Bournemouth
Carragher urges Iraola to confront Wirtz question after another subdued outing
Carragher says Iraola may soon have to decide on Wirtz after another low-impact Liverpool display.
Jamie Carragher has asked Andoni Iraola to make a difficult call on Florian Wirtz, arguing that the Liverpool midfielder’s level for Liverpool remains far below what was expected when he arrived last summer.
The discussion intensified after Liverpool’s narrow win over Bournemouth on Sunday. Wirtz started in the No. 10 role and was credited with three chances created, but his influence on the game was limited. He finished with 0.05 expected assists and 0.22 expected goals, while every attempt he made was blocked immediately. Carragher felt the performance offered little evidence that the player is moving closer to the standard Liverpool hoped for.
“Nothing is happening there at all,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.
“That was one of the poorest I’ve ever seen him in a Liverpool shirt. I’ve been critical of the fact that he hasn’t got the numbers. But normally when you watch Wirtz, he’s neat and tidy, he keeps possession, there’s things that you like. He gets out of a tight situation where you’re normally expecting your player to lose the ball.”
Carragher’s view has now shifted beyond form. He suggested the issue may not be temporary, but instead representative of what Wirtz actually is.
“I worry [because] I don’t think Wirtz is in poor form since he came to Liverpool. I actually think what we’re seeing is what he is. It was just in the back of my head [for 12 months].
“I don’t see how he’s going to hurt you. It’s just neat and tidy. And in some way, the price tag for that type of player should be half of what Liverpool have paid. The worry for Wirtz now is that his performances so far, or what he’s given Liverpool, is so low. Where we were expecting him was to take Liverpool to another league title, to take Liverpool to a Champions League .”
He added that the “gap” between expectation and reality is “almost too big” to close, even with improvement. Carragher compared Wirtz with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Morgan Gibbs-White and Emiliano Buendía, who he believes are adding more regular value for their teams.
That led to the question of selection. Carragher pointed out that Iraola has already been willing to leave Ryan Gravenberch out for much of the season, and said Wirtz should be judged in the same way, especially with Manchester City next after the international window.
“Wirtz wouldn’t be in my Liverpool team. Manchester City at home, for me, he can’t be in the team,” Carragher said. “The things I’ve liked so far about Iraola, he’s had the courage to make big decisions. Ryan Gravenberch has just signed a hefty contract on a five-year deal on massive money. He’s not playing. Sooner or later he’s going to have to make a decision on Florian Wirtz. I hope it’s sooner. Not because I don’t like Florian Wirtz, I’m desperate for the kid to do well. I just want Liverpool to win.”
Bournemouth
Premier League table comparison after five games: where 2026/27 stands against 2025/26
City lead the early table, while Spurs, Bournemouth, Fulham and Palace have all started below last season.
The opening stretch of the 2026/27 Premier League season has lasted longer than usual because of a change in the international calendar, but five games is still only enough to reveal early patterns rather than a settled table. The 20 clubs remain closely packed, and a single result can still reshape the picture quickly.
There is history behind treating this stage with caution. Last season, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United were the bottom two after five matches, while Bournemouth and Sunderland turned strong starts into European qualification. This year, the early evidence is already pointing in a few different directions.
Manchester City are the only side to have preserved a 100% record. Their 5-3 win over Sunderland, combined with Arsenal’s defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion, sends them into the break top of the table on 15 points, matching Liverpool’s total from the same stage last season. City are also in a much stronger position than they were in 2025/26, when they sat ninth and were eight points worse off.
Brentford and Brighton have made the sharpest gains. Both are five points better off than they were at this point last season, with Brentford rising 13 places and Brighton 11. Keith Andrews’ side were among those tipped for trouble before the campaign, yet they are now being mentioned as a possible European contender. They are one of five unbeaten teams.
Leeds United have also carried their momentum forward, while Newcastle United, Everton and Aston Villa have improved on their starts from last year. Nottingham Forest have the same points total as they did after five games last season, but they are two places higher.
At the other end, Tottenham sit bottom with two points and did not score their first league goals of the season until Aston Villa were already 3-0 up. Bournemouth are still without a first league win under Marco Rose, a clear fall from the fourth place they held after five matches last season.
Fulham and Crystal Palace have also gone backwards, with both lower in the table after managerial changes.
Bournemouth
Iraola Highlights Liverpool Rest Edge Before Bournemouth Meeting
Iraola says Liverpool may have an edge from extra rest ahead of Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium reunion.
Andoni Iraola has suggested Liverpool’s extra recovery time could tilt Sunday’s meeting in their favour at the Vitality Stadium.
Liverpool arrived into the fixture after Tuesday’s Carabao Cup third-round win over Tottenham Hotspur, where a rotated side claimed a 3-1 victory. Bournemouth, by contrast, were in Europa League action on Thursday and returned from their trip to Real Sociedad with a 2-1 win, earned through goals from Justin Kluivert and Rayan.
Speaking in his prematch press conference, Iraola was clear about the scheduling imbalance. “I think we have an advantage,” he said. “Most of the times it has been the opposite. We have been the team that played last, but this time we played two days before they played.
“I think there should be an advantage there, but also I know where we are going, and I know what they have there, not only the stadium but overall.
“When you see the number of games they have lost in a long while [just three defeats in 2026], you realize how difficult it is to beat Bournemouth.”
Liverpool were able to use younger players and lesser-used squad members against Spurs, while Marco Rose selected a full-strength Bournemouth line-up in San Sebastián. On that basis, the Reds are expected to arrive fresher for Iraola’s reunion.
Even so, the Bournemouth boss will have noticed Liverpool’s flat display in last Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Fulham. After their victory over Atlético Madrid only a few days earlier, Liverpool appeared drained at Anfield and struggled to impose themselves in a match that finished without a goal.
That pattern is not new. In the 11 Liverpool matches that have followed midweek trips this calendar year, they have won only six. Three draws and two defeats sit alongside that return, including one loss at Bournemouth in January. For Iraola, the recent numbers offer reason to believe this could be a tighter contest than the schedule alone might suggest.
Bournemouth
Iraola and Klopp back Wirtz amid rising scrutiny
Iraola and Klopp defend Wirtz as criticism grows, stressing his team role and work rate.
Andoni Iraola has offered firm backing to Florian Wirtz as criticism of the Liverpool midfielder continues to build, aligning himself with the view already expressed by Jürgen Klopp.
Wirtz has faced increasing scrutiny over a modest return of goals and assists, with frustration around his output rising after each passing week. Yet Iraola was clear in his defence ahead of Liverpool’s visit to Bournemouth, stressing that the German should be assessed in the same way as every other player.
“He should be judged like everybody else, whether he plays well or doesn’t play well” Iraola told reporters at his Friday news conference. “Mostly I always say how does the team play when you are on the pitch? I am very happy with Florian, I rate him very highly, he understands what we need from him. He is trying to help in every aspect of the game.
“Obviously we want him to have assists and goals also, but he is helping us in a lot of different areas.”
Klopp has also defended Wirtz this week after naming his first squad since becoming Germany head coach. The former Liverpool manager selected two separate squads of 44 players for the upcoming three-week international break, with Wirtz included among them.
Asked about the player’s recent displays, Klopp was equally supportive. “I think he’s the player who covered the most ground at Liverpool this season, so the willingness is absolutely there,” Klopp told media on Thursday.
“We have to move away from expecting to always see special moments in front of goal from him. He needs to help us as a team. We have to make sure Flo feels comfortable with us. When the team works, every player shines as a result.
“So we have to be satisfied when Flo plays a game in which he gave everything but didn’t register a goal or assist. We need to give the boy the feeling, ‘That was more than good enough today. You helped us as a team.’”
There is little mystery behind the growing frustration. Wirtz arrived with significant expectation, and supporters have naturally wanted more decisive contributions. Still, his work without the ball has improved under Iraola, with the midfielder leading his teammates for possession won in the final third and distance covered per 90 minutes in the Premier League. Even so, when measured against other attacking midfielders at England’s elite sides last season, he fell short.
