To get out of the disappointment of the 2022/23 season, Liverpool underwent a major reshuffling of its midfield. Although there were some unexpected departures, including Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, the team eventually brought in four midfielders to give it a new leg up.
The average age of the midfielders has also dropped dramatically, signaling the beginning of a new era. The team is currently competing for the top spot in the standings, and it is safe to say that the reinforcements made during the last transfer window were a success.
Japan midfielder Wataru Endo, who was a bit of a late starter, has recently settled into the team, and his role as a ball-catcher from the front has become more comfortable.
However, former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy seems to be enamored with England midfielder Declan Rice, who moved to Arsenal from West Ham, and wrote that the club’s chances of winning the title would have been much greater had Rice been available.
“If there’s any young holding midfielder out there who wants to learn how to improve every aspect of their game, watch this match and follow Declan Rice. He was sensational,”
“It also made me realise how much Liverpool need a player like him. If Rice wore a Liverpool shirt, I think they win the title. He’s that good. He was phenomenal last night, in every aspect. His reading of the game, winning the ball, his positional play, keeping hold of the ball under pressure, playing through the lines. It was an all-round brilliant display.”
The Daily Mail
The high tempo from start to finish made the level of the game high in this topsy-turvy match between Liverpool and Arsenal.
Scenes were repeated where one side would come close to scoring a goal, and immediately afterwards the opposing side would come close to scoring the opposite goal. The former West Ham midfielder performed well even in such a match.
He was almost flawless in both offense and defense, and he continued to win the ball away in front of the final line.
Certainly, he showed that he was worth the hefty transfer fee, but the Japanese midfielder, who has been entrusted with the bottom of Liverpool’s midfield, was just as good.
The “what ifs…” are endless. If only we could have gotten Moises Caicedo, if only we could have gotten Romeo Lavia. However, there was a future in which the results would have been worse.
Anyway, we must share the joy of having acquired the former Stuttgart midfielder, who is currently doing well, at a bargain price.