Florian Wirtz blame game settled in brutal Liverpool accusation after Gary Neville claim

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Bayer Leverkusen's sporting director, Simon Rolfes, has leapt to the defence of Florian Wirtz following a challenging start at Liverpool after his record-breaking summer transfer. Liverpool shattered their transfer record to secure the German international in a deal worth up to £116 million.

They broke the bank again on deadline day, signing striker Alexander Isak from Newcastle United for an eye-watering British-record £125 million. However, both signings are yet to find their feet at Anfield. Wirtz, 22, was a sensation at Leverkusen under former boss Xabi Alonso.

During his time there, he netted 57 goals and provided 65 assists across all competitions, but that form hasn't carried over to his Liverpool career. So far, he has three assists to his name - one in the Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace in the season's first game, and two in a Champions League victory against Eintracht Frankfurt last month.

The attacking midfielder has also been in and out of head coach Arne Slot 's starting line-ups this term, with the Dutchman still trying to pinpoint his best position in this revamped Liverpool squad. The Reds have grappled with inconsistency this season , a fact underscored by a 3-0 defeat away at Manchester City before the international break - just days after a 1-0 triumph over Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann was amongst the first to spring to Wirtz's defence at the beginning of the international break, suggesting that Liverpool's strikers need to start converting the opportunities he's creating. It's a valid argument, considering his assist numbers would look considerably better if it weren't for the poor finishing that has troubled the Reds throughout this campaign.

Leverkusen's sporting director Rolfes has now offered his perspective on Wirtz's adaptation to English football, acknowledging that Liverpool's lack of collective unity is a significant factor behind the attacking midfielder's sluggish start. "For all his individual class, Flo is above all one thing: a total team player," Rolfes told German outlet Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger .

"Flo thrives on combination play, but at the moment Liverpool hasn't quite gelled as a team yet. That makes things more difficult for Flo."

Wirtz's Germany teammate Nick Woltemade, who also moved to the Premier League this summer by joining Newcastle, shared similar views when questioned about the flak Wirtz has received for his early difficulties. "For every player, adjusting isn't easy. But he's doing very well," Woltemade told RTL.

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"On paper, you might not see the goals, but if you compare my games with his, he's much more involved in play. I've probably been in the right spot three or four times, received the ball and scored - but he's very active in the game, gets lots of touches and makes good plays."

Gary Neville didn't hold back in his assessment of Wirtz following Liverpool's defeat to City, claiming the midfielder 'looked like a little boy' on the pitch. The former Manchester United defender said: "I thought Wirtz in particular - it was a really bad day for him.

"We've been tip-toeing around him haven't we, for a few months, around the fact that he's young, coming to a new country. But he's £120million, you're going to have to stand up soon.

"I mean he's obviously got something. He's a really good player and technically fantastic, but he's been mauled out there today by [Matheus] Nunes and by others. He's been chucked around the pitch and didn't deliver in the quality side of things either. His performance was a real worry.

"Wirtz is a problem, let's call it what it is. It's an issue. He's £120m and he looked like a little boy out there."