Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has used Andy Robertson to make a point about Wataru Endo.
Klopp has leapt to the defence of Endo, who has not been able to make a huge impact at Liverpool so far this season.
So, what has Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said about Wataru Endo and Andy Robertson?
Let’s have a look.
What’s the story?
Well, Wataru Endo is not having the best of times at Liverpool.
Endo moved to Liverpool from VfB Stuttgart in the summer transfer window.
The Reds paid Stuttgart £16.2 million in transfer fees (Sky Sports) for the defensive midfielder.
Endo has made one start and five substitute appearances in the Premier League for Liverpool this season.
The 30-year-old has scored one goal in four UEFA Europa League matches and has given one assist in two Carabao Cup matches for the Reds.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has defended Endo, pointing out that Scottish left-back Andy Robertson took a while to star for the Reds after his transfer to Anfield.
Klopp told Liverpool’s official website: “Wataru was for us all the time very important.
“That’s again another part of football: you line up an XI, they play well and then you think the others don’t do well.
“That’s not true
“Wataru makes steps every day and that’s important.
“We had stories like this in the past.
“This year it looks a little bit different, that players maybe fit in a bit quicker, but we had stories: Andy Robertson didn’t play for half a year, nobody can remember it anymore but it was like that.
My View: Wataru Endo unlikely to be a big Liverpool success
In my opinion, Wataru Endo is unlikely to be a massive success at Liverpool.
I do not think that Endo will be a regular in manager Jurgen Klopp’s first team.
Just like Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi, the 30-year-old will become a squad player at Liverpool.
Yes, I know that Endo is a very good player.
Liverpool would not have signed the Japan international defensive midfielder had he not had quality.
However, I have to point out that Endo is 30 now and was playing for VfB Stuttgart in Germany before Liverpool signed him in the summer of 2023.
If Endo were really that good, then big German clubs such as Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund would have signed him.
I believe that the Japan international would be an impact substitute for Liverpool.
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