In this transformative analysis of Liverpool’s thrilling 4-1 triumph over Brentford, we dive deep into the striking performance of standout player Wataru Endo and his critical role in the team. From his days as a cherished attacking force in Stuttgart to his reinvention as Liverpool’s elected holding midfielder, Endo’s journey is as captivating as it is inspiring.
Follow along as we delve into detailed player data radar comparisons from last season to the present, shedding light on Endo’s shift in style, his decrease in key passes, and increase in forward passes and defensive actions, among many other changes. Ponder how Liverpool’s loss of key midfield players in Fabinho, Henderson, and Milner has triggered Endo’s new role.
Feast your eyes on mesmerizing Liverpool pass maps from @Markstats that illustrate Endo’s role as a significant pivot point in the team’s style of play. Discover how other influential midfielders like Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones, and Dominik Szoboszlai have prospered from Endo’s influential position in the squad.
Join us in exploring Gravenberch’s transformation since moving to Anfield, driven by Endo’s adoption of responsibilities the Dutch player grappled with when at Bayern. With Endo on the pitch, Gravenberch, in his new No.8 role, is demonstrating higher potential, as evidenced by increasing levels of dribbles into the box and touches per 90 minutes.
Despite Endo not being the most prolific signing for Liverpool this season, his burgeoning influence cannot be denied. He’s increasingly become a pivotal part of the team, an indispensable driving force pushing Liverpool towards potentially capturing the league title in Klopp’s final season.
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So I watched Liverpool’s impressive 4-1 win over Brentford on Saturday and one player that really stood out to me was Wataru Endo. [graphic]
Not only was the Japanese international one of Liverpool’s best players on the day, but I was also struck by just how different his role in the Anfield side is to how he used to play for Stuttgart. [PTC]
In the Bundesliga, Endo was a box-to-box midfielder capable of getting stuck in but was perhaps most valued by Stuttgart for his attacking output. [graphic]
Only Serhou Guirassy bagged more goals and assists for the club last season. And Joshua Kimmich was the only Bundesliga central midfielder to pick up more goals and assists than End the season before. [graphic]
However, that has all changed. When we look at the player’s data radar for last season and compare it to his radar for this season, we can see that Endo is not only making far fewer key passes but is also dribbling with the ball far less, all while making more forward passes and defensive actions. [graphic]
This obviously makes a lot of sense. When Endo joined Liverpool in the summer, he was not only joining a club that had failed to sign Romeo Lavia, but one that had also lost at least three holding midfielders in Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and James Milner.
That, in turn, has led to Endo becoming Liverpool’s elected holding midfielder.
This is evident to see when we look at these fantastic Liverpool pass maps from @Markstats on Twitter of Endo’s last four starts in the Premier League. [graphic]
As we can see in each instance, Enzo in the No.3 shirt is at the base of Liverpool’s midfield more or less playing as the pivot for the team’s entire style of play. And more often than not he’s typically sitting in line with Liverpool’s defence, providing cover for what has been the second best defence in the Premier League this season.
However, that’s not all Endo does. As we can see from the pass maps, Endo also provides a stable platform for Liverpool’s other central midfielders to push forward in attack.
Against Brentford it was Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch, but Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai have also benefited from Endo’s role in the team this season.
Perhaps the best example of Endo unlocking Liverpool’s more attacking midfielders is Gravenberch, whose own transformation at Anfield this season has been incredibly impressive.
Under Julian Nagelsmann and then Thomas Tuchel, the Dutch midfielder was routinely shoe-horned into the No.6 role at Bayern, but at Liverpool he’s been allowed to play as a true No.8.
And as we can see from his dribbles into the box and Touches in the box per 90 minutes this season, he’s thriving precisely because Endo is slotting into the role Gravenberch struggled with so much in Munich.
So while Endo may not have been Liverpool’s biggest signing of the season or one of the club’s most popular players, he has quickly come to be one of his manager’s most important players.
And in many ways he’s now a crucial cog in a Liverpool machine that is gunning for the league title in Klopp’s final season at the club.