Hoeness criticizes Slot for letting Wirtz overshadow him

Florian Wirtz has not met expectations in a Liverpool shirt, and Uli Hoeness believes the reason comes from the German midfielder's new environment.

Florian Wirtz is struggling to integrate with Liverpool.

Bayern Munich's honorary president said Liverpool's squad has "too many ball-loving superstars", making it impossible for Wirtz to become the centerpiece like when he played for Bayer Leverkusen.

Hoeness also confirmed that Arne Slot did not keep his promise when recruiting Wirtz. According to him, the Dutch coach had committed to giving Wirtz the number 10 role and building an attack around him. However, Wirtz was given the number 7 shirt and had to play multi-purpose, often pushed to the left wing.

“Poor Florian Wirtz, he has no ball to play with. Salah, Szoboszlai and the others all want to play with the ball their way,” Hoeness told Bild .

He also sarcastically said Liverpool “may need five balls” to satisfy all the stars. Hoeness also did not hide his disappointment when Bayern failed in their attempt to sign Wirtz in the summer. The 22-year-old midfielder’s father called him directly to inform him that he had chosen Liverpool because he wanted to challenge himself in the Premier League.

Wirtz’s start to life in England has been rocky. Despite a fine performance against West Ham last weekend, he has yet to score or assist in the Premier League. He has had just 521 touches so far this season, ninth in the team and far fewer than Van Dijk and Szoboszlai, who often dictate play.

At Leverkusen, every ball went through Wirtz. At Liverpool, he had to adapt to a more star-studded structure and compete for roles with key players accustomed to controlling the game. Hoeness believes Slot has not given Wirtz the central role he promised, and this has contributed to his decline.

Liverpool expect Wirtz to settle in better as the season progresses, but criticism from Munich continues to reiterate the story: the young German star is still finding his place in the new system.

Source: https://znews.vn/hoeness-chi-trich-slot-vi-de-wirtz-lu-mo-post1607812.html