Arne Slot should use Jurgen Klopp ‘world class’ Liverpool star who he is barely given likelihood
Wataru Endo has hardly featured for Liverpool this season after becoming a key part of Jurgen Klopp’s side last term, but he must be given a chance by Arne Slot this week
Wataru Endo turned heads in his rookie season at Anfield by morphing into a crucial cog for Jurgen Klopp‘s title-challenging Liverpool side.
The shock £16million budget transfer from Stuttgart was snapped up after Klopp missed out on top targets Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, who headed to Chelsea instead. The veteran midfielder featured in an impressive 43 matches and clocked up a whopping 2,758 minutes, shouldering more game time than fellow newcomers Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch.
While there were doubts about his suitability for the Premier League after a slow start to life in England, the unassuming Japan captain made a big impact around this time last year. He came off the bench to score a spectacular equaliser in a 4-3 win over Fulham, then started five games in 13 days, becoming a key part of more controlled performances including a fine showing in a 2-0 win at Burnley, as Klopp commented: “I loved his game.”
READ MORE: Man Utd and Liverpool games moved for TV as Premier League state fixture changes
READ MORE: Man City’s 115 alleged Premier League rule break hearing has concluded
A standout performance in a 4-2 win against Newcastle before he headed off to the Asia Cup saw Klopp rave: “What can you expect? That you sign a 30-year-old captain of Japan and he will be a standout player in the Premier League? That he would be a good player, we knew, but what he’s making of that role… You never know that people can develop to world-class, but that’s what happened.”
More impressive performances were to follow, including in the Carabao Cup final victory against Chelsea at Wembley, before a man of the match showing versus title rivals and eventual champions Manchester City in a 2-2 draw at Anfield, where only referee Michael Oliver and VAR disregarding Jeremy Doku’s wild kick on Alexis Mac Allister in the penalty area denied the Reds a huge win.
This term, though, it’s been the rejuvenated Gravenberch who has earned the ‘defensive’ midfield spotlight under Arne Slot, having previously had limited opportunities under Klopp. Endo’s been left out in the cold and had just 167 minutes of play in all competitions, with a mere four outfield team-mates seeing less action.
Despite being benched for Premier League kick-offs after 20 starts last season, Slot praised Endo in October, post his performance off the bench against Crystal Palace. The Dutch coach said: “If you look at how Wata came in now, how good he was on the ball but also the second balls that he won.”
He elaborated on Endo’s brief but telling appearance, adding: “He had only in these seven minutes a very good impact. Wata, with only playing five minutes, he gives that performance that says a lot about him as a person.”
Endo, with a paltry 82 minutes from a possible 990 on the pitch in league and cup matches, has had a heart-to-heart with boss Slot. He said: “I’m so grateful that he knows that I always try to work hard on the pitch. It’s good that he came to me to talk about that. To play for Liverpool is not easy, so the manager told me that we needed everyone.”
As Liverpool gear up for a jam-packed festive line-up, the Express reports how it’s now time for Slot to show some love for Endo’s unwavering graft and restore him to the Reds team.
Elsewhere in the squad, Gravenberch shrugged off any talk of tiredness but then clocked up his most underwhelming performance of the season so far in the 3-3 draw at Newcastle. Despite a surprise weekend breather, when the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park was postponed due to Storm Darragh, the jaunt to Girona on Tuesday night stands out as a perfect opportunity for player rotation.
Liverpool’s standing is strong as the league leaders in the Champions League. Contrastingly, Girona are slumped in 30th spot among 36, with just a single triumph in five encounters and a measly four goals to their name.
Treating manager Michel’s La Liga outfit lightly would be folly, yet coupling Endo with Curtis Jones could spell out enough solidity both with and without the ball to snag a win for Liverpool, with Szoboszlai’s relentless running deployed in an advanced role.
Come next week’s Carabao Cup face-off at Southampton, Endo alongside Harvey Elliott, who has returned from a long injury lay-off, will be gunning for game time. Hence, this Spanish fixture is a golden shot at honing match fitness before the impending cup clash.
Slot is fully aware of Endo’s off-the-ball skills, as he’s previously stated. With Alexis Mac Allister out of the Girona match due to suspension, it’s high time Endo was given another opportunity to showcase his talents.
