I’d say he nails down everything that is wrong with Origi and why he hasn’t become a top class player. He had all the physical tools and a lot of skill.
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Yeah I sort of agree, though I wouldn’t necessarily dramatize that he has the tools to become a top class player. But a pretty good one, or certainly better than he showed so far, yes. I think he’d either play more or be gone for a while now if even his ceiling was higher than it probably is.
I really liked him as a transfer and talent back for a not so good Liverpool side in 2015 and 2016. Looked like a very good talent, nice catch for us at a very good price, too. Although we can’t judge everything on a few good moments in WC14, I don’t know who watched enough of his Lille performances, that were mostly as a wide forward if I remember well.
But that’s also a long, long time ago since he showed some promise early under Klopp at different stages in his first two seasons with us.
We went up a few levels, he remained more or less where he was.
It’s not all about numbers, goals, cult goals. You need to show a rounder performance, put your skills in a little package and show it on more consistent basis in order to merit more and more game time. And then as a result, he’d probably score more goals.
That’s my problem with him, I’d dare to say f*ck goals, but please can you put the few good things you have together, realize a little bit more what the team around you needs and provide it. Klopp mentioned it already after a few games with him, that he needs to stretch those legs and make offers in behind. That could’ve been one of the ways.
I don’t think he’s a bad egg or something, but perhaps he’s also not a big trier and it happens. When you’re one of Europe’s best side, it’s hard to “get rid” of players. This season is really an extra (seems like he had a few of those, but this season especially), Klopp basically admitted that we didn’t count on him anymore last summer, but couldn’t find a buyer.
So I don’t think we need to exaggerate and make it as if only he tried more, he’d be top class, but it’s just that for a while now, regardless of a few good moments/periods, it’s time for the two parties to move on.
He really needs to step up now, because it’s the only way he helps himself and everyone. Hopefully we can sell him well enough next summer.
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I’ve noticed that his career seems to go in 3-season cycles, with one eye-catching one, one where the numbers are good, and then one where he just seems to disappear. In 2014-15, we had already signed him but loaned him back to Lille, where he had an anonymous season. In 2015-16, he had a good run towards the end of the season, contributing valuable goals. In 2016-17, he had a reduced role, but still good numbers. He then gets loaned out to Wolfsburg for 2017-18, where he was pretty rubbish by all accounts. Comes back for 2018-19, makes a splash, and still makes a decent contribution for 2019-20. He then disappears for 2020-21.
I would say he can do that, and definitely his games this season thus far he’s shown the right signs. What is utterly frustrating however, is the complete lack of consistency. It’s almost as if he only manages to put it all together every once in a while, what he ought to be doing on the pitch. I don’t think it’s from lack of trying, and to be fair to him, it’s quite hard when you don’t get a consistent run in the team, to be able to fit in with the rest. He’s also the odd one out in terms of attributes, especially with his relatively slower acceleration/agility, meaning he’s never going to press as well as the rest.
I think the biggest problem with his career here has to be that he plays within himself. Football is a team game, but one as quiet as himself is going to be less in sync with the rest of the team, and less able to inject his own individual abilities. Is it any wonder that combined with his inconsistency, his lack of visible activity, looking like he’s trying hard (no matter how hard he actually is working), he’s not getting much love from fans? He’s almost too cerebral to be a footballer, stylistically. I don’t know if he’ll do better at a smaller club, or a lower level. He’s quite clearly got the ability to play at this level, but not the consistency, and that will hardly change at a lower level. His temperament is not going to endear himself to fans there.
The very fact that Verhayen suggests that he doesn’t try to score more or do more or symptomatic of this problem of appearances. Origi when we’re 9-0 up will look very much the same as Origi when we’re 3-0 down. When he scored the first goal against Barcelona, he barely celebrated and just went to restart the game. When he scored that winner against Everton he did very much the same. He just never appears to be trying harder than he already is, no matter how hard he might actually be working. Even when he’s scored 2 or more, he always looks like he’s just doing the same as he was before, never changing. But I think that’s what makes him valuable in those moments when everyone’s losing their heads and pushing hard for more. Put someone else in his position for that immortal 4th goal, and I don’t think they score. He’s just not playing the same game. He looks very much the same against Lincoln City in the League Cup as he does against Barcelona in the Champions League for that same reason. I think he goes onto the pitch with a focus that no one else possesses, with a set idea of what he should be doing on the pitch before he even gets on there. However, that also means that if he doesn’t start well, it won’t be easy for him to change that either.
To be precise, no one met our asking price. It was the manager’s opinion that it wasn’t a good situation for the player, since he’s at an age where he should be entering his prime, but he’s nowhere close to getting regular games, but that he was better than what the summer showed. So, we could have “gotten rid” of him if we really wanted, but in the end, it simply didn’t make sense. I think he can definitely still be very useful for us, just that at the moment, he’s at best going to just about make it off the bench.
I don’t think his career with us is necessarily over yet however, he’s certainly made it back from the brink with us before. So far this season, he’s had a combined total of 93 minutes in the League and Champions League, scoring once and assisting once. 4 of those minutes came in 2 appearances, where few players could probably do much more than that, so it’s not outside the realms of possibility that he has more to contribute. The question I’d say is, can he finally find his consistency, and will he be able to compensate for his shortcomings to fit better into our team? I’d even go so far as to argue that if he can do some of that when he gets a run in the team, particularly given his opportunities now that Firmino is out for a while, and we’re expected to lose Salah for the Arab Cup as well as AFCON, then he might yet somehow pull it out of the bag again.
Which brings me to my final point. I think to see him through the lens of other footballers would be quite a mistake. Whereas Salah chose to leave Chelsea in order to get more playing time, if I recall correctly, Origi actually chose to stay here to fight for his place despite having the opportunity to leave. He looks comfortable playing the long game here, and I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of him staying with us a little longer yet. I think I remember something which mentioned Martinez telling him last January that he needed to leave us if he wanted to play for Belgium. He didn’t force a move, so I can only presume his ambitions still lie with us yet. No matter whether that pans out for him or not, I hope whatever the outcome is benefits us.
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Funny how nobody asked Klopp nor he mentioned anything about Origi pre/post Arsenal and he was obviously missing after his little(?) injury with Belgium.
Might be he was in contact with KDB.
That’s so sad. He certainly would have started against Porto. Is he self-isolating, in that case he can’t expected before December.
Oh yeah, sorry completely forgot about Kevin. Good notice. But hopefully it still doesn’t mean Origi’s injured.
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I can’t remember who said it before the game - it was one of the reliable journos or maybe even the official club Twitter account - that Origi missed out because of illness. Obviously, they didn’t want to confirm or deny whether it was COVID-related.
Club’s Twitter account when announcing the line-up.
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He definitely limped off during the Wales game after one of his infamous 5 minute sit downs in the centre circle.
May have been just a niggle I guess.
Martinez said it was nothing serious, just a dead leg.
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Ah cheers. I wasn’t aware of that.
It bugs me that he does these centre circle sit down protests though
Yeah I saw it was illness somewhere the PL injuries website has him as possible for this game
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Best finisher in the world!!!
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Price is going up Newcastle. Get your bid in soon!
100th substitute appearance for us, marks it with another crucial goal.
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Brilliant Div.
As he has been used a bit lately from the bench, he has come in and shown some hunger, strength, pace, desire.
For years we’ve all known the score. He has all the tools and physical attributes to be world class. But so many times we have seen him go through the motions, to the point that most of us have thought a new start elsewhere would be best for all concerned.
And then he does this and gets the winner in a tight game against Wolves.
Enigma. But he’s our enigma.
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Wolves away, ideal for them to come and buy our little cult hero.
Perfect.
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