Liverpool striker, Divock Origi has expressed his frustrations with first-team playing time, during this international break.
It is no surprise that Liverpool lack a true striking force, besides Sadio Mane. Sure, Mane is great but at times he can be inconsistent. So, what are the Reds to do? Well the answer this season has not been Divock Origi.
Origi looks lost and flat in his performances, only scoring 4 goals in 25 appearances. According to Squawka, his performance score is lover the Daniel Sturridge’s. That is not something to overlook, Sturridge has only made 14 appearances for Liverpool this season, scoring only 2 goals.
Klopp has simply moved away from these two strikers, Sturridge because of lack of effort and injury, and Origi because he just hasn’t been that good. This results in both forward ridding the Reds bench.
Origi Speaks Out
This is probably why Origi has recently spoken out regarding his frustrations with Klopp and first-team playing time.
Origi told Ian Holyman, “It’s very frustrating not to often have had the chance to show what I can do. But I believe in myself and I know very well I have the qualities even if they aren’t immediately apparent to the coach, whose decisions I respect.”
Last year Origi debuted with the first-team, playing in 12 Europa League matches and 16 Premier League matches. Overall, Origi scored 7 goals across both competitions, showing great promise.
Klopp and the Reds have been strapped by the lack of international competition this season, leaving the squad with a limited number of matches to go around. In addition, Liverpool suffered from some “must win matches” in December and January, where Klopp chose to put forward his strongest eleven.
Origi went on to say, “For the moment, I’m focused on Liverpool. I try to show my qualities when the coach puts me in. I think I’ve done that well up to now.
This is encouraging because down the stretch Liverpool need focus from all their players, especially those responsible for the Reds potent attack. The Reds are still on the verge of losing out on European competition next season and need to be top-notch the rest of the way.
I applaud Origi for his honesty, but he has not been stellar this season. Maybe it is a sophomore slump or maybe he is not all he was cracked up to be last season; only time will tell.
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