Gary Neville makes demand over Liverpool duo after dire display - 'We've been kind to them'

Gary Neville has told Liverpool stars Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak to 'sort themselves out' and justify their huge price tags. The Reds duo were among the weakest performers for Andoni Iraola's side, who needed a stoppage-time penalty to snatch a 2-2 draw away to Newcastle in their opening Premier League game on Sunday.

Isak, who joined Liverpool from Newcastle last summer for a record-breaking £125million , missed two big chances and only had six touches in the opposition box. Meanwhile, £115m signing Wirtz - one of Europe's most sought-after players before his move from Bayer Leverkusen - was hooked on the hour mark after failing to put his stamp on the game.

Both players had difficult first seasons at Liverpool, who sacked Arne Slot in May and appointed Iraola in the hope that the former Bournemouth boss will get the best out of them. But if that doesn't happen, they've been warned that they'll face a pile-on.

Speaking on his Gary Neville Podcast, the Manchester United legend said: "The big thing for Liverpool is they've got this quarter-of-a-billion-pound front two, Isak and Wirtz and bloody hell, we've been kind to them.

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"They're going to have to start playing sooner or later or else, to be fair, they're going to get quite a lot of criticism. For a start, they're too nice, and if you're going to be nice, you'd better be incredible at football.

"I don't see the tenacity in Wirtz in particular. I just see a nice player moving around the pitch, not really ever looking like he's busting a gut to do anything.

"Now, that can happen. Sometimes players have that flow about them, but I want to put a rocket up him. I want to put a rocket up him because there's ability there, there's talent there, the understanding of his position.

"The biggest disappointment for me [Sunday] is those two." Neville added: "I've watched them both for 12 months, and I do actually have faith in them.

"I think Isak's an exceptional player and we've seen it. I never saw anybody give Gabriel [Magalhaes] and [William] Saliba or [Virgil] Van Dijk and [Ibrahima] Konate a tougher time as Isak did when he played at Newcastle in a black and white shirt.

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"I've seen him be devastating. Now Liverpool fans and his team-mates and coaching staff, they need to see that - because that's £125m they've spent on him.

"And then Wirtz, he needs to sort himself out. Enough's enough now, we've talked about him enough. He's young and he's come to a different country - and I'm all for willing him on.

"They have both had a bit of a free ride. Obviously Isak was injured last season but Arne Slot loses his job, and Wirtz has played like that, so let's be clear, this has got me to start some real focus now.