The Rise of Divock Origi

There is often a discussion amongst Liverpool fans about what to do with the striking/forward position. Daniel Sturridge is often cited as being the present and future of the position at Liverpool. But injuries have really soured Sturridge on the minds of many Liverpool fans. If he can not stay on the pitch, how can he reach the flashes he has shown, when he can not stay healthy? The question then turns to recent a questions of Danny Ings and Christian Benteke. Ings has been sidelined with a injury for most of the year and I do not know how he will fit into Klopp's system. Benteke has shown that he can show up in big moments(Hi Crystal Palace), but he has shown that he does not fit Klopp's system. Now with reports of Klopp ignoring Benteke, the big Belgian appears to be out of Liverpool. So who is left? Well Liverpool's answer may reside in a young 20 year old.

Origi's natural position is attacking mid/ forward. Klopp, especially when Sturridge was injured, likes to play him at striker. Origi's stats on paper do not merit the praise that I am going to heap upon him. After all in 13 appearances across all competitions, Origi only has 5 goals. His match rating in those competitions comes to a mere 6.44. Possession  of the ball has always been an area of concern for Origi. Any Liverpool fan knows that frustration of watching Origi give up possession in the final third. In addition he was injured this season. Of course most of this can be blamed on his age, he is only 20. Plus his lack of game experience due to the manager's choice or an injury. So what makes me say that Origi is the future at the striking position? Well the answer resides in the manager.

When Liverpool hired Jurgen Klopp this year, every fan had one singular hope. That Klopp's play style would be the opposite of Rogers. Where as Rogers' style when Suarez departed for Barcelona became possession, counter attacking and quite boring. Jurgen Klopp on the other hand was going to bring his famous Gegenpressing to Liverpool. The question was did Liverpool have the personnel to fit Klopp's system? Certainly Benteke did not. While the Belgian may be a big force to handle, he certainly does not have the speed or agility to fit the gegenpress that Klopp is so keen on running. This is why a I do not think Ings fits the system all that well. Yes, he is quicker than Benteke, but coming off a serious ACL injury and rehab, he will have lost some agility. Enter Origi. 

He has the speed and agility to cause pressure that wear defenses down. Yes on paper his stats do not leap out. In fact they are quite mediocre. However, not all of football/soccer can be determined by metrics or on paper. The eye test must play an important factor in determining the success of a club and player. Under Klopp, Origi has shined. He has seen an increase in his passing accuracy increase. Yes, he still struggles with placing the ball on target, in fact he trails Sturridge and Benteke in this category, yet he has created more opportunities under Klopp. Origi has more assists under Klopp than he did under Rogers this season. But it what the stats do not show that has me excited for Origi's future. His pace and agility have made him a nightmare for defenders. Consider the Crystal Palace game. On paper Origi was poor, but it was the pressure he created on Palace keeper Alex McCarthy, that caused the keeper to meekly kick the ball to the feet of Firmino who would put it into the net. It was his pace that wore the Palace defenders down and helped Benteke score his goal that won the game. Also consider that Origi scored a goal a mere 35 seconds into his appearance vs Aston Villa. He has shown flashes of brilliance in the new system. 

I am not saying that Liverpool should not pursue another striker/forward in the summer transfer window. On the contrary, I firmly believe that Liverpool need to pursue one. However, I do think Origi needs to be one of the nucleus of the club and see more playing time than Ings and Benteke. Hell maybe Klopp moves the youngster around next season. But now Klopp has his prototype player on Liverpool. All Origi needs is another year in Klopp's system and the fans with be singing songs about him.