There is a particular kind of scrutiny that follows expensive footballers when they do not immediately set the world alight. It is relentless, it is loud, and right now, Florian Wirtz is right in the middle of it.

Germany's stunning elimination from the World Cup at the hands of Paraguay, a side ranked 41st in the world, has sent shockwaves through European football. For a nation that once humiliated Brazil on Brazilian soil, losing a penalty shootout to South American opposition in the last 32 is not something that sits lightly. It is the first time in history that Germany have been knocked out of a World Cup on penalties, and only the second time they have ever lost from the spot at international level. The weight of that fact alone tells you everything about how seismic the result truly is.

And inevitably, in the wreckage of that defeat, the names responsible for Germany's limp showing are being hauled into the dock. Wirtz's name is prominent on the charge sheet.

Speaking on Netflix's The Rest is Football, Alan Shearer was unsparing. The England icon pointed to Wirtz as one of several players who had promised much and delivered little when it truly mattered. "They've got the quality in names and on paper, but they just didn't deliver," Shearer said. "You look at Sane, not a great season. Undav they had to bring in to try and give them some oomph in and around the penalty area. Wirtz has had a terrible season at Liverpool, he hasn't performed again at this World Cup. So it's alright saying they've got the quality, but the quality wasn't there. We've seen them put seven past Curacao, well that's alright, but when it really mattered, the quality wasn't there at all."

When Micah Richards pushed back, arguing that Wirtz's £116 million move to Liverpool was evidence enough of his quality, Shearer was not having it. "What's he done this season?" he interjected. Richards held his ground: "He's a superstar. We've not seen the best of him, totally agree with that, but we can't say he's not a good player. Havertz has scored in Champions League finals. He's just won the Premier League. Tah gets his big move and goes to Bayern Munich, Rudiger at Madrid is a consistent performer. Young Brown doing really well. So I agree in terms of what they produced, I think that's very fair to say. But we can't say this German team hasn't got quality."

It is a debate worth sitting with for a moment, because both men have a point, and that is precisely what makes it interesting.

Shearer's criticism has teeth. Wirtz did provide the assist for Kai Havertz's equaliser — an inviting cross that Havertz converted with a header — but providing one key moment in a match Germany were expected to control is not the same as imposing yourself on a tournament. Against Paraguay, ranked 41 places below Germany in the FIFA world rankings, Julian Nagelsmann's side were stunned by Julio Enciso's opener and never truly looked commanding. Jonathan Tah thought he had won it, only for VAR to disallow his strike after officials ruled goalkeeper Orlando Gill had been fouled. Then came the shootout. Havertz missed. Newcastle's Nick Woltemade missed. Paraguay had two chances to finish it and wasted them through Antonio Sanabria and Fabian Balbuena. Tah then blazed over the bar in sudden death and Jose Canale stepped up to send Germany home, 4-3 on penalties.

By any measure, that is a catastrophic exit for one of the tournament's supposed heavyweights.

But is it Wirtz's fault specifically, or is he simply the most expensive, most visible target? That is the brutal question that needs asking. A player does not get labelled a £116 million flop on the basis of one difficult season and one disappointing tournament — not unless the criticism is going to be applied consistently across the board. Havertz missed a penalty. He is equally central to Germany's failure. Yet Wirtz, as the Liverpool player, carries the added layer of scrutiny that comes with being Anfield's record purchase.

For Liverpool supporters, the noise around Wirtz is unlikely to settle any time soon. The World Cup platform, for better or worse, is where reputations are cemented or questioned at the highest possible volume. Right now, the questions around Wirtz are getting louder.

Back in Germany, Nagelsmann is fighting for his own survival. Defiant in the aftermath, the head coach insisted he would not "run away" from his position. "When you exit the World Cup after you play Paraguay it is very bitter. It is very hurtful," he said. "This is the third elimination in a row, so we are not part of the first-class teams any more." He went on to confirm he would remain in charge if the German FA wanted him to continue, despite acknowledging the public mood would likely be against him.

Former Germany internationals Thomas Hitzlsperger and Arne Friedrich were less sympathetic. Hitzlsperger, speaking on BBC One, called the exit "unacceptable" and said Nagelsmann had not dealt with situations well in recent months. Friedrich, on BBC Radio 5 Live, was even more direct: "If you consider the whole tournament, the way we played, it is a deserved loss. Nagelsmann has to face the consequences. I would definitely say the journey continues without Nagelsmann."

Whatever happens with Nagelsmann, the scrutiny of Wirtz will not disappear with the tournament. The real verdict on Liverpool's record signing will be written over the coming season, not in the post-mortems of a painful summer. Whether he answers his critics at Anfield is the question that matters most.