Carra: One of worst I've seen from Wirtz - he can't play vs Man City

Florian Wirtz put in a poor first-half performance against Bournemouth, where Jamie Carragher said: "It's just nothing. Nothing is happening there at all"; Liverpool play Man City, Arsenal, Brentford and Brighton after the international break and Carragher says Wirtz should not be playing

Jamie Carragher says Florian Wirtz put in his worst performance yet in a Liverpool shirt away at Bournemouth - and he would not want the midfielder in Andoni Iraola's team to face Manchester City in the next game.

Carragher criticised Wirtz during the first half of Liverpool's 1-0 win at the Vitality Stadium where he was on Sky Sports co-commentary duty. "Wirtz has been really poor again," he said. "It's just nothing. Nothing is happening there at all."

And after the game, the Sky Sports pundit claimed Wirtz will never reach the level that many people expected him to achieve at Anfield.

"That was one of the poorest I've ever seen him in a Liverpool shirt," said Carragher on the bonus Jamie Carragher Podcast made by Sky Sports .

"I've been critical of the fact that he hasn't got the numbers. But normally when you watch Wirtz, he's neat and tidy, he keeps possession, there's things that you like. He gets out of a tight situation where you're normally expecting your player to lose the ball.

"But the reason I worry is, I don't think Wirtz is in poor form since he came to Liverpool. I actually think what we're seeing is what he is.

"And I was worried for Wirtz probably 12 months ago. And maybe that was a little bit early to say that, but I didn't say it. It was just in the back of my head.

"I commentated on Liverpool away at Burnley and Liverpool won with a late penalty from Mo Salah. And when I was watching that game it was what I've seen for the last 12 months: I don't see how he's going to hurt you. It's just neat and tidy. And in some way, the price tag for that type of player should be half of what Liverpool have paid.

"The worry for Wirtz now is that his performances so far, or what he's given Liverpool, is so low. Where we were expecting him was to take Liverpool to another league title, to take Liverpool to a Champions League.

"The gap he's got to get to almost justify what people were expecting, I almost think is too big. You can't get there. Even if he improves a bit and gets there, it's still not what Liverpool thought they were getting.

"And it's not just Wirtz, it's the knock-on effect. So when he plays at No 10, it means Dominik Szoboszlai has to play central midfield. I don't think Szoboszlai is a central-midfield player, I don't."

Liverpool face a crucial run of games straight after the lengthy, three-week international break. They return to a bumper fixture as Enzo Maresca's Manchester City visit Anfield on October 11, live on Sky Sports.

Andoni Iraola's side also face high-flying Brentford and Brighton in the Premier League, before hosting reigning champions Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on October 1.