Alexis Mac Allister was not signed as Liverpool’s number 6 – it was Wataru Endo who had consistently seen the Argentine fill that role until this season.
“We really need you,” were Jurgen Klopp’s emphatic words to Endo during their first meeting at Liverpool’s training ground.
“We really need you, your heart, your legs, your football skills and your football brain.
Your wish, we need it.
The 30-year-old arrived as a £16.
25m surprise addition after bids for Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo failed, and since then he has started just one Premier League game.
As the No.
6 specialist, there were clear openings in the Liverpool squad, but Mac Allister was kept in a position that did not compliment the qualities he possessed.
The Argentine is not a holding midfielder, and that begs the question of why Endo was signed, when and if he can be trusted, and what we should expect from the role.
game number 6.
Temporary is very much like permanent
Looking back at the end of last season, it was clear that Fabinho needed a capable vice-captain, someone willing to learn from the Brazilian but also able to play fully.
That was non-negotiable and when Fabinho left for £40m, a no-brainer for the club, a high-quality defensive midfielder moved to the top of the wish list.
However, Liverpool spent money on a number 8, with Endo as their only specialist to patrol and sit in front of the defence.
Mac Allister, who started the season at number 6, was initially seen as a temporary solution, an intelligent and patient player who could be disciplined and deal with opposition pressure.
But apart from moving to Newcastle, he started every match as a deep-lying midfielder.
In his 10 appearances so far, Mac Allister feels like he can do even more when given the freedom to play on the left of midfield, his preferred position.
This is not a criticism of a player who is not designed to play as a deep-lying midfielder, but he lacks pace and often finds himself with too much space for him alone to make up for.
The number 10 player insisted he had no qualms about playing the role and said “I love it” after the draw with Brighton.
“I think I’ve improved a lot over the last few years, defensively and I think it’s something I can do well,” he said.
The difference in this league, however, is that “good” is not always enough to ensure that a team can challenge for the title, which Liverpool have the potential to do.
This makes it even more curious why Klopp persists and how long he will continue to do so.
The Red Devils are only 3 points behind the top spot in the Premier League, have entered the next round of the League Cup and are top of the Europa League group.
This doesn’t mean there will be fires breaking out for Liverpool, far from it, but the day will soon come when Liverpool can put Mac Allister in a role that can bring out the best in him and have an expert number 6 next to him.
side is better.
So this raises the question why Endo is not used in the Premier League?
Have we seen this before?
The first match Endo qualified for was the away trip to Bournemouth, which saw the 30-year-old finish sixth with 27 minutes remaining after Mac Allister was wrongly shown a red card.
The day after his debut and after playing with 10 men, it wasn’t the easiest of starts and it didn’t get much better in his first XI, when the Red Devils again dropped to 10 people.
Newcastle.
Since his only league start, Endo has played just 22 minutes in the Premier League and has instead started as part of the midweek alternating squads for the League Cup and Europa League.
Klopp said the former Stuttgart man “has to get used to things here” and “it’s not a short-term project” – with the coach’s approach not much different from that of Fabinho.
When the Brazilian arrived, he also had to wait to adapt to Liverpool’s demands and only became a regular starter when 2018 gave way to 2019, and he was given a starting role before the season.
But it is worrying to constantly be up against a midfielder who is out of position and neglects the team’s only specialist, who is at least Liverpool’s third choice this summer.
Like Mac Allister, there were similar concerns about pace when facing Endo and despite his ability to move the ball forward quickly, it is not an exaggeration to suggest that Klopp is still not really trusted.
into my new number 3.
He must have appreciated Mac Allister’s selection by saying “if we, as a team, defend well, he can certainly play with six”, but we have seen that What happens when the defense is not up to par?
Square pegs and round holes
Mac Allister is the 5th most played player among Liverpool players this season (688), has received 3 yellow cards and despite having many difficulties in the match against Brighton, Endo has never been called to the bench .
There is an adjustment period going on and you feel he will eventually become a supporting player in this position, but Liverpool need more from him right now.
Klopp is clearly pleased to have a square peg in the Mac Allister trying to fit a round hole, rather than opting for a round peg in the Endo to fit that hole.
While Klopp said on opening day Endo that “we really need you” and therefore did not use him in the tournament, there are now some questions as to why Liverpool picked the former Stuttgart chiefs make their only number 6.
Hopefully all of this will quickly become clear in the near future, but for now, questions will continue to linger about Endo’s suitability and how Liverpool still believe they can make the most of it.
Get the most out of your Mac Allister when away from home.
