Although manager Jürgen Klopp compared new midfielder Wataru Endo to a “machine,” the Japanese international has a few things to work on to succeed at Liverpool.
Endo has been thrown into the action right away since defensive midfield is lacking in options. He made his Reds debut against Bournemouth with the team down to 10 men, just a day after arriving from Stuttgart for almost £16.25 million.
After that, he got his first start in Liverpool’s exciting 2-1 triumph over Newcastle, which they also played with a numerical disadvantage due to Virgil van Dijk’s early dismissal.
In his press conference prior to this Sunday’s game against Aston Villa, Klopp acknowledged that now that the dust has settled, it’s time to fine-tune his tactical strategy. The 30-year-old will sit on the bench and Curtis Jones will start again.
A “TOO DEEP”
The German said that he has had “discussions” with Endo about his positional awareness and emphasized that it will take time for Endo to adjust to life at Anfield.
Furthering his remarks, Klopp stated, “We’re still a counter-pressing team with a concentration on possession, which means you have to be on your game.
