In a scathing critique, Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness has labelled Liverpool's current campaign as "catastrophic" and blamed the team's underperformance on a squad full of "superstars" who refuse to pass the ball, particularly to their record signing Florian Wirtz.
Hoeness's Blunt Assessment of Liverpool's Crisis
The outspoken German football executive did not mince words while analysing the struggles of the Premier League giants. Hoeness pointed directly to Liverpool's massive summer spending of around 500 million euros, which he believes has created a dysfunctional team dynamic.
"They have spent 500 million euros and are playing a catastrophic season," Hoeness stated. "In my opinion, that’s because you only have superstars. You only have chiefs and no workers." He then used a vivid metaphor to describe the perceived selfishness on the pitch: "I always say: at Liverpool, they’ll soon have to play with five balls because the stars don’t want to give up a ball."
His harshest sympathy was reserved for German playmaker Florian Wirtz. The 22-year-old, who joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for a record £116 million in the summer, has struggled to make an impact. "Poor Florian Wirtz, he doesn’t get the ball at all because Salah and Szoboszlai and what they’re all called want to play with their own ball," Hoeness accused.
Wirtz's Struggles and Liverpool's Alarming Slump
Hoeness's comments spotlight the difficult start Wirtz has endured at Anfield. The highly-rated attacking midfielder is yet to register a goal or an assist in the Premier League for the defending champions, placing him under intense scrutiny.
His individual struggles mirror the team's collective collapse. Before last Sunday's match, Liverpool were in a dire state of freefall. Their form leading into the weekend was nothing short of alarming:
- A 0-3 defeat to rivals Manchester City.
- A 0-3 loss to Nottingham Forest.
- A 4-1 Champions League thrashing by PSV Eindhoven.
In a damning statistic, Liverpool had lost six of their last seven matches across all competitions before facing West Ham United. The defensive frailties were glaring, with the team conceding three or more goals in their last three consecutive defeats.
A Glimmer of Hope Against West Ham
Manager Arne Slot took drastic action to halt the slide ahead of the West Ham game on December 1. In a major tactical shake-up, he dropped star forward Mohamed Salah from the starting lineup for a league match for the first time.
The move, coupled with other changes, yielded a vital 2-0 victory. Alexander Isak, another big-money signing who had been struggling for form and fitness, finally broke his Premier League duck for the Reds by scoring on the hour mark from a Cody Gakpo assist. Gakpo himself sealed the win with a second goal in the 92nd minute.
While the three points provided much-needed relief, moving Liverpool up to eighth place with 21 points, it was only their second win in eight Premier League games. The victory against West Ham offers a fragile foundation to build upon, but Hoeness's stark criticism underscores the deep-rooted issues that manager Arne Slot must urgently address if Liverpool are to salvage their season.
