News'He gives us something different' - Klopp's praise for Wataru Endo

Summer signing Endo has started each of the Reds’ last five matches in all competitions, including playing an hour of the 5-1 Carabao Cup victory over West Ham United in midweek.

At his pre-Arsenal press conference, the manager was asked for his take on the No.3’s adaptation to the club and what has underpinned his strong performances in the past few weeks.

“Getting used to it. Just like that,” replied Klopp.

“We don’t give people time anymore. Internally we do, but because we talk [to the media] every three days – or more often – about these kind of things, it feels like after four weeks, it’s now we speak already that long about when it will finally click. That’s how it is.

“Some of the biggest players this club in my era ever saw needed time to adapt. Some others didn’t. But some big players did.

“Just to mention, Andy Robertson didn’t play half a year, pretty much was not in the squad! Hopefully he forgot that as well but it’s anyway true. And Fabinho we had to change system for because he couldn’t play [as the] six alone. Later on he could play that easily, made it his position, so it’s all fine.

“You need a bit of time, that’s all. We see him every day in training and he is one of the hardest-working people I ever met. It was always clear that it will be good, but I’m happy obviously for him that the public could see it now as well, because that’s pretty helpful in our job.

“Yeah, it was a really good game [against West Ham]. And he gives something different to the team, we have to say, that’s clear. He’s the one for the tackles. We don’t have now 20 players on the pitch who have tackling as a hobby. He is doing it.

“On top of that, his passing is really good, his awareness is really good, he finds his position better in possession, all these things. It’s football and sometimes it takes a little bit of time but that’s no problem for me.”