Liverpool fans will be desperate for Florian Wirtz to back up a better performance against LASK in midweek when they travel to face Brentford on Saturday.

Wirtz was hailed for his display in the Champions League, and it was a relief for supporters to see the German finally linking up effectively with Bradley Barcola, who he provided with an excellent assist.

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Linz, Austria – October 14: Bradley Barcola of Liverpool FC celebrates after scoring his teams fifth Goal during the UEFA Champions League 2026/2027 match between LASK and Liverpool at Oberösterreich Arena on October 14, 2026 in Linz, Austria.

Wirtz would have thrived under Guardiola – Richards

The most baffling thing about Wirtz’s poor performances for Liverpool is that he is clearly an exceptionally talented player. There are usually flashes of that every time he plays for the Reds, but he does not manage to impact on games anything like enough.

Steven Gerrard has put forward his theories about Wirtz’s struggles, claiming that a lack of confidence is the overriding issue. But Richards disagrees, suggesting that Liverpool’s style of play just does not suit the former Bayer Leverkusen man, with City – and more specifically Pep Guardiola – a much better match.

“I’m telling you there’s something… I don’t know if it’s the physicality, I don’t know if it’s the system, I don’t know if I’m in denial, but the player I saw growing up in Germany definitely has got more to give,” the pundit said on The Rest Is Football. “He got an assist yesterday.”

“He’s a talented player, he’s a really talented player,” Richards responded. “I think he’s sort of in between systems at the moment. I think if he was in a team which was more possession-based, if he was playing for Man City, say, under Pep [Guardiola], I think he would be amazing.

“But Liverpool have been great over the years because of how they transition, how quick they go from back to front. Sometimes that doesn’t suit him. Is he a left winger, is he a number 10?

“The way Liverpool have done so well is because their number 10s have been able to press. Whether you put Szoboszlai in there or whether it’s the energy of a Milner or a Henderson, that’s where they’ve been good, Liverpool.”

Should Wirtz have joined Man City?

Obviously, it is impossible to say how things really would have played out had Wirtz moved to City in 2025, but it is safe to assume that he would have found things easier.

Perhaps even more than a lack of tactical fit, joining the Sky Blues would have meant he would not have come into a club in mourning. Wirtz joined Liverpool just before the tragic loss of Diogo Jota. Andy Robertson recently laid bare the impact Jota’s death had on the new arrivals at Anfield, and it cannot have been easy for Wirtz to adjust.

After that, Liverpool struggled, and Wirtz found things tough going. Though time has healed some wounds, the Germany international has arguably never picked himself back up on the pitch. Not fully, anyway.

For a direct comparison as to how his life at City could have gone, it is obvious to look at Rayan Cherki, who was Liverpool’s back-up target for Wirtz. As he showed the Reds by scoring a lovely goal last Sunday, Cherki has been having a blast at the Etihad Stadium, and as Wirtz is arguably an even better player, he would surely have done the same.

On the flipside, though, City have just been found guilty of breaching Premier League financial regulations for the best part of a decade. Sanctions are likely to arrive which could see the club demoted from the Premier League. So, while they may have been a better short-term option for Wirtz, if he can stick it out and come through the other side at Liverpool, the Reds will still hopefully be the right choice in the bigger picture.