Sports
Liverpool’s ‘Sleepy’ Florian Wirtz Struggles During Luxembourg 0-2 Germany
Florian Wirtz would have been desperate for a confidence-boosting reprieve from his Liverpool nightmare, but instead, he was met with more disappointment.
Handed a start for Germany in their World Cup qualifier against Luxembourg, the playmaker drifted through another poor night at the office, failing to make an impact on the game in an eerie similarity to his fortunes so far at Anfield.
He made waves after heading to Merseyside from Bayer Leverkusen in a staggering £116million deal, but he is yet to live up to a fraction of that price. The sheer pace of the Premier League appears to be too much for him currently, with critics accusing him of resembling a man trying to cross a motorway at rush hour.
His national team boss Julian Nagelsmann jumped to his defence earlier in the week despite his failure to chalk up his first goal or assist in the top-flight, pinning his woes on Liverpool’s goal-shy attackers, but Wirtz was just as ineffectual in his latest outing for his country.
How Wirtz Played Against Luxembourg
The talented creative fulcrum of Xabi Alonso’s swashbuckling Bundesliga champions looks long gone – at least for now. Wirtz is a shadow of his former self at the moment, unable to make a telling contribution in games despite the occasional eye-catching touch and turn.
Nagelsmann persisted with him until the end, but Wirtz did not put in a memorable performance. Instead, Nick Woltemade’s two goals stole all the headlines.
The Liveprool star did pull off a clever dummy on the hour mark, which helped to set up a chance wasted by Ridle Baku, and smacked a superb crossfield ball across to the opposite flank, but they were effectively the total sum of his efforts, as were a number of hopeful efforts on goal.
Wirtz did keep himself in the game and constantly asked for the ball, but aside from keeping play ticking over, he did not do enough to pose a real threat. He had four shots in total, with two on target, and also put in five crosses but failed to find his man with any, while finishing the game with 82 per cent passing, having lost the ball 19 times.
A line must be drawn between his travails for Liverpool and Germany, however. At club level, while he has largely been poorer than expected, he has recorded promising statistics, ranking in the top 10 per cent of players for passes attempted, progressive passes and shot-creating actions.
Wirtz has also dragged the Anfield crowd to their feet several times with crafty balls through the lines and audacious flicks around the corner.
Worryingly, though, he has been bounced around during games, rightly bringing his physicality into question. Against Luxembourg, he looked like a light touch, and that will certainly worry Nagelsmann, especially in light of the rather spiky backing he had lent to the player in the build-up to the game.
Fans Have Their Say On Wirtz’s Performance
Despite one good pass, which helped play a role in the second goal, the verdict from supporters during the match was hardly glowing. One was quick to question his eye-watering valuation, writing: “How is Florian Wirtz a £100m+ player?”
Another was shocked by his poor decision-making, adding: “What happened to Florian Wirtz, man… He’s so slow in making that final pass.”
A third wrote: “Florian Wirtz became a 3rd division player as soon as he moved to Liverpool lol.”
A fourth then highlighted the playmaker’s failure to chalk up a meaningful contribution around the penalty area, saying: “Woltemade brace for Germany… Florian Wirtz still yet to produce an assist or goal…”
But perhaps the most damning assessment came from a fifth supporter, who brutally described Wirtz as “sleepy.”
“There will always be the sleepy Wirtz, incredible how he can’t shoulder the responsibility.”
Stats via SofaScore
USA legend Brad Friedel has caused a huge stir with comments he’s made about Mexico ahead of their World Cup clash with England on Sunday night. The retired goalkeeper appeared on the latest episode of ‘The Rest is Football’ podcast, where he discussed the crunch Round of 16 tie with Joe Cole and Gary Lineker.
The fixture was set up after El Tri became the first nation since Italy in 1990 to win their first four matches of the tournament without conceding a single goal. Their latest victory came via a comfortable 2-0 win over Ecuador, with Julian Quinones and Premier League striker Raul Jimenez on the scoresheet.
Mexican media are now confident they can beat England, pointing to the Three Lions’ sluggish 2-1 comeback win against tournament minnows DR Congo as evidence of vulnerability. The Azteca Stadium atmosphere, heat, and altitude are all expected to play a major role, and there is every reason for belief that they can extend their impressive Mexico City record to 89 matches, having lost only twice.
Brad Friedel Blasts ‘Average’ Mexico Ahead of England Round of 16 Tie
There’s even fear among the English population that conditions in Mexico make a win against the Latin American country pretty much mission impossible. However, Friedel has taken a completely different view of things, branding Thomas Tuchel’s next opponents ‘average’ despite their impressive record up until now. He said (watch the full segment):
“Mexico are so average! I played against them for a few years, I know what they do. Because they are playing in altitude, they look faster than everybody else. [But] they’re an average team. Below average actually. They’re so beatable.
“If England go there, I don’t care if they play a low block, a high block, anything, just get through the first 15-20 minutes, and they will win the game. Just don’t concede the first goal. What they try to do is suffocate you, so you can’t get your second breath.”
He continued: “Just look at their games, they’ve created five chances in each of them. But the players are dead after 20 minutes because they are always playing this uphill battle. The altitude is no joke, the heat is no joke, it’s hard. But England are so much better than Mexico. It would be a complete shame if they were knocked out by altitude.”
Friedel’s comments went down well with a lot of Americans, who loved to see his fighting talk. Besides them, however, he has come under scrutiny, with one X user remarking: “What is this man saying. If they are so average, why would you say don’t concede first? Clearly, he hasn’t watched any of their games.”
A second continued: “Have you watched England’s last two performances? You walloper,” as a third labelled him a “Classic American.” Elsewhere, a fourth concluded: “How can you do that? Mexico might win.”
2026 World Cup Hosts Have Overperformed So Far
Heading into this summer’s tournament, Mexico were the only co-hosts who could consider football to be their nation’s favourite sport, with Canada preferring ice hockey and USA’s favourites being the NFL, NBA, and MLB. But the Maple Leafs beat South Africa 1-0 in their Round of 32 fixture, while the Stars and Stripes beat Bosnia 2-0 in theirs.
It’s been a hugely impressive showing from the duo, with the latter now looking like they have an easy route to the semi-finals, which would mark their finest footballing achievement since finishing third in the inaugural 1930 edition, nearly a century ago. Of course, Mauricio Pochettino must be given a lot of the flowers, but it’s clear that the sport’s perception is massively changing stateside too.
A golfer with six Majors to his name has taken a swing at an article published last week, which claims the seasoned pro had shown nude photos of himself to the former wife of a rival.
It is further alleged that Phil Mickelson, who left the PGA Tour for its controversial rival LIV Golf back in 2022, was thrown out of numerous golf clubs in California due to his conduct toward women, as reported by Skratch.
The article further details which golf courses have supposedly banned the former world number two, with prestigious clubs such as The Farms, The Madison, and The Bridges all said to have rescinded his membership.
Allegations Made Against Phil Mickelson
The allegations are historic in nature, with Mickelson said to have engaged in friendly texting with Ashley Perez, the ex-wife of another professional golfer Pat Perez, before things reportedly crossed a line with the 56-year-old said to have shown explicit photos of himself to her in 2015.
In describing the alleged 2015 incident, Ashley Perez details the claimed circumstances.
Disturbing Reason Phil Mickelson Has Been Banned From Golf Club
Bombshell reports have emerged about the golf legend.
“Phil says to me, ‘I’m going to leave my bedroom door open tonight. When Pat falls asleep, I want you to come see me.’
“We were staying next door to Phil, and Pat still had to play in the tournament. I didn’t want it to get messy.”
At the conclusion of the 2015 Barclays tournament, Ashley said she had told her then-husband what had transpired, which led to a breakdown in the friendship between Phil Mickelson and Pat Perez.
Phil Mickelson Responds to Allegations
Mickelson is vehemently denying the accusations, and his lawyer has gone on the attack to dispute the article as one that they view as an “anonymously sourced drive-by shooting.”
In a statement provided to The New York Post, representatives of the three-time Masters winner said: “Mr. Mickelson has never been expelled from a golf club. His membership has never been revoked by a golf club. Those decisions were his alone.”
Hinting at the rift in November 2022 on the Claude Harmon podcast, Pat made his feelings about the incident clear, stating: “I have a different hate for Phil than most people. And people won’t know the story—I’m not gonna go into the story again—but Phil crossed the line with me that is just uncrossable and unforgivable.
“He knows that he screwed up. He apologised for the action, but I cannot forgive him for it.”
Penalty shootouts are the ultimate football fight or flight moment and the most tense and daring situations that often decide some of the biggest games in the sport.
It has broken many a player, with some of the very best of all time falling on the biggest stages; take Roberto Baggio in the 1994 World Cup, Kylian Mbappé at Euro 2020 or even Lionel Messi himself at the Copa América as prime examples. At that moment, it doesn’t matter if you’re a global superstar or a fringe squad player from a lower-ranked country, anything is possible.
Yet, there are tips, tricks and methods to follow to ensure you have the best chance of succeeding. There’s only so much an individual or team can do to prepare, and we’ve broken down the tips and myths surrounding penalty shootouts.
Practice – It Is Not a Lottery
One phrase that is always partnered with a penalty shootout is the notion that it is a lottery. That suggests that, no matter your action, it is out of your hands, and it has been a way of absolving players and managers of responsibility.
England went from losing six of seven shootouts from 1990 to 2012 but under Gareth Southgate‘s era in charge, the application of psychologists and intense practice resulted in three wins from four. Coincidence?
Speaking after their win over Switzerland at Euro 2024, Southgate said:
“We refined that process a little bit. We have more regular penalty-takers in the squad than we had in 2021 and more that have been in shootouts.”
Pick a Corner and Stick
A classic trope of penalties and something which coaches tell young players as kids is ‘pick a corner and stick to it, don’t change your mind’.
One thing that seems to plague the modern game is the jolted and stuttering techniques that seem to overcomplicate the entire process. From the outside, it looks like they are analyzing where to go in the moment, waiting for the keeper to move first, meaning they aren’t in control of the situation.
The opposite of this is someone like Alan Shearer, who was famous for a clean run-up and a powerful strike into either corner, not changing his mind and meaning the onus is on the keeper to make a remarkable save, which is hugely difficult.
15 Best Penalty Takers in Football History (Ranked)
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Prioritise and Use Subs If Necessary
Managers often have a difficult decision to make in games that go the full 120 minutes. As time ticks on, they also start to consider which players on the substitute bench are more suited to a shootout.
Some players are brought on late due to the fact that they are penalty takers. Their role is to come on and score in the shootout, which brings its own pressure.
We’ve even seen keepers substituted on at the death who are known for saving penalties. Take Tim Krul at the 2014 World Cup, subbed on by Louis Van Gaal before he subsequently went onto save two spot-kicks and put his side through.
Have a System
A buddy system can help a team process these difficult situations. England, for example, have a buddy system that assigns each taker a designated teammate to meet them on the halfway line after their kick, win or miss, ensuring no player absorbed the noise of a stadium or the silence of a miss alone. It was brought in by Gareth Southgate – who knows penalty heartache well – and maintained by his successor Thomas Tuchel.
Other teams have replicated training conditions as closely as possible. That allows practicing in front of crowds and using the specific stadium where the shootout will take place. The goal is to try to recreate the situation with as much pressure as possible. That will go some way in preparing them for the real thing.
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Does Order Matter?
One area where teams can give themselves the best chance of success is with their order. A crucial element is ensuring that the best players are involved from the very start.
Typically, the fifth penalty is the one that clinches most shootouts and, for a time, teams held back their star man to take on that giant responsibility. However, there are plenty of examples where that player misses out because the shootout is already over. Whoever remains on the pitch after 120 minutes, the best takers should go from one to five to give the team the best shot at glory.
Don’t let shootout defeats fester
The best example of an institutional shootout struggle is England from the 1990 World Cup which dragged on for over two decades.
England fans had little to no hope every time they were forced into a shootout, and it felt like that spread to the players. As mentioned, Southgate’s era looked to reverse that with positivity, practice and psychology.
Even a defeat to Italy at Euro 2020 on penalties didn’t result in a spiral, when once upon a time it would have.
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From Brazil’s golden generation to Croatia’s perfect record and Argentina’s dominant history, these teams have mastered the art of penalty shootouts in the World Cup.
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