Liverpool sent clear Florian Wirtz message after Jurgen Klopp's 'exaggerated' claim

 Micah Richards believes Florian Wirtz's physical attributes and Bundesliga background are behind his difficult start at Liverpool. The Germany international managed his first assist since the Community Shield during their 5-1 Champions League triumph over Eintracht Frankfurt.

The 22-year-old has faced intense scrutiny over his Premier League debut as his struggles have mirrored Liverpool's disappointing campaign. Arne Slot's men have since suffered a woeful decline in fortunes, dropping their last four league matches and sitting seven points adrift of the summit.

Wirtz has displayed glimpses of his potential in England's elite division but the Reds have failed to blend their fresh recruits smoothly, with Alexander Isak and Milos Kerkez also struggling to make an immediate impact. Saturday's 3-2 reverse against Brentford added to the misery for the reigning Premier League champions.

Dutch boss Slot now faces mounting pressure regarding his team selections, though Richards believes the midfield has contributed to their woes following significant changes in that department. "If you look at the tactical view, it's the midfield area," he said, speaking on the Rest is Football Podcast.

"[Alexis] MacAllister was protection for them [the defence], [Ryan] Gravenberch was the protection and [Dominik] Szoboszlai had legs, now it's completely different. They're trying to go with a Curtis Jones, very good player but he's not got the defensive qualities of the other midfielders, Wirtz as well, we know he's going to become a good player but he needs to find somewhere where he can excel.

"If you're a midfielder now playing against Wirtz, you're worried about what he can do on the ball. But off the ball, he's small, petite, he's not very strong, he's come from a different league, you're going to expose that and that's what teams are doing now.

"It's energy in midfield which is why Liverpool were so consistent." For many experts in England, the jury is still out on Wirtz though most are keen to stress the caveat that he will eventually come good.

In Germany, Wirtz has been staunchly defended with iconic Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp among them. The Premier League-winning tactician described the 22-year-old as a 'once-in-a-century' talent.

"His [Wirtz's] quality is so outstanding. The discussions are a bit exaggerated," he said. "Liverpool just lost three games in a row, which is unusual.

"But that's also normal in life. And that's why such things are discussed there.

"Now I've been in the middle of such discussions long enough and can say: nothing could interest people there less than the public discussions.

"[Wirtz is] a once-in-a-century talent, and at some point, he'll show that in every game again, just as he did at Leverkusen."