Owen claims Liverpool star will be "disappointed" as Reds transfer a "step down"

30 November 2023 , 21:01

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Owen claims Liverpool star will be "disappointed" as Reds transfer a "step down"

Michael Owen reckons Wataru Endo will be disappointed he's failed to make the holding midfield position his own at Liverpool - conceding the Japanese star is a "step down" from Fabinho.

Endo has made only 14 appearances for the Reds following his £16million summer switch from Stuttgart. Jurgen Klopp made nine changes from the team that drew with Manchester City on Saturday for the visit of LASK in the Europa League, and started the 30-year-old ahead of Alexis Mac Allister in the middle of the park.

Owen believes the opportunity to start in his favoured position this Thursday is a great chance for the midfielder to impress his boss and put himself in contention for regular football going forward.

"I would guess that he'll be slightly disappointed at the moment. There's no natural sitting central midfielder really in that Liverpool squad bar him. Yet they're moving Mac Allister into that position in the big games, So I'd say he's probably a little bit disappointed he hasn't made that position his own.

"And it's nights like tonight where he can, if he's impressive, where he might get a start in a big game because it's a position which probably if you ask most Liverpool fans, they're not that comfortable.

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Wataru Endo started in midfielder against LASK (Philip Bryan/REX/Shutterstock)

"They like Mac Allister but actually when you take him out of position into that sitting midfield role it's probably a step down from Fabinho, who obviously they lost in the summer.

"I think it's a position which is up for grabs. He'll be keen to grab that. He's not set the world alight so far but he's done all right. It's a unique position, you have to do a lot of things; you have to start off play, be comfortable on the ball, you have to sniff out danger, and stop the ball into the striker's feet.

"You have to be basic and do all the dirty work and make everyone else look good, which I'm sure he's capable of doing, and his best days are possibly ahead in a red shirt, but it probably has to start tonight if he wants to get that permanent fixture in the team."

Jake Polden