Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson says that Florian Wirtz should not be judged on numbers alone after a slow start to life at Anfield.
The German playmaker notched his first two assists since the Community Shield as the Reds hammered Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night.
Most of Liverpool‘s summer signings have struggled to settle in since their summer moves, with Hugo Ekitike the only new arrival to hit the ground running. But Wirtz has taken the brunt of the criticism on social media.
Liverpool star Robertson defends Wirtz amid criticism
“I thought he was outstanding, excellent,” said Robertson. “I thought he grew and grew into the game, especially the second half,” Robertson said of his teammates performance.
“Players around him helped him a lot – Curtis Jones was outstanding – and I thought the three midfielders helped us gain the momentum and keep the ball.
“Flo has been really good since he came here. People focus on numbers of goals and assists but at times it’s unfair as he’s created a hell of a lot of chances.
“Some of the chances he created (against Frankfurt) ended up in an assist. Hopefully he can take a lot from this performance.”
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Meanwhile, Virgil van Dijk revealed that he convened a players’ meeting on Monday following last weekend’s defeat to Manchester United.
“On Monday everyone was sad because we lost to Man United at home,” the Dutch defender said.
“It was tough under the circumstances so on Monday we came together but it wasn’t a crisis meeting.
“Nobody wants to lose four games in a row but it was the situation we faced.
“Obviously we also had a proper debrief with the manager but we also had a separate one as players.
“I wanted to say some things. It’s not something I do after every game. After my meeting everyone was happy!”
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