View: Tyler Morton is facing a long road to the Liverpool first team after what he did for England U21s
Tyler Morton has a long way to go before he will be considered for the Liverpool first team after an underwhelming performance for England U21s in the 2-1 win against Ukraine.
The 21-year-old lined up alongside Liverpool teammate Jarell Quansah at the Vitality Stadium on Friday [11 October] and ultimately lost the midfield battle wherein his side were the heavy favourites to come out on top.
Morton was linked with a permanent move away from Anfield all summer after his performances on loan at Hull City, and the Reds turned down a late approach from Bayer Leverkusen in favour of retaining the midfielder.
One cameo appearance later in the 5-1 Carabao Cup win against West Ham United, Morton is nowhere near challenging for a spot in the first team, and if his international performances are any indication, his situation at the Reds is likely to persist.
Tyler Morton has a lot to prove at Liverpool
While his impressive displays in the Championship last term provided a solid foundation to build on this year, it hasn’t quite worked out to plan for Morton.
The resurgence of Ryan Gravenberch under Arne Slot as the anchor to the Reds midfield has presented an immovable obstacle in his path, the Dutchman has been sensational at Anfield this season thus far and justified the club’s refusal to move for alternative defensive midfield targets after the collapsed move for Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi.
Wataru Endo stands in the England U21 international’s way. The 31-year-old has also seen a dramatic loss in minutes on the pitch but, as it stands, is considered a more capable deputy to Gravenberch.
To say Morton was underwhelming against Ukraine is an understatement. As per Sofascore, he lost 71.43 per cent of his duels, was unsuccessful with two crossing attempts, lost possession 11 times, and was dribbled past twice on the night.
With a difficult run of fixtures ahead for the Reds, if Morton cannot perform in the U21s, against inferior opposition, what chance does he stand of getting minutes against the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Real Madrid in the coming weeks?
There is a reason Slot opted to keep the midfielder at Anfield despite the interest this summer and it is time for him to start showing his promise, otherwise the likelihood will be he is shown the door in January.
He needs to start fighting for his Liverpool future.
In other Liverpool news, Ian Wright reacts to a ‘crazy’ Liverpool update on Trent Alexander-Arnold.
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