Journalists say Arne Slot has 'learned his lesson' with game-changing Liverpool tactic
Liverpool are flying in the Premier League title race and key areas of the team are being praised.
As Liverpool approach the end of the season as Premier League champions elect, Arne Slot is starting to utilise more of his squad. The Reds are looking to wrap up the title but they still have the Carabao Cup and Champions League to fight for as well.
If Liverpool do go on to lift the Premier League trophy, there will be little to complain about from Slot’s debut season. Especially as the Dutch boss is not afraid to take on board setbacks and learn from them moving forward.
A big talking point recently has been the impact of Wataru Endo. Despite slipping down the pecking order under Slot, the midfielder has played a big part in important games when called upon.
Wataru Endo earning his praise with key Liverpool performances
While he has not been a starter in the Premier League this season, Endo’s substitute appearances have proven very important lately. The Japanese international was brought on against Wolves last month to help see out a 2-1 win and his presence was a huge difference compared to recent draws.
The Reds have been forced to settle for frustrating ties on a few occasions this season, most notably against Newcastle, Manchester United and Everton. On all three occasions, Liverpool conceded late on to deny them a big win.
After leading Newcastle 3-2, Fabian Schar rescued a point with a late goal, while Amad Diallo netted an 84th-minute leveller for the Red Devils at Anfield in early January. Then James Tarkowski popped up with a thunderous volley for Everton as the Merseyside Derby ended 2-2 at Goodison Park. Endo did not come off the bench in any of these fixtures, but it seems Slot is starting to trust the midfielder more to come on as a solid defensive substitute to help kill off a game.
“Wata has been really useful for us this season. It's not always about the amount of minutes you play — you can be important for two minutes and less important for 90 minutes,” the boss said in a recent press conference.
“What makes Wata special is that every time we have to rely on him he shows up. If a player hasn't had a lot of playing time and you can be mentally strong to bring you best performance, that's not easy.”
Wataru Endo influence is ‘exactly what Liverpool need’
Others are also enjoying the impact Endo is having on games, and are pleased to see Slot giving him the chance to see out results. He came off the bench in the last two fixtures against Man City and Newcastle to contribute to the 2-0 wins. His presence has undoubtedly made a huge difference and helped change the way Liverpool end a game, compared to some of their recent draws.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Blood Red podcast, Liverpool Echo reporters discussed the importance of Liverpool’s midfield. Naturally, Endo was brought up and the panel believe Slot has ‘learned his lesson’ from not deploying the 32-year-old during the Merseyside Derby.
“I think that the midfield as a whole is what’s powered Liverpool through. Of course, it’s Salah’s goals that we speak about most weeks, but that midfield... We spoke about it for a year straight, about Liverpool’s need to rebuild their midfield in 2022/23. Now, Gravenberch, Mac Allister and Szoboszlai is a fully functioning, perfectly oiled machine,” Paul Gorst said.
“I enjoyed Endo when he came on. He’s done that a couple of times now, recently. In fact, Slot got asked about that after the [Wolves] game. He’s increasingly being brought on to see the game out, and that’s exactly what they need,” Ian Doyle continued.
Gorst then stressed how he ‘couldn’t believe’ Slot didn’t bring on Endo to shut down Everton and see out the 2-1 lead prior to Tarkowski’s late leveller. Theo Squires replied by suggesting the boss has ‘probably learned his lesson’, based on the fact Endo is now appearing more often as a substitute and his presence is certainly aiding results.