Wataru… where r u ? 
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On the bench, where he should be most of the time.
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Not all the time though. Endo doesn’t bring much in possession, but he does have combativeness, which is sorely lacking at the minute.
Slot has given him fewer opportunities now, when he’s needed more than he did last season.
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Right now it’s easy to make an argument for absolutely everyone who isn’t playing. Gomez, Ramsay, Endo… who’s next, Rhys Williams?
I would also like to have a 4th CM on paper (which he actually isn’t in the pecking order, because of quality) that we use more often than we do.
Last time Endo started he looked like he couldn’t play for the team we played against (Southampton) that night. One game doesn’t make a player, I know, but I genuinely don’t see what benefit we would get by giving him more game time now, with all of our main midfielders fit?
Start kicking people? Gotta get close to them first…
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This is what I call the Richie Partridge effect. When things aren’t going well the thing you are not doing (“play a midfield diamond”) and the players not playing are always become more attractive options. Often even for arguments that are difficult to relate to what is going wrong. Back in the old BBC 606 heyday the conventional wisdom was that Houllier’s side struggled because it had no width and it was criminal that such a young talent like Richie Partridge was not getting his shot. The fact he was not even close to premier league standard didn’t compute. The longer he didnt play the better and more important he became. For about 18 months he had been the player to turn liverpool’s fortunes around on 606 yet left the club without ever having made a prem appearance for us and becoming no more than a lower league journeyman
David Lynch has been banging on since probably March of a worrying decline in our “dual success rate” and how that has related to our drop in results. There is an obvious line there that points to more combative players to address that, but it doubles down on our struggles moving the ball from the back to the area of the pitch we want to be playing our football in. And there is the additional consideration of how much of our defensive problems are due to the way we are losing the ball and the defensive shape we are in at those times.
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By the way, I absolutely understand if we have questions over Slot’s ability to keep a football team at the top level when he needs to rotate more, use more players than he did at Feyenoord and in his first season at Liverpool.
And not only rotate, but I wonder what was our plan in terms of pressing from the front when you look at the timing when the likes of Wirtz, Ekitike and Isak arrived. Did we just stick by our default and hoped that it would work or work as soon as possible… because our balance still isn’t right and December is knocking on the door.
In some cases, I agree that some players could’ve or should’ve been used a bit more. Gomez, yes. Chiesa, yes. Gomez more because Konate had so many underperforming games this season, Chiesa because he looks sharper this season and can play across the front. Give Gomez a few starts and he might remind us what his weaknesses are (and always have been).
But yeah, in bad times, some really random or “forgotten” options become attractive. How to say it, it’s not all about pure form. There’s still distinction in quality (main one), style, experience, partnerships, etc. If it was like that, you’d never have a consistent starting XI.
The reality is that the majority of our main players will be the ones who will have to turn this thing around. At least under Slot, so with the help of the coaching staff.
Whether Endo still gets the last 5 minutes when we defend a lead (unfortunately we didn’t see much of that so far this season, hence why he was less needed) or 15 minutes will not make a difference. In fact, it could be worse. Imagining him starting yesterday and playing, what, 60 minutes in the single pivot role, it would’ve been worse.
Oh but he battles, albeit not great in possession. What do we do then when we are in possession and he’s a bloody midfielder sitting in front the defence? Hide him in the #10 zone? Camouflage him like we used to do with Sissoko getting out of Xabi’s way or how Real used to do with Casemiro, while Kroos dropped to playmake? And the mentioned players were/are all better than Endo.
Right now we’re not even compact often enough for Endo to get close enough to opponents to do his biting stuff. Even Mac struggles at times with his (lack of) pace when our lines are too spread out. Look at the way we conceded that corner that led to Forest’s first goal. Incredible.
That is the sort and level of collective aggression (or better to say, organization to be aggressive!) we have to get back to. Not random, wild, individual aggression.
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Endo was the kind of player you would bring on to protect a lead or save a point but every time he did that this season we’ve conceded sadly.
He had good games in Klopp’s final season, I will not forget that. In the second part of that season, we found the best possible combination with him shielding behind the other midfielders. Weaknesses were still obvious, but we managed to win a trophy and qualify for the CL.
Under Slot, he has his (different) criteria what he wants from his midfield and especially deeper midfielders. For example, maybe he wouldn’t have gone for someone like Fabinho (a quality defensive midfielder in his own way). That’s nothing against Fabinho, the main thing is to be successful in whichever way, under different management.
But you really want more even from your 4th choice CM on paper. More than coming on for the last minutes to close the game or starting against lower (league) opposition.
So what do we think is more likely? That Endo is actually much better and for some reason we are ignoring it, or the situation like it is because of his quality? And he’s a happy enough squad/backup player who offered this in likely his last two seasons (becaue I hope he’s not here by the time he’s 34) at the club?
The way we’ve been playing and getting the results we have this season, I don’t think we’re in a position to ignore anything that’s quality.
People are ahead of him and even Szobo’s current evolution (also a question how that will go) might be part of it in those deeper roles.
I’d love to know between Harvey, Quansah, Kostas, Gomez, Endo, (then add Clark for Klopp and Chiesa for Slot)
How many starts they each had in the PL/CL/EL under Klopp compared to Slot.
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Agree with the premise, but not on this particular case. This isn’t the early 00s when we had players of questionable level. The current squad is miles ahead from that squad. Endo in particular featured regularly under Klopp and didn’t do too bad. The same goes for Gomez, Chiesa, Elliott, Quanshah and everyone else who couldn’t get a look in. At the very least, he’s worth a shot rather than sticking with the same underperforming players who give up the minute something goes wrong.
Something has got to change.
I don’t get these comments about not playing this one or that one because they’re rubbish.
If that’s the case then why are they even at the club? And, if they are good enough for Liverpool then why aren’t they getting more game time ahead of a few that are currently under-performing?
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You’ll have to ask Slot that question. It baffles
me.
They’re not rubbish.
But there are levels in quality.
Which is the main factor why certain players play ahead of others.
Of course, but when the supposed higher quality players aren’t performing, maybe these lesser ones deserve a chance at least.
Could Endo or Gomez, for example, really be any worse than what we’re currently seeing?
Edit: Which is worse? A lower quality player who at least tries his best for the team, or a higher quality player not bothering to show it?
I know which one I’d rather see playing.
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We do realize that these people have training sessions as chances other than games?
And at the end of the day, player quality is what decides a lot of it. Doesn’t mean they’re rubbish.
I agree Gomez could’ve got a start ahead of Konate here and there, if not to stay in for the remainder of the season (providing he can even stay fit for that long), but not to take Konate into the red zone and “punish” him for his performances.
However, I honestly don’t see the benefits of Endo getting a start. Giving your all is minimum standard these days. We’re not organized and compact enough in order to be agressive in each position.
I don’t want random giving out chances, that becomes even more of a mess.
It’s already enough when you see among fans the variety of what would our solutions be: diamond formations, 3 at the back, Ramsay/Gomez/Endo/Chiesa should play more, two up top, one up top, Wirtz wide, Wirtz central, Salah in, Salah out, etc.
I doubt that Gomez in for a few games instead of Konate, Endo coming on for the last 15 instead of 5 or 5 instead of 0, Chiesa starting the odd game instead of Gakpo would make enough difference.
We have real collective issues. It’s the majority of the main names that will have to turn it around. If someone really comes in as a surprise, I have zero doubt that the coaching staff would see it or ignore it.
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If Wata starts getting picked in midfield in real games (without there being injuries and suspensions forcing Slot’s hand) then it is the beginning of the end. It would be the very definition of throwing shit at the wall and hoping something sticks.
He simply isn’t good enough on the ball to do what Slot wants out of his midfield and so has been no more than a situational option. He has a lot of other qualities but if he starts getting picked it is part of a solution that gets us further away from what Slot is looking for and once a manager starts doing that sort of thing you know he is cooked.
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The solution among fans is almost always player B should play instead of player A and/or we should change the formation.
Football is more than that. What do we think training consists of? Just changing players and formations and hoping something sticks? Or working on phases of play? Verbally and by actions, different training methods to improve it?
Individuals can help make collective changes, a lot depending on their quality, style, experience, understanding with nearby players, sharpness, form. It’s all important. But form isn’t the only aspect.
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What if the players you have picked for the past 9 months can’t do what you want them to do resulting in shit-on-a-stick football every game?
What do you do then?
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Pick some others…?
We played shit football for the past 9 months… wait, what?
