Ex-Man City superstar Gundogan says Florian Wirtz’s critics ‘don’t understand much about football’ as he makes strong claim about Liverpool ace

Former Manchester City star has slammed the critics of Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz. He backed his compatriot and said that his critics 'don't understand much about football''.

Liverpool signed Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for a whopping transfer fee of £116 million in the summer. He has made 10 appearances across competitions for them, starting in eight of them. While he's among the top chance creators in the Premier League, the German has recorded just one assist.

Hence, there has been plenty of criticism surrounding the midfielder. Former Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, however, has backed his compatriot to do well. He told BILD:

"With the high transfer fee for Flo, it was somehow clear that things could get very loud very quickly in England – unfortunately, that's the way the business works these days. It's not Flo's fault that he cost so much. Nevertheless, it's understandable that people expect a lot from him. However, I've read that across all competitions, no Premier League player has created more chances than Flo."

The German midfielder stressed that while Wirtz has been lacking in goals and assists, his performances have shown his quality for Liverpool. He said:

"I would like to see a bit more in-depth analysis here – and not just focus on the bare assists and goals. Anyone who doesn't see Flo's outstanding quality really doesn't understand much about football. To call it a transfer flop already is completely exaggerated. "I'm sure the goals and assists will come very soon – if not in October, then from November onwards. No player or person in this world can completely block out so much noise; it always takes its toll on you. Nevertheless, I believe Flo, as a human being, and given his immense talent, will get through this phase. That would also be extremely important for the German national team. Personally, I don't have many doubts and see it as just a matter of time," Gundogan concluded.

Meanwhile, Wirtz has made 34 appearances for Germany, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists.

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Germany head coach defended Liverpool star Florian Wirtz

Germany's head coach, Julian Nagelsmann, also shared his thoughts on Florian Wirtz's slow start to life at Liverpool. He pointed out that the midfielder is creating plenty of chances, but his teammates have been unable to support him so far.

Nagelsmann said:

“Even if he hasn’t scored a goal, he’s the player who creates the most chances in the Premier League. It’s not his fault if his teammate doesn’t create them, and the statistic isn’t even a third of the truth." “He simply has to get used to the league. I’ve seen him feel completely liberated. He knows what he’s capable of and how things work. Not everything has always been handed to him—he’ll work hard now, too,” he added.

As per an October 1 report by Opta, Wirtz was joint top on the list of most chances created by Premier League players across competitions this season. The Liverpool man had created 21 chances, tied with Jack Grealish, who is on loan at Everton from Manchester City.

Edited by Aditya Singh