Gerrard warns Wirtz's confidence is shot as Iraola faces Frimpong-Araujo dilemma

Steven Gerrard has pinpointed a collapse in confidence as the key reason Florian Wirtz has struggled to justify his £116 million price tag at Liverpool, while manager Andoni Iraola has openly acknowledged the tactical dilemma posed by his two right-back options.

The comments follow Liverpool’s 6-3 Champions League victory over Austrian side LASK on Wednesday, a result that offered some relief after a 3-0 Premier League defeat to Manchester City. Bradley Barcola scored the first senior hat-trick of his career, and Lewis Koumas netted his first goal in the competition, but it was Wirtz’s continued struggle for a goal of his own that drew attention — the 23-year-old has yet to score in the 2026/27 campaign despite registering an assist on the night.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Gerrard was candid about the German international’s form. “I am not denying that he is underperforming and that we should have seen a lot more given his price tag,” the former Liverpool captain said. “But I just think there is a chance, and it’s happened previously, that players can turn it around. I think he’s got the talent to turn it around, but his confidence is shot at the moment.”

Gerrard stopped short of writing Wirtz off entirely, insisting the talent that made him one of Europe’s most coveted players remains intact — but acknowledged the gap between expectation and reality at Anfield has been significant since his arrival last year.

Elsewhere, Iraola addressed the contrasting profiles of Jeremie Frimpong and Ronald Araujo at right-back, a selection headache that has defined much of Liverpool’s defensive shape this season. Five of Araujo’s nine appearances have come in that position, largely because of Frimpong’s defensive vulnerabilities and Conor Bradley’s ongoing injury absence. Against LASK, the two played simultaneously, with Frimpong contributing two assists and a goal and Araujo scoring his first for the club.

“It is clear the difference in the team when we play with Jeremie and Ronald,” Iraola said after the final whistle. “The demands we put on the players are completely different. Jeremie helps us more offensively as he can arrive in the final third positions, but that does leave more space behind because you can’t cover everything. Ronald is the opposite because he is more comfortable defending as a centre-back, but he doesn’t give us the runs.”

The admission underlines the balancing act Iraola faces as Liverpool navigate a congested fixture schedule, with the manager yet to settle on a consistent solution to cover the right flank.