Iraola Defends Wirtz: Focus on Performance Over Stats

Andoni Iraola is refusing to let the spreadsheet define Florian Wirtz.

The £116m Germany international has one assist and no Premier League goals, and has been criticised for giving the ball away too often. Yet after another sharp Champions League display in Liverpool’s win over Atlético Madrid on Wednesday, Iraola made it clear he is looking beyond the stat line.

“Flo played very well against Atlético Madrid and I also think he has been unlucky,” the Liverpool manager said. He pointed to the disallowed effort against Nottingham Forest – given as a goal on the pitch before VAR intervened – and chances Wirtz has created that teammates failed to finish. For Iraola, that is the context missing from the debate.

“That is why you cannot just play because of the numbers,” he said. “Whether a striker scores a lot of goals or he doesn’t, you have to look at the performances. Does he help us to play well? Yes. Well, someone will score the goals and someone will give the assists.”

In other words, Wirtz is there to make the machine run. If the midfielders score, so be it.

“I am not too focused on numbers,” Iraola continued. “Nowadays everything is about numbers, everyone tells players you have to assist, you have to score goals. For me, you have to help us play well. Someone will score the goals and I don’t care if it is the midfielders like it was the other day. Someone will score the goals if we are doing well collectively.”

Against Atlético, Wirtz slid in a superb pass for Bradley Barcola, a glimpse of the understanding Iraola expects to grow with the France winger and fellow new signing Victor Muñoz.

“There is an argument to make that the wingers have changed more than anywhere else,” he said. “Now we have new weapons we can use with Bradley and Victor. With Florian, he is key for us. I am not worried because he will quickly learn where Victor prefers the ball or where Bradley prefers the ball. And, also, Bradley in just his second game you could see they already had a good association. I am not very worried.”

The message is blunt: the numbers will come. The influence is already there.