The latest international break has created a welcome shift in the narrative around Florian Wirtz, even if the full story is more complex than the headlines suggest.Wirtz shines for Germany despite Bild criticism of team performance(Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)According to Bild, the 2-0 victory over Luxembourg was a match that raised concerns for Julian Nagelsmann’s side.The outlet wrote: “A narrow victory against the football minnows. German relapse into rumble!”They added that the national team were fortunate in spells as Luxembourg created several big moments despite their modest FIFA ranking.Yet in the middle of that uneven performance, our No.7 produced his most assured display in months.SofaScore gave Florian Wirtz an 8.0 rating, the highest in the German team, ahead of Nick Woltemade (7.9), Ridle Baku (7.7) and Leroy Sane (7.6).Here are his key numbers:MetricValueMinutes90Shots (on target)4 (2)Touches80Dribbles (success)6 (5)Key passes1Pass accuracy46/56 (82%)Ground duels won10Recoveries5That level of output is a contrast to his early-season struggles with us, with the midfielder yet to fully find rhythm under Arne Slot after arriving for a record fee.When we see George Mills from BBC Sport writing that the German playmaker “might need a year of beef burgers and deadlifts”, it’s clear eyebrows are being raised when it comes to his current output.Liverpool context as scrutiny continues around Wirtz signing(Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)The showing also sits alongside the more pointed domestic evaluation.After our defeat to Manchester City, Gary Neville said: “Wirtz needs to stand up soon for Liverpool… he’s £120m and you’re gonna have to stand up soon.”The contrast between those comments and his international form underlines why this latest appearance should be celebrated.Liverpool have already signed Florian Wirtz to be the long-term creative hub of the side, and the stats from Germany suggest there is still far more to come.Join our channel of readers on WhatsApp to get the day’s top stories straight to your mobileThe post Wirtz named player of the match despite Germany and Liverpool worries appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.