Iraola’s Honest Verdict Exposes Liverpool’s New Midfield Reality
Andoni Iraola did not dress it up. After Liverpool’s goalless draw with Fulham, the head coach was asked why Wataru Endo has barely featured this season. He gave a straight answer. The Iraola Wataru Endo Liverpool storyline has followed the club since the transfer window shut, and now we know exactly where the head coach stands.
Iraola summed it up bluntly: “in front of him in his position I have a lot of players.”
It is a simple line, but it carries real weight. Endo was first choice under Arne Slot not long ago. Under Iraola, he is being told, in public, that he sits some way down the queue.
For a player who has captained Japan and arrived at Anfield with a reputation as a reliable defensive midfielder, that is a hard message to hear. It is also an honest one, and Liverpool supporters will respect Iraola for saying it rather than dodging the question. It also says something about Iraola himself. He is willing to be candid with the press even when the message is uncomfortable for one of his own players, and that bluntness has quickly become a trait of his short time in charge.
How Summer Turnover Redefined the Anfield Engine Room
Iraola’s comments make more sense once you look at how much Liverpool’s midfield has changed since the summer. Arne Slot left, Iraola arrived, and the squad around Endo shifted with him.
Curtis Jones was the first big departure, joining Inter Milan in a £30m deal that removed one familiar face from the middle of the park. Elsewhere in the market, Elliot Anderson’s move to Manchester City for £116m said everything about how highly clubs now rate young English midfielders.
Liverpool also came close to adding to that engine room before deadline day fell apart. A move for Lamine Camara to Chelsea collapsed, tangled up with the breakdown of Folarin Balogun’s proposed switch to Everton. Neither deal materialised, and Liverpool’s midfield business ended up quieter than many expected. That saga had nothing directly to do with Liverpool. It showed how unpredictable the closing days of the window had become across the Premier League. Several clubs, Liverpool included, ended up working with the squads they already had rather than the ones they had hoped to build.
- Curtis Jones: departed for Inter Milan, £30m
- Elliot Anderson: joined Manchester City, £116m
- Lamine Camara to Chelsea: collapsed on deadline day
- Folarin Balogun to Everton: fell through, tied to the Camara deal
None of that business added a new specialist number six. Yet it still reshaped the competition Endo faces, because it changed the balance of experience, energy and profile that Iraola has to choose from in central midfield.
Evaluating Iraola’s Options in the Battle for the Number Six
So who exactly is ahead of Endo? Iraola has options who offer more on the ball, more physical intensity, or both, and he clearly prefers what they bring to his system right now.
Endo’s game is built on positioning, discipline and simple, low risk passing. That profile suited Slot’s patient possession structure. Iraola wants more from his deepest midfielder: quicker transitions, sharper pressing triggers and a willingness to break lines rather than just protect them. Iraola’s Liverpool also press higher up the pitch than Slot’s side did, and that demands a deep midfielder who can cover ground quickly and recover his position after the ball is turned over. Rotation across the Premier League and cup competitions only adds to that physical burden.
That shift in emphasis explains why Endo, at 32, now finds himself competing with midfielders who fit the new template more naturally. It also raises questions about the club’s long-term depth in midfield, with younger players pushing for the same role Endo once owned outright.
None of this means Endo lacks a future at Liverpool. It means Iraola has more bodies to rotate than his predecessor did. For now, the head coach is choosing others.
What the Future Holds for Endo Under Iraola’s System
Iraola’s honesty leaves Endo with a clear choice. He can fight for minutes in training and wait for injuries or fatigue to open a door, or he can accept that his role at Liverpool is changing.
The bigger picture matters too. Liverpool have made a strong start under Iraola, and coaches rarely tinker with a settled midfield while results hold up. That makes it harder for Endo to force his way back in, whatever he does in training.
The Iraola Wataru Endo Liverpool situation is unlikely to shift quickly. Iraola has been direct about where Endo stands, and the players he currently prefers are unlikely to be dropped purely to accommodate the Japan international.
For Endo, patience and application are the only tools available. What he does next, in training and whenever his chance comes, will shape whether he forces his way back into Iraola’s plans or fades quietly into a squad role.
