"Worst signing in the Klopp era", "Out of his depth" - Fans slam Liverpool star for his 'terrible' performance in 2-1 loss to Union Saint-Gilloise
Liverpool fans on X (formerly Twitter) blasted Wataru Endo after he struggled to make an impact during the Reds' 2-1 loss against Union Saint-Gilloise on Thursday, December 14.
Jurgen Klopp named a relatively weakened starting XI for their Europa League clash away from home on Matchday 6, giving numerous youngsters an opportunity to impress. The Reds had already secured their spot in the Round of 16, winning Group E with 12 points.
The hosts dominated in the opening minutes and could have easily scored early on, only to be denied by a couple of good saves by Caoimhin Kelleher. Mohamed Amoura gave Union Saint-Gilloise the lead in the 32nd minute after Curtis Jones lost possession in midfield.
Liverpool equalized seven minutes later against the run of play via Jarell Quansah's maiden goal for the club. The 20-year-old centre-back volleyed the ball into the back of the net following a corner. However, the home side regained the lead in the 43rd minute after Cameron Puertas fired the ball past Kelleher into the bottom-left corner.
Puertas found the back of the net again in the 62nd minute, however, the goal was chalked off by VAR as Amoura handled the ball in the build-up to the goal. Nevertheless, Union Saint-Gilloise comfortably preserved their lead, securing an impressive three points.
Liverpool fans slammed Wataru Endo for his poor performance as the No. 6. The Japan skipper was dispossessed twice, won zero tackles, and lost four ground duels. He was subbed off at half-time for Ryan Gravenberch.
One fan posted:
"Endo can’t receive a pass, he also cant win a tackle to save his life and he always looks like he is out of his depth. This is probably the worst signing in the Klopp era."
How did Liverpool fare against Union Saint-Gilloise in their Europa League clash?
Liverpool were thoroughly dominated by a determined Union Saint-Gilloise side as they lost 2-1 in their Europa League fixture on Thursday. Let's take a look at the stats to see how both teams performed.
Liverpool dominated possession, with 69 percent of the ball. They also attempted a total of 586 passes, with an accuracy of 85 percent. In contrast, Union Saint-Gilloise had 31 percent possession and attempted 254 passes, with an accuracy of 65 percent.
Jurgen Klopp's game plan to field the youth didn't quite work as they failed to threaten up front, registering a total of just four shots, with three being on target. On the other hand, Union Saint-Gilloise had 15 shots in total, landing six on target.