Craig Burley has claimed Wataru Endo is struggling to get up to the pace of the Premier League following his summer move from Stuttgart.
The Japan international was handed another start by Jurgen Klopp at Selhurst Park on Saturday but was replaced by Joe Gomez at half time following a lacklustre showing during the first 45.
The 30-year-old was in the starting XI for Wednesday night’s defeat of Sheffield United and impressed with his tough tacking and brilliant reading of the game but he struggled to have the same impact against the Eagles despite goals from Mo Salah and Harvey Elliott snatching all three points for Liverpool in the capital.
“He’s made five subs, Klopp, before the 75th minute. Before the sending off, he’s already made the five subs because he knows he’s struggling. And when Szoboszlai’s quiet and hardly mentioned, you think well they’re struggling in the midfield,” he told ESPN (via The Boot Room).
“And Endo is just not getting up to pace with the Premier League. He’s getting caught on the ball, he caught on the ball for the goal that was chalked off. It was a foul. But he just looked sort of weak in there.”
Endo’s substitution during the interval meant Gomez entered the fray at right back and therefore allowed Trent Alexander-Arnold to step into a deep-lying midfield role.
Klopp’s side dominated possession throughout the game but struggled to break down Roy Hodgson’s resolute defence until Jordan Ayew was given his marching orders 15 minutes from time.
Our new No. 3 is perhaps best suited to games away from home where we won’t see much of the ball and when a more combative approach is required.
There’s no doubting the £16.2m (BBC Sport) man’s quality but yesterday simply wasn’t his day.
We’re expecting him to be handed his third successive start on Thursday night, however, when we travel to Belgium to face Union SG in the Europa League.
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