Former Ireland international Kenny Cunningham has come under fire from Liverpool fans for comments he made about their defensive midfielder, Wataru Endo, and their fullback, Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Endo, a Japanese international, was signed from the German club Stuttgart for a fee of about £16.2 million (19 million euros) in the summer and has been quietly going about his business in a red shirt since making his debut.
The 30-year-old has been playing without being excellent for Liverpool and was once again on the winning side when Liverpool beat Burnley 2-0 this week.Goals from Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez ensured that Liverpool stayed on top of the Premier League.
However, there was a moment in the second half where he passed the ball to a Burnley player, and it almost cost them a goal.
Some fans have not warmed to Endo at all, while others have taken the Japanese native for what he is: an able deputy.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is also a much-maligned defender for his displays that never seem to escape the spotlight when it comes to his defending, was also picked out for his approach to games. However, he is one of the best players in the league when it comes to going forward.
Former Ireland players Kenny Cunningham and Damien Delaney were on commentary duties for the game on Premier Sports. It was Cunningham, who admitted that he was less than impressed by Liverpool's duo of Wataru Endo and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The former Ireland man said that he believed that both players will have their weaknesses exposed over the course of the season and that getting by isn't good enough for Jurgen Klopp's side.
What a season @wataru0209 is having 👏
One of the signings of the season!🇯🇵❤️ pic.twitter.com/XlW8JBuX3E
— Anything Liverpool (@AnythingLFC_) December 26, 2023
"It's not good enough to get you through the season. It's not enough for Trent Alexander-Arnold not to defend in one-on-one situations 30 yards from his own goal. It's these kinds of situations that get exposed over the course of the season. There's a lot of positives for that Liverpool team in terms of the journey they're on, but at the moment, in terms of the balance of that team and the quality of that team, it just isn't good enough. I think they're short," he said on Premier Sport.
"Over the course of the season, they will be exposed."
Fans on social media leapt to both players' defences and slammed Cunningham for his comments.
"There are some clowns and pundits on TV, but Kenny Cunningham is most likely at the top of the list," said one user on X. Another said, "F** me, Kenny Cunningham has to be the worst, saying Endo almost cost us the game and Trent had a bad game defending. Burnley had 0 shots on target."
Klopp also defended his player and admitted that he liked what he saw from the Japanese captain at Turf Moor.
“I loved his game, I have to say. It’s a bit of a shame he found his feet, and now he goes to the Asian Cup. That’s how it is; it’s fine. What a boy, what a player! Very important, but in January, we have to play more or less without him."
Liverpool play Newcastle on Monday night.
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