'All the good times are gone'...As soon as Klopp leaves, he's on the bench? Captain Il, crisis from pre-season →"Having difficulty adapting to tactics"+"New Sumi Search"
Aug 07, 2024
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Global sports media The Athletic reported on the 6th (Korea time) 'It is natural for Liverpool to find a new No. 6 outside the English Premier League (EPL).
Liverpool will take on the challenge with new manager Arne Slot next season, with Klopp leaving the team after last season. Since the appointment of the slot manager, Liverpool has rarely shown its move in the transfer market. Unlike other top teams, Liverpool did not mention any specific candidates for recruitment.
However, Liverpool's position that they want to reinforce the most was revealed. It is the defensive midfielder position. Liverpool have deployed Endo Wataru, Dominic Sobosleri and Ryan Hravenberg as defensive midfielders once each in the three friendlies they have played during this pre-season. The other two players seemed to be more integrated into the slot manager's tactics than Endo, who was the main player last season. In the end, as Endo's role became ambiguous, Liverpool seemed to be actively seeking to recruit a new defensive midfielder.
The Athletic also said 'Endo had difficulty accepting the slot's patient occupation-based tactical approach' and that there was constant debate among fans about the position after Fabinho's decline in form. Alexis McAllister also seems well suited to the role, but needs improvement'
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Endo was not Liverpool's most wanted resource even at the time of recruitment. There was a loud voice of concern. Endo, who made his professional debut at Shonan Belmare in Japan in 2010, played only on the Japanese stage until 2018. Since then, he has made his first European debut with a transfer to Sintrawidan in Belgium in 2018, and made his name known through his performance after moving to Stuttgart in 2019. However, he received little attention from big clubs before joining Liverpool.
Liverpool failed to recruit Romo Lavia and Moises Caicedo, which were originally targets for recruitment in the transfer market, and there were many fans' complaints about bringing in players over the age of 30. Regarding his skills, there was a question of whether he could adapt to the EPL.
Fortunately, under Klopp, Endo performed well. Since the middle of the season, he has hardly missed out on selection and has kept the Liverpool midfield. In particular, in the match against Manchester City last season, he showed a strong performance in tying opposing midfielders Kevin DeBrouiner and Bernardu Silva. Klopp said in a post-match interview "What did I expect from signing the 31-year-old Japanese captain. He will be an outstanding player in the EPL. People didn't know he could grow to world-class level, but it actually happened." Endo also praised him as a world-class.
However, Endo's life in Liverpool, which was almost evaluated as a Wallclaw, is already nearing its end. If the slot manager fails to change his mind, there is a high possibility that he will have to leave the team.
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It is also expected that Liverpool fans will pay great attention to what choice Endo, who has turned from Klopp's lover to the new coach's pet peeve, will make ahead of the next season.
digh1229@sportschosun.com
