Joe Cole has given his verdict on Wataru Endo’s performance for Liverpool last night.
Endo played the full 90 minutes for the Reds as they brushed aside LASK with a commanding 4-0 win.
Although he wasn’t especially eye-catching, the Japan international blended in well and went about his job effectively.
And speaking to TNT Sports after the game, former Liverpool forward Cole shared his thoughts on what Endo brought to the Reds midfield.
“The midfield I thought looked well balanced with Endo,” claimed the 42-year-old. “I said before the game I felt he needed a big game, he offers them something.”
Endo shows his credentials
During his time at the club so far, Endo has proven to be a player to really divide opinion.
To some, he is clearly a level below many of the rest of the team and doesn’t look like getting up to that level anytime soon. For others, he’s doing just fine and even well as a back-up option. As ever, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
Unfortunately, it is hard to escape the fact that Endo does look half-a-yard off the pace in a little too many phases of play. But at the same time, he’s doing the job you’d probably expect of a 30-year-old brought in for a low fee from a middling club.
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It also should be pointed out that as a defensive midfielder in a very top-heavy Liverpool team, Endo often has a lot on his plate.
The same was true against LASK last night. Although they ran out 4-0 winners in the end, the Reds did have more than a few hairy moments against the Austrians.
Most of that difficulty was being hit on the break against the pace of Moses Usor in particular. But there were several notable instances where those breaks came from Endo losing possession or not winning a tackle.
That isn’t to say the former Stuttgart man didn’t have a good game. As Cole says, he gives a balance to the midfield that someone like Alexis Mac Allister, for example, doesn’t naturally give.
When Liverpool were at their best they had Fabinho sitting, protecting and allowing the more attacking players either side of him to roam a little more free.
While Endo isn’t as good as the Brazilian at his peak, he can do a job against teams like LASK. When the going gets more tough though, it’s safe to say that the jury is still very much out.