Wirtz disagrees with Van Dijk over Liverpool ‘giving up’ claim

It’s a debate that’s quickly emerged inside the Liverpool camp, and now Florian Wirtz has offered a different perspective on what went wrong against Manchester City.

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Speaking at the Parc des Princes ahead of our Champions League clash with PSG, the German playmaker was asked directly about comments made by Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai following the 4-0 defeat.

Wirtz disagrees with Van Dijk assessment

Van Dijk suggested we effectively gave up at one stage during the match, while Szoboszlai admitted the fighting spirit “wasn’t there enough”, but Wirtz didn’t fully agree with that interpretation.

He said: “I would not agree directly because… we still try to create chances to turn the game around.”

That’s a significant point because it highlights a difference in how players within the same dressing room viewed the performance, particularly during that difficult second half.

The 22-year-old attacker went on to explain that the situation became more about the mental challenge of the scoreline rather than a lack of effort.

He added: “When the game gets longer… and you are three back, then it’s mentally also difficult… we just try to give our best in the game.”

Liverpool still searching for answers before PSG

Wirtz also pointed out that even at 3-0 or 4-0, we were still creating opportunities, which suggests the issue may not be as simple as players downing tools.

He said: “I think we had also still a few chances then… but of course this is not our standards that we lose 4-0 against City.”

The reality probably sits somewhere in between, because while we did show flashes going forward, the collapse itself is what has raised serious concerns heading into PSG.

Wirtz ended with a forward-looking message, insisting: “We wanted to come through this round… next year we should go better and be better on the pitch.”

With a huge European tie now upon us, the key question is whether this difference in perspective is healthy honesty or a sign that we still haven’t fully grasped what went wrong.

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