Gary Neville has not minced words when it comes to Liverpool’s two high‑profile acquisitions, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak. After a year in which the club has been "kind to" its £200 million‑plus front‑two, Neville warned that the duo must start delivering or risk a torrent of criticism.
He described them as Liverpool’s "bigest disappointments" following their underwhelming performances in the opening league match at St James' Park, but also expressed a lingering belief that they can still turn things around. The match in question saw Isak complete the full 90 minutes on his first return to the stadium since becoming the Premier League’s most expensive player last summer. Despite the full‑time effort, his impact was limited, mirroring the fate of Wirtz, who was taken off after just over an hour for Alexis Mac Allister. Both players had shown flashes of promise during pre‑season friendlies under new manager Andoni Iraola, yet that optimism failed to translate into the competitive fixture.
During the Gary Neville Podcast, the former England defender laid out his concerns: "The big thing for Liverpool is they've got this quarter‑of‑a‑billion‑pound front two, Isak and Wirtz, and bloody hell, we've been kind to them. They're going to have to start playing sooner or later or else, to be fair, they're going to get quite a lot of criticism.
For a start, they're too nice, and if you're going to be nice, you'd better be incredible at football." Neville singled out Wirtz for particular scrutiny, saying he "doesn't see the tenacity" in the German midfielder. "I just see a nice player moving around the pitch, not really ever looking like he's busting a gut to do anything," Neville observed. He acknowledged the raw talent Wirtz possesses, noting his positional understanding, but urged that talent be harnessed with greater intensity: "I want to put a rocket up him because there's ability there, there's talent there, the understanding of his position." When asked which of the two had disappointed him most on Sunday, Neville answered unequivocally: "The biggest disappointment for me [Sunday] is those two." Despite the harsh assessment, Neville made it clear he still has faith in both players.
He reminded listeners that each has excelled at their former clubs – Isak at Newcastle United and Wirtz at Bayer Leverkusen – and argued that a year of acclimatisation at Anfield could see them rediscover that form. "I've watched them both for 12 months, and I do actually have faith in them," he said. "I think Isak's an exceptional player and we've seen it.
I never saw anybody give Gabriel and Saliba or Van Dijk and Konate a tougher time as Isak did when he played at Newcastle in a black and white shirt. I've seen him be devastating." Neville also highlighted the financial stakes involved: "Now Liverpool fans and his team‑mates and coaching staff, they need to see that – because that's £125 million they've spent on him." Regarding Wirtz, Neville urged the 23‑year‑old to adapt quickly to English football: "He's young and he's come to a different country – and I'm all for willing him on. They have both had a bit of a free ride. Obviously Isak was injured last season but Arne Slot loses his job, and Wirtz has played like that, so let's be clear, this has got me to start some real focus now." The former defender also criticised the tactical deployment of Wirtz, who had impressed as a shadow striker during pre‑season, especially in Liverpool’s 3‑2 loss to Monaco.
Neville suggested that Wirtz should revert to a more advanced role to increase his influence: "He needs to sort himself out. Enough's enough now, we've talked about him enough. He's young and he's come to a different country – and I'm all for willing him on." Statistically, Wirtz has contributed just eight league goal involvements since his nine‑figure transfer from Leverkusen, a figure Neville deems insufficient for a player of his price tag.
He argued that Wirtz often drifts too far from the striker, losing the spatial awareness needed to break down defences: "Sometimes I think he moves around too much. Sometimes I don't think he's close enough to his striker, I don't think he understands where the game's going to be won and lost." Neville drew on his own playing experience to illustrate the point, recalling how traditional No 10s who wandered too deep or too wide would be reprimanded by managers. He stressed that the decisive actions happen in the final third, around the opposition box: "Combining with your striker, getting crosses in, getting little passes, getting little side passes down the side of the centre‑backs, being close enough to your forward so that you can combine with him.
And I don't see him combining with Isak." In summary, Neville believes Wirtz must rethink his role, focusing less on build‑up play and more on acting as a secondary striker, feeding Isak with incisive passes along the defensive line. He warned that if the pair cannot deliver goals and assists soon, the criticism from fans, media, and the club hierarchy will only intensify.
The message is clear: Liverpool’s massive investment demands immediate returns, and both Wirtz and Isak need to step up their game to justify the price they commanded.