Gary Neville Critiques £200m Liverpool Duo After Draw
Gary Neville did not bother with pleasantries. Reflecting on Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at St James’ Park on the opening weekend, the former Manchester United defender used his podcast platform to shine a harsh spotlight on Liverpool’s big-money forward pairing, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz.
Both started on Tyneside. Isak lasted the full 90 minutes. Wirtz was hooked on the hour for Alexis Mac Allister as Andoni Iraola watched his attack splutter. For Neville, patience with the “quarter-of-a-billion-pound front two” is wearing thin.
“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,” he said on the Gary Neville Podcast, summing up the mood of exasperation around two players signed last summer for a combined fee of around £200 million.
High fees, low edge
The core of Neville’s criticism was not about talent. It was about edge. Aggression. The kind of ruthless streak that turns expensive signings into match-winners.
“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,” he warned. “For a start, they're too nice, and if you're going to be nice, you'd better be incredible at football.”
Wirtz, in particular, came under the microscope. Neville did not question the German’s technical quality, but he did question the intensity of his performance.
“I don't see the tenacity in Wirtz in particular,” he said. “I just see a nice player moving around the pitch, not really ever looking like he's busting a gut to do anything. The biggest disappointment for me [Sunday] is those two.”
For Liverpool, who invested so heavily to reshape their attack, that is a stinging verdict after just one game of the new campaign.
Faith in Isak’s ceiling
Neville’s assessment was not entirely damning. He repeatedly stressed that he believes both players can still become what Liverpool paid for. Isak, especially, remains a forward he rates extremely highly.
“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.”
To underline the point, Neville reached back to Isak’s time at Newcastle, recalling how the Swede terrorised some of the Premier League’s best centre-backs.
“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. Now Liverpool fans and his team-mates and coaching staff, they need to see that - because that's £125m they've spent on him.”
Injury problems last season were acknowledged as a factor in Isak’s inconsistent rhythm, but that caveat no longer shields him. Not at this price point. Not in this team.
Wirtz, meanwhile, faces a more tactical challenge. His quality on the ball is obvious, but his role in Iraola’s structure still looks blurred. Positioning, timing of runs, combinations in the final third – all of it needs sharpening if he is to influence games at Premier League pace.
Response required against Forest
There is no soft landing for Liverpool. Nottingham Forest visit Anfield next Saturday, and Iraola knows the scrutiny on his forward line will only intensify if the same issues resurface.
The demands are clear. Wirtz must find more threatening positions and connect more decisively with the rest of the attack. Isak must rediscover the ruthless, “devastating” version of himself that once bullied elite defenders.
The price tags are not going away. Nor is the expectation. The question now is simple: how long can Liverpool wait for their £200 million strike force to start playing like it?
