Jurgen Klopp may have found an unlikely candidate to reprise Bernardo Silva’s key role at Man City after Liverpool plunged in the transfer market this summer.
At the top of the team, Darwin Núñez only had to replace Cody Gakpo after a heroic double from the bench against Newcastle United to grab three points for his side.
And in the middle, Klopp looked to stick to the template he used at St James’ Park – defensive midfielder Wataru Endōs and two numbers in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. It was a square peg in a square hole.
But while 10 of the 11 players made the XI as expected,
Endō was surprisingly left out, replaced by Curtis Jones and Mac Allister dropped back to goalkeeper. Going into the international break, there were some who questioned whether the Argentine would really be the first choice in the position, especially after the signing of Ryan Gravenberch as the number eight, whose minutes may be too limited if he has to compete with both. In the beginning, Mac Allister and Jones. If so, where did the $21m (£16m/£19m) go for Endō’s summer signing?
Well, there is a good chance that Klopp is still waiting for the biggest games from him. Some top coaches have players they almost always rely on in the toughest matches, even if they are not starters in other matches.
A good example of this is Bernardo Silva at Manchester City last season.
Pep Guardiola named Bernardo on the bench for 14 of Man City’s 38 Premier League matches, but seven of the team’s nine games started against another ‘big six’ opponent before the title, including both huge meetings with their arch-rivals. Arsenal.
After starting just two of Guardiola’s six games in the group stage, Bernardo finally played every minute for Manchester City in the Champions League finals, helping them win the competition for the first time, and he also got the nod. FA Cup Final against Manchester United.
Sometimes there are tactical reasons for a player to fill this unique role on the team, and sometimes it reflects their character. It is often a mixture of both.
For Endō, Klopp may feel that Mac Allister works better as a defensive midfielder in most games where Liverpool dominate possession and can pick holes in the opposition’s structure. But the 24-year-old’s lack of supreme defensive awareness can be exploited against the most dangerous sides, as we saw against Chelsea on the opening weekend when Liverpool looked exposed.
If that game had come later in the season, when he had a new number six with him,
Klopp might have looked to Endō instead. In fact, it was no surprise when Klopp started him a few weeks later against Newcastle, in the top four of 2022/23, hoping to provide some balance and seriousness to the pair (although the plan went a little up in smoke when Van Dijk came on). was dismissed after half an hour).
The pieces are still falling into place in Liverpool’s new-look midfield, but it’s worth pointing out that Endō could still play a major role this season, even if he doesn’t start the majority of his side’s Premier League games. Just as Guardiola has his man, Klopp may have found his man.
