Liverpool escaped the Vitality Stadium with a 1-0 win over Bournemouth, but the result did nothing to ease the mounting alarm around record signing Florian Wirtz. On Sky Sports co-commentary duty, Jamie Carragher branded the midfielder's display one of the poorest he has seen in a Liverpool shirt.

"Wirtz has been really poor again," Carragher said during the first half. "It's just nothing. Nothing is happening there at all."

'One of the poorest I've ever seen him in a Liverpool shirt'

Speaking afterwards on the bonus Jamie Carragher Podcast made by Sky Sports, the former Liverpool defender delivered a withering verdict, claiming Wirtz will never reach the level many expected of him at Anfield.

"That was one of the poorest I've ever seen him in a Liverpool shirt," Carragher said. "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."

Crucially, Carragher does not believe this is a temporary dip in form — he fears this is the real Wirtz.

"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."

Carragher referenced commentating on Liverpool's late win at Burnley, secured by a penalty from Mo Salah, as the moment his doubts crystallised.

"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 knock-on effect on Liverpool's midfield

Carragher warned the issue is not just Wirtz himself but the ripple effect on the team, arguing his presence at No 10 forces Dominik Szoboszlai into central midfield.

"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 return from a three-week international break to a gruelling run: Enzo Maresca's Manchester City visit Anfield on October 11, live on Sky Sports, with Brentford and Brighton also to come and reigning champions Arsenal hosted at the Emirates Stadium on October 1. In between sit Champions League tests against LASK and Villarreal and a Carabao Cup fourth-round tie with Chelsea.

'He can't be in the team to face Manchester City'

Carragher feels the Bournemouth game was the moment of truth Wirtz failed, and he would have no hesitation in leaving the midfielder out of the City fixture.

"I think going forward Iraola's got a decision to make here. Wirtz would not be in my Liverpool team. I thought this Bournemouth game was a big game for Wirtz. Because if he doesn't produce [against Bournemouth], he's then going to have a three-week break. By the time we come back, we're into October. Before you know it, it'll be Christmas in six to eight weeks. He has to do something!"

To illustrate his point, Carragher pointed to unheralded Premier League players delivering more regular moments of magic than Liverpool's £120m man.

"I think of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall at Everton. No one out there would say Dewsbury-Hall is a better player than Wirtz, or would go for more money than Wirtz, or would cost £120m. But every three or four weeks he scores a goal. I watched Morgan Gibbs-White for Nottingham Forest last week at Aston Villa, and in the second half he put in a performance in 45 minutes that Florian Wirtz has never done before for Liverpool. I've seen a goal Emiliano Buendia scored for Aston Villa at Tottenham. Again, these players aren't going to get over £100m, or £120m, but they're still giving their clubs bits every few weeks."

"Wirtz wouldn't be in my Liverpool team. Manchester City at home, for me, he can't be in the team."

Carragher credited Andoni Iraola for the courage of his previous calls — handing Ryan Gravenberch a hefty five-year contract while now benching him, and ruthlessly rotating the full-backs, dropping Jeremie Frimpong immediately while Milos Kerkez has been in and out.

"But sooner or later he's going to have to make a decision on Florian Wirtz, and, for me, I hope it's sooner. Not because I don't like Florian Wirtz, I'm desperate for the kid to do well. I just want Liverpool to win. That's it, basically."

Klopp: Liverpool's one hope

There may be salvation on the horizon, however, in the shape of Jurgen Klopp. The former Liverpool boss, now Germany manager, has named Wirtz in one of two separate squads for the upcoming Nations League games, with the midfielder in contention to feature against Serbia and Greece after a rest period.

"The one hope for Liverpool supporters now is Jurgen Klopp is the Germany manager," said Carragher. "Wirtz goes away with the Germany team for three weeks, and he's obviously one of the best players in Germany, that's how they see him. Can Jurgen Klopp sprinkle a bit of stardust on him in that position?"

Carragher believes a strong international break could completely rewrite the narrative before the City showdown.

"There's a scenario there that Jurgen Klopp and Germany have a great international window, he gets loads of goals, assists and comes back on a high. Manchester City's the next game, he impacts that, all is forgotten, all is forgiven. There's a potential turnaround there. I would love that to happen, I'd love him to be the match-winner against Manchester City."