Liverpool with enormous expectations, having established himself as one of Europe’s brightest young attacking midfielders in the Bundesliga.
While his performances consistently demonstrated the Reds’ investment, Murphy believes the next step is to elevate those displays to even greater levels.
The former Liverpool midfielder suggests Wirtz should now aim for double figures in both goals and assists throughout the campaign.
“I think that if he can start looking at double figures for goals and assists, then you’re really impacting the team.
“That should be the bare minimum.”
Key player under Iraola
With Liverpool embarking on a new era under Iraola, Wirtz is poised to remain a key player in the side.
At 23, Wirtz’s versatility across multiple attacking positions makes him one of Liverpool’s most adaptable players. However, many supporters believe his ideal role is centrally behind the striker.
Murphy’s comments highlight the high standards expected of Wirtz, and having that adaption period in his first campaign to Premier League football, expectations will naturally rise for his second season at Anfield.
Author’s View: Improvement isn’t deemed as good enough
If Wirtz can blend his creativity with more consistent goals and assists, Liverpool hopes he’ll become one of the Premier League’s most influential attacking midfielders. However, for Murphy, simply improving isn’t enough.
The expectation is that Wirtz starts delivering the performance of one of Liverpool’s biggest stars.
