Jürgen Klopp has created a dilemma with $64m duo as Liverpool star faces battle…

Wataru Endō and Alexis Mac Allister playing together for Liverpool against Burnley is a rare occasion. How Jürgen Klopp should employ the duo is a topic of discussion among two of our writers.

With Burnley, Liverpool’s options were quite limited. Jürgen Klopp had limited options when it came to his team selection, with up to 12 players dealing with injuries or illnesses and Ibrahima Konaté serving a one-match suspension for his two yellow cards against Arsenal.

After suffering another injury at halftime, Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced to leave the game, forcing Curtis Jones to fill in at right back. Luckily for Liverpool, Harvey Elliott was one of the replacements, and in the second half of the game, he changed the game by setting up goals by Darwin Núñez and Luis Díaz. Once again, he shown his quality from the sidelines.

One decision that Klopp did make, in fact two, was to field the midfield tandem together. Wataru Endō could have shifted to full-back, and Alexis Mac Allister could have moved to the number-six position when Elliott arrived. It’s not like this has occurred before, or at least not for Mac Allister.

Signed for a combined $64 million (£51 million/€60 million), Endō performed admirably, but Mac Allister was muzzled. Although it had little bearing on the outcome, it does provide Liverpool with food for thought going forward. How ought Klopp to respond? You can add your thoughts to the two that our Liverpool.com writers have already shared in the comments box below the article.

“Alexis Mac Allister is the clear number one” – Matt Addison

Right now, I firmly believe that Liverpool can only use one of Endō or Mac Allister in the starting lineup at once to maximize their respective strengths. Although some of that has been due to availability and the fact that they haven’t always been available at the same time, the fact that Klopp has only fielded them together three times likely indicates that he agrees.

Endō gave us his greatest performance against Burnley, especially in the second half, but Mac Allister struggled a little in the midfield. In order to give himself a little more time and room to perform his magic, the Argentine needs to be deeper. He has that from a few yards further back.  he has that Thiago-like ability to dictate but that was completely lost on this occasion.

Ultimately, if there is to be a choice between one or the other, there is only one winner. While it is harsh on Endō, who has impressed a lot since getting used to playing for Liverpool, Mac Allister is the best of the pair. He offers a lot more in possession and is now used to the off-the-ball demands as well. There will be minutes for both, but Mac Allister is the clear number one when Klopp has more options to use in the number eight roles.

“Wataru Endō and Alexis Mac Allister can work” – James Martin

I have to admit that during his initial Liverpool appearances, I wasn’t impressed by Endō. Fortunately, Klopp was more patient, and the captain of Japan has developed into a significant player.

Although I am willing to accept a small portion of humility, it is evident that Endō needed some time to catch up, particularly when it came to possession. After his return from the Asian Cup, we saw a near-mirror of that against Burnley, when a lackluster first half was followed by one of his best 45-minute performances while wearing a red shirt.

That progression arc explains why Mac Allister, despite being perceived as ‘out of position’, got the bulk of the early minutes. Since Endō has been fully up to speed, their game time has been almost entirely dictated by availability.

Essentially, then, even though injuries elsewhere forced the matter, Klopp seized one of the few realistic chances to start a healthy and productive Endō and Mac Allister together. Even though it didn’t bring out the best in the Argentine, the manager should still exercise patience.

The difficulties of playing number eight in the Liverpool system are something Mac Allister nearly has to relearn. It’s unreasonable to anticipate that he will suddenly have enormous impact. Though he was most likely signed to play a slightly more forward role than that, he has demonstrated at past teams that he can be that Thiago figure, and in the end, he might stand to gain from Endō’s strong platform behind him.

While Klopp may still choose to use one or the other in specific games, it would be premature to write them off as a team. Although Endō isn’t Liverpool 2.0’s long-term answer, it’s likely that the following manager will want a specialist number six to fill that position. If so, it would be unfortunate if Mac Allister was forced to the bench.