Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has lifted the lid on how the arrival of Wataru Endo will help unleash fellow summer signings Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Endo completed his dream move to the Reds from Stuttgart on a four-year deal on Friday. He becomes the club’s third new signing of the summer window, following the arrivals of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai.
The 30-year-old is versatile and can also play at centre-back but has been signed as a central defensive midfielder following the exits of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson.
“First and foremost, both help us a lot and they did in that game [against Chelsea]. I think Dom was especially impressive physically, his work-rate until the last second was immense, to be honest – I didn’t expect that. It’s the first game of the season and you know that players feel that much more,” Klopp said.
“The most important session in the whole pre-season so far was the game against Chelsea for all different things. And being there on that kind of intense level, like he was until the last second, is pretty special. And then you have on the other side, you have Macca with a really fine foot, finding small spaces, finding bigger spaces, being a real creator of whatever you want, that’s really helpful, but with a really, really good defensive game as well. Our problems didn’t come from the position of Macca or rather offensive-orientated players on the six. Nothing to do with it.
“We didn’t play enough football, that was our problem. We got into a rush after the equaliser and they scored a second goal pretty quick after. We were not settled enough in the way we want to play. I think that’s not too surprising because it’s just after pre-season.
“You always have the problem a little bit but then if the game goes perfectly well in the right direction, it’s good for that game, it’s not that good for the game after because then you think you sort it already and then you have these problems a little bit later.
“So, what we lacked in that game was rhythm, especially in possession. We had 35 per cent possession, which is an absolute joke, it should not happen. It can happen against City on a special day and if it’s an idea to do it a little bit like that, to sit a bit deeper or whatever.
“It was not our idea for that game but it happened just because we were, with the ball, too much in a rush. And in that game, the two did a really good job and that helped us.
“The problem what we have in the moment a little bit is… OK, Endo is now in and he’s allowed to train this afternoon. If he’s allowed to participate in the game tomorrow, I don’t know, we will see that. On top of that, Stefan Bajcetic, really close but not there yet.
“Obviously we really count on him. Thiago Alcantara the same – slightly similar profile, obviously much more experienced as well, but not there yet. So we need to just give them time. We cannot rush that. That all will look completely different after the international break but until then we have super-important games.
“We have solutions for our situation, just not available in the moment and that’s why we need to sort it in a slightly different way and this is always an opportunity. You can always play it like that. Is Chelsea the perfect moment to do it? I am not 100 per cent sure but anyway it’s a way in a line-up, in a set-up you can definitely play and win football games.
“So, yes, everybody will benefit from a player whose first idea is to protect everything what we do. He’s involved in the offensive stuff but then has the heart, the desire and he enjoys it as well to clean up behind them. And, of course, that will be helpful.”
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