‘I’m not happy about that’ – Rio Ferdinand explains why he’s ‘not laughing’ at Liverpool duo | OneFootball

Rio Ferdinand has expressed his frustration at the fact Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike are beginning to strike up a frightening partnership at Liverpool.

The pair were in fine form during the Premier League champions’ 4-1 defeat of Newcastle United at Anfield on Saturday with Wirtz grabbing a goal and an assist and Ekitike netting a brace as the Reds won their first league game since December.

The former was signed from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer for £116.5m and initially showed signs of struggling to settle on Merseyside. He’s now got six goals in his last 10 appearances for Liverpool, however while his teammate Ekitike has 15 goals in 32 appearances this term (across all competitions).

“I’ll tell you what I’m not laughing at,” Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel (via Rousing The Kop). “I’ll tell you what I’m not laughing at is how good is Ekitike? And Wirtz is starting to cook a little bit as well. Yeah, I’m not happy about that.”

Ekitike was the only one of our summer signings who instantly hit the ground running and looked at home at Anfield while the likes of Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Alexander Isak and Jeremie Frimpong stuttered somewhat.

All, bar Isak because of his unfortunate injury, have started to show what they’re capable of in recent weeks.

None more so than Wirtz however, who’s now becoming the player Kopites thought we had signed for big money in the summer and is truly a joy to watch.

His understanding of the game is exceptional and he’s starting to strike up relationships with his teammates.

Why has it took Wirtz so long to settle?

Florian Wirtz is starting to silence his doubters (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Wirtz is just 22 years of age – is the only German in the current Liverpool squad – and has moved away from his homeland to a huge club. All while having to learn a new style of play and getting to know his new teammates.

He joined the club at a difficult time. The Liverpool squad were trying to cope with the tragic passing of their teammate Diogo Jota while a shift in strategy on the pitch was needed following the departure of key players like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Diaz.

The huge money that was forked out for his services also placed extra pressure on the playmaker and many questioned whether Liverpool had made a big mistake.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville labelled our No.7 as a ‘little boy’ earlier in the season, but Jamie Carragher believes the German international has a great chance to prove his fellow Sky Sports pundit wrong against Manchester City at Anfield next weekend.

Our chances of securing the Premier League title may be long gone with Arsenal 14 points ahead but if Wirtz and Co. can continue to shine in Europe we could be having a big party in Budapest come the summer.

Why is Ferdinand concerned?

Ferdinand’s former club Manchester United are actually doing quite well at the moment.

Following the departure of Ruben Amorim, the Red Devils have won all three league games under interim boss Michael Carrick – including a 3-2 win at the Emirates.

Despite United’s recent upturn in form and Liverpool’s dismal run of results in the league, the Merseysiders are just two points adrift of their arch rivals who are currently sat in fourth spot.

The fact Liverpool are still in contention for a top four finish despite their struggles – and with Wirtz and Ekitike starting to shine – will be a worry for the Old Trafford-based outfit who last played in Europe’s premier competition two years ago.

There’s still a lot of football to be played between now and the end of the season but it’s a good thing that our rivals are starting to worry about us!