Phil McNulty has suggested that Liverpool’s signing of Wataru Endo was merely a ‘reaction’ addition after the Reds failed to land either one of Moises Caicedo or Romeo Lavia.
The Japanese international has enjoyed limited minutes in the English top-flight, with Alexis Mac Allister favoured over him for the No.6 role against former club Brighton and Hove Albion.
“I am sure Klopp thought he was good enough otherwise he wouldn’t have signed him, but I think he was a reaction to missing out on Caicedo and Lavia,” the pundit wrote in a Q&A for BBC Sport. “He may come good in time, and it’s early days, but I do agree with the general consensus that Liverpool have not yet found a solution to their need for a high-quality midfielder to sit in front of the back four.”
The ex-Seagulls man struggled in his first return to the South Coast since departing the Amex Stadium back in the summer window for the greener pastures of Anfield.
It certainly raises questions as to why Endo wasn’t given the nod to come in and shield the backline – especially after Jurgen Klopp had hooked the 30-year-old at half-time, hinting at potential minutes in the league.
If there isn’t yet enough trust in our holding midfield signing to play in the big games, why on earth wasn’t he given the whole, or most, of the game against Royal Union Saint-Gilloise to build up his bank of minutes at Liverpool and help with that process?
We’re more than happy for signings to be bedded in in their own time, particularly when it comes to such challenging positions as the holding six, though it will surely be frustrating for the ex-Stuttgart skipper (reaction signing or no) to see such commentary given he’s hardly put a foot wrong when handed a chance.
Meanwhile, it seems we’re putting an inordinate amount of pressure on Mac Allister’s shoulders to conduct a role he’s not 100% comfortable with, as was evidenced by Brighton’s first goal of the game at the weekend.
