"Henderson 2.0", "What was the point of signing him" - Liverpool fans call out star for 'very poor' performance despite win over LASK

Liverpool fans criticized summer signing Wataru Endo on X (formerly Twitter) after he struggled to make an impact during the Reds' 3-1 win at LASK in the UEFA Europa League.

The Reds kicked off their Europa League group stage campaign on Thursday (September 21) at the Raiffeisen Arena. They have been placed in Group E alongside LASK, Toulouse, and Union Saint-Gilloise.

Jurgen Klopp made 11 changes to his starting XI, giving the likes of Ryan Gravenberch, Ben Doak, and Endo a chance to impress. However, it was LASK who took a shock lead in the 14th minute with Florian Flecker rifling the ball into the bottom corner from distance.

Darwin Nunez had a brilliant chance to equalize in the 36th minute but his header was saved on the line by LASK goalkeeper Tobias Lawal. The Uruguay international leveled the scores in the 56th minute via a penalty after Luis Diaz was fouled in the box.

Liverpool shot-stopper Caoimhin Kelleher made two good saves before Luis Diaz scored in the 63rd minute after an excellent team move. Mohamed Salah then scored in the 88th minute to make it 3-1, securing all three points.

Despite the Reds winning, Wataru Endo largely struggled as the team's No. 6. The £16 million summer signing from VfB Stuttgart won just 33% of his ground duels, lost two duels, and had a pass accuracy of 82%. He was substituted in the 61st minute for Alexis Mac Allister and was given a rating of 6.9 on FotMob.

Liverpool fans were far from impressed by his performance with one fan tweeting:

"Henderson 2.0"

Another wrote:

"I dont understand what was the point of signing him"

Endo has made three appearances for the Reds this season but is still adjusting to Jurgen Klopp's system. He is unlikely to retain his place over Alexis Mac Allister in the starting XI against West Ham United at Anfield on September 24.

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LASK vs. Liverpool: Exploring the stats from Europa League clash

Liverpool were able to come from behind to secure a 3-1 win against LASK in the Europa League. This was their first win in the competition in nearly seven years. Let's take a look at the stats to see how both teams performed.

The Reds dominated possession, controlling 68% of the ball. They also made 547 passes with an accuracy of 82%. LASK had 32% possession and registered 257 passes with an accuracy of 67%.

Liverpool enjoyed more chances on goal with a total of 14 shots, with six being on target. In contrast, the home team had seven shots with two being on target.

The Reds sit atop their group, with Union Saint-Gilloise and Toulouse playing out a 1-1 draw.