16 Aug 2023 22:20:43
Klopp has never won a league title in his career without a Japanese player in his squad - Interesting stat!

1.) 16 Aug 2023
16 Aug 2023 23:40:19
I see plenty of positives in this deal:

1. He's a leader - captain for Stuttgart and Japan.
2. He has considerable experience - 50 caps at international level in a good Japan side, that saw off Spain and Germany at the last WC.
3. He's good on the ball in tight situations, has a good passing game. He also has a reasonable number of assists and goals for a DM.
4. He's disciplined, attracting few yellow and no red cards last season.
5. He's fit and does not suffer many injuries - he missed a total of 103 minutes for Stuttgart last season and 90 of those were for a 1 match suspension after an accumulating of yellows.
6. He's keen to join the club. Was quick to agree personal terms.
7. He's relatively inexpensive in today's market, leaving funds for further re-enforcements this window.

When we've lost a lot of midfield experience and leadership in terms of Milner and Henderson, I think he can do a really good job for 2-3 seasons. His purchase still leaves us in strong position to bring in further reinforcements.

I think this is a shrewd piece of business. I'm glad we weren't dogmatic about his age.

So, just because you've never heard of him and just because he hasn't cost us squillions, stop moaning, have some trust in the management team and get behind him!

2.) 16 Aug 2023
16 Aug 2023 23:48:38
For me it’s a punt, it could go either way.

He’s either a great piece of business a la Andy Robertson or he’s struggling to make the team.


For £20m that’s what you get these days.
I’ll back him all the way and hope he proves the doubters wrong. He’s potentially a great stop gap whilst Bajcetic establishes himself.

Good luck Wataru.

3.) 17 Aug 2023
16 Aug 2023 23:51:49
Well said goostrey.

4.) 17 Aug 2023
17 Aug 2023 00:04:03
For me it's a relatively cheap deal if a preferred choice does not materialise. And If does a decent back up.

5.) 17 Aug 2023
17 Aug 2023 00:10:30
I mean there’s so much hype around bajcetic with some on here that they should be glad we are doing f a short term signing like this. I don’t know anything about the player but I’ll give him a chance just the same as the rest of em.

6.) 17 Aug 2023
17 Aug 2023 00:23:08
This is the kind of guy I love. much of the fanbase will be full of doubt and he'll need to perform like Xabi Alonso to receive just a tad of praise. the underdog story is the kind of guy I like.

ganbatte Endo!

7.) 17 Aug 2023
17 Aug 2023 00:26:20
Ron I think if he had been bought after the ‘main signing’ there would probably have been a different reaction. If we get a solid DM he might be a good squad player. The problem is that there appears to be no plan and random bids. I’ll give it till the end of the window but this is a massive few weeks for the club.

8.) 17 Aug 2023
17 Aug 2023 00:27:02
I must be in the minority of those who think the signing of Wataru Endo for €19 million is a pretty smart signing. That works out to £16.2 million give or take the exchange rate. Now If we sign someone like Florentino Luis or Cheick Doucouré alongside him as well as a LCB (preferably Inacio) then happy days. We can then wait until January to bring in Andre Trindade.

Although stats in isolation don’t tell the full picture of a players ability. I thought I would share a piece on Wataru Endo from the Bundesliga official website which was written at the end of the 22/ 23 season.

Following Stuttgart's promotion in 2020, Endo has been a near ever-present figure, featuring in 99 of 102 Bundesliga matches since. The VfB captain wrote his name in the club's history books by ensuring they stayed up in the most dramatic fashions last season and is now slugging it out in the promotion/ relegation playoff in a bid to keep the club in the top-tier of German football once more. He won 55 percent of challenges in 2022/ 23 and places fourth on this list (439 challenges won), having top the pile in each of the 2020/ 21 and 2021/ 22 campaigns.

I know he may not be the ‘marquee’ signing fans craved but it’s his dream to come to us. So let’s get behind the lad and any of the other signings that walk through the door in the next few days.

9.) 17 Aug 2023
17 Aug 2023 00:36:24
Great post Goostrey. Reckon everyone will soon know who he is.

10.) 17 Aug 2023
17 Aug 2023 01:07:41
I like this move, it solves a major positional problem with a low financial risk leaving Liverpool with options for further acquisitions in other areas and/ or a January purchases . It's often the case with these sort of left field signings that turn out to be a unexpected success.

11.) 17 Aug 2023
17 Aug 2023 01:43:47
Alonso, how do we sign 2 more foreign players after Endo unless we add a HG player to the squad? We can have 17 maximum, so 1 more. and I believe its worse for Europa as Doak takes a place.

Generally, not a moaner. can see positives in the deal as mentioned but unless it's alongside a lavia, hg player, or its a head scratcher. unless the cb has been put on hold.

{Ed001's Note - Doak doesn't as he is too young for a space.}

12.) 17 Aug 2023
17 Aug 2023 02:57:38
OK that's better then Ed01, I had read he had to be registered as overseas for the Europa.

{Ed001's Note - no, under 21s go into a B list. There is so much crap out there it is best to ignore it mate. UEFA competitions have the first team squad, but you only put over 21s into it. The under 21s go into a B list and you can use any amount of them without needing to use up a space in your main list. That is why someone like Lavia would have been so useful as a signing. He would go into the B list and leave space in the squad. I think Doak will be homegrown by the time he needs to be registered, but I am not 100% on that and they may even change the rules on that by then anyway!}

13.) 17 Aug 2023
17 Aug 2023 06:28:39
A lot of spin to disguise the fact this is an extremely underwhelming signing and probably means we won't be signing anyone of note in this position. I await the rest of the tw with baited breath. or I won't.

14.) 17 Aug 2023
17 Aug 2023 06:38:29
As far as I know Ed, this season Doak would have to be registered separately.

15.) 17 Aug 2023
17 Aug 2023 09:16:07
Fatboy barnes, people are just giving their opinions. Cos they disagree with you doesn't mean it is just spin. That is a very myopic way of approaching a debate, IMO.