Slot Talk: “If I Give Someone a Compliment It Should Be Wataru Endo”
In just his third start of the season, Wataru Endo filled in at centre half and didn’t put a foot wrong as the Reds beat Southampton 2-1 in the League Cup.
While the arrival of Arne Slot has seen increased chances for some Liverpool players, one who hasn’t been so fortunate with the new manager is Japan captain Wataru Endo.
Heading into Wednesday night’s game, the midfielder had made just two starts, and while he had 10 appearances to his name had logged just 168 minutes—an average of about 17 minutes per appearance.
The tough tackling 31-year-old not only went the full 90 on Wednesday night, but he did it while shining in an unfamiliar centre half role.
“If I have to give someone a big compliment it should be Endo,” Slot said after the match. “In a different position, playing such a good game in these circumstances, that shows you what a quality player he isand what kind of mentality he has.”
It’s not an entirely new role for the veteran, as Endo did fill in as a centre half on occasion before joining Liverpool, but it’s not a role he’s played recently—or ever in England.
His performance there, though, does make a strong case for more minutes moving forward, and that positional flexibility should help in a season where Liverpool and Slot have at times found themselves thin in defence due to injuries.
Slot also sought to more broadly praise some of the younger players involved Wednesday, the likes of Trey Nyoni, Tyler Morton, and substitutes James McConnell and Jayden Danns.
“It’s not about easily playing at this level,” Slot added of the club’s young talent. “You have to compete with Mo [Salah], with Virgil [van Dijk], all these kind of players.
“It’s not enough to be good enough to play at this level—you have to be good enough to play for Liverpool. That is probably the next step they have to make, but they’ve showed they are capable of playing at a Premier League level.”
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
Post a Comment