‘He has to think…’ – Nicol urges Slot to hand one Liverpool player a rare start v Bournemouth | OneFootball

Steve Nicol has urged Arne Slot to hand a start to one Liverpool player who was often overlooked last season when the Reds begin the defence of their Premier League title on Friday.

The champions kick off their top-flight campaign with a home clash against Bournemouth, in which they’ll be seeking to shake off any lingering frustration over the penalty shootout defeat to Crystal Palace in the Community Shield at the weekend.

However, the Merseysiders will be without Ryan Gravenberch for the clash against the Cherries, with the 23-year-old suspended after his red card on the final day of the 2024/25 Premier League season. The Dutchman also missed the game at Wembley on Sunday after his partner gave birth the night before.

Nicol calls for Endo to start against Bournemouth

In the enforced absence of Liverpool’s number 38, Nicol has called for Wataru Endo to start at the base of our midfield on Friday night in order to combat the threat of being caught on the counterattack, something with which the Reds struggled in pre-season games and in the Community Shield.

Speaking on ESPN FC, the pundit said: “Sometimes you’re missed when you’re not there. Gravenberch doesn’t get as much credit as he should. He’s suspended for the start of the season, so he [Slot] has to think about starting Endo.

“A lot of the problems they had on the counter that Palace gave them, when they turned it over, there was nobody there to stop anybody. That is going to be a concern for them.”

Nicol continued: “The fact that Gravenberch will not start the season, [Slot] has to maybe rethink defensively instead of going all guns blazing with all these forwards he’s signed. Just cool your jets and think about the defensive side of the game.”

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Should Endo start in the absence of Gravenberch?

Endo was handed just one Premier League start last season (against Chelsea after the title had already been won) – could he conceivably equal that tally in the very first match of 2025/26?

Nicol is right in saying that Gravenberch was sorely missed in the Community Shield, with Liverpool far too easy to infiltrate in his absence, and the Japan captain would be the obvious candidate for selection if Slot wants to go with more of a belts-and-braces approach on Friday.

Alexis Mac Allister should come back into the starting line-up against Bournemouth (having had 20 minutes as a substitute at Wembley on Sunday), and that could give the Reds a bit more protection in the middle third, with him and the Dutchman forming an imperious axis over the past 12 months.

Our hunch is that Slot will go with an enterprising line-up against the Cherries, especially at Anfield, in the hope that – similar to this fixture last season – our substantial firepower can make sure of the win with plenty of time to spare, thus allowing for more defensive players like Endo to be brought on and help close out the game.

However, there’s definitely merit to Nicol’s pleas for our number 3 to start on Friday, particularly in the absence of Gravenberch, whose red card against Palace in May mattered little at the time but could yet have serious implications if we fail to secure three points in our 2025/26 Premier League opener.