Arne Slott replaced Jurgen Klopp as manager and the midfield composition has changed. While Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has shown rapid development, Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo has seen a sharp decline in playing time.
A midfielder who can link the ball and dribble himself is preferred to a ball-carrier, and last summer the transfer market was hot on the heels of Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi.
The Japanese captain has struggled to get chances despite good performances in cup competitions, but the Dutch coach praised the veteran midfielder’s approach to the game.
He also said he was an important asset to the team and expressed his confidence in him and 21-year-old midfielder Harvey Elliott, who has also seen limited time on the pitch.
“I asked Harvey to come into the room before we played that game because I know Harvey wants to get his chance at the No.10 position,”
“But because of the injuries – not injuries but players we didn’t have available – I had to play him from the right. He did that really well.”
“For Wata it is the same, but I didn’t even have to invite him in. Harvey is also a very good person but I know what kind of person Wata is. He is [always like] wherever you play me I will do my best – whenever you play me.”
“If it’s five minutes before the end, he comes in and gives everything he has. That might be normal for a lot of fans to hear but for as long as I have been in football, I have seen players that had to come in five minutes from the end also doing different things and showing different attitudes to what Wata shows.”
“He is an important part of our team. Every time we need him, in the midfield or even now as a centre-back because I didn’t want to bring Ibou in two days after he played against United and then after 30 minutes [against Tottenham Hotspur], we already had to make a substitution.”
“He did really well, Wata, because the moment I took him out of our last line, we conceded.”