Why Dropping Down to the Liverpool Under-23s Would Benefit Divock Origi's Career
"I want to play and be the decisive player that I was last season," Divock Origi told Belgian outlet HLN (h/t Sky Sports) while on duty with Roberto Martinez's Belgium squad this month—highlighting a key challenge facing him as Liverpool embark on what is proving to be a positive season under Jurgen Klopp.
Origi, who scored 10 goals and laid on a further three assists in 34 appearances in his first campaign with the Reds in 2015/16, finds himself on the periphery as Klopp prepares his side for their next outing, at home to Manchester United on October 17.
The 21-year-old has made just two starts for Liverpool in 2016/17 so far, along with a further five substitute appearances, averaging 39.3 minutes per appearance—and when compared to his average of 49.7 minutes per game last season, it is clear his opportunities have dwindled over the summer.
When he has been called upon in the Premier League, such as with his longest appearance so far, a 33-minute cameo against Chelsea in September, he has struggled to make a mark—creating no chances and hitting just one shot on target at Stamford Bridge; snatching at opportunities and running into blind alleys.
Both Daniel Sturridge (three) and Roberto Firmino (five) have made more starts leading the line than Origi this season, with the former Lille star dropping down the pecking order after a busy summer at the UEFA European Championship in France.
"A manager never changes his winning team," Origi, speaking with refreshing pragmatism, continued on his current predicament. "[But] it does not matter to me. Klopp believes in me and says I have to be patient."
The notion of patience is key, but while this could suggest Origi is willing to sit on the substitutes' bench, waiting for his chance and dutifully turning out in the starting lineup against Championship sides in the EFL Cup, a revamp in English football's developmental system presents another approach.
In order to return to the "decisive" No. 9 who scored in both legs of last season's UEFA Europa League quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund, Origi and Klopp would be wise to consider a step down the ranks, as lining up for the Liverpool Under-23s this autumn could be the boost his career needs.
The introduction of the new Premier League 2 setup has provided clubs with further options when both utilising their academy players and providing their first-team talent with valuable game time after injury or due to competition in the senior ranks.
Replacing the Under-21 Premier League, this new format boosts the age limit for players included to 23, as well as allowing three overage outfield players and a goalkeeper, with some fixtures played at first-team stadiums.
As the Premier League explained on its announcement, this was designed to have "a greater focus on technicality, physicality and intensity to bring players as close to first-team experience as possible."
While it can be argued that this restricts opportunities for young players, with some under-23 managers more inclined to employ first-team stars when possible, by the same token, it can be argued that performing alongside and against players with top-level experience can provide a more productive challenge.
Already this season, Swansea City regulars Ki Sung-Yueng and Neil Taylor, West Bromwich Albion stalwart Chris Brunt and Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam have featured in Premier League 2, with its oldest outfield player so far being a 36-year-old Wes Brown, shortly before completing his move to Blackburn Rovers.
Arguably most notable, however, has been Liverpool's use of the new league, with Andre Wisdom (23), Lucas Leiva (29), Tiago Ilori (23), Kevin Stewart (23) and Danny Ings (24) all featuring so far, while Liverpool Under-23s manager Michael Beale has also called upon Mamadou Sakho (26) in cup competitions.
While this has largely been as players, such as Lucas, work their way back from injury or, in Wisdom, Ilori and Sakho's case, find a home outside the first-team squad, Beale fielding Stewart and Ings on a regular basis in Premier League 2 has been an intriguing development.
Both have played in three of the under-23s' six games, with Ings' performances in Premier League 2—scoring four goals at an average of one goal every 67.5 minutes—particularly fruitful; the England international, on the fringes of Klopp's squad after an ACL injury suffered 12 months ago, is now looking close to full fitness.
Ings most recently scored a hat-trick for the under-23s in their 3-0 Premier League Cup win over Ipswich Town at the start of October, with the Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle describing his display as a "timely reminder" of his quality.
So with Ings pushing for a first-team berth with his overwhelming performances at under-23 level, would a straight swap between the in-form ex-Burnley man and the admirably "patient" Origi be sensible at this stage?
As Origi's consummate displays against lower-level opposition in the EFL Cup have proved already this season, the lofty striker would likely excel in Premier League 2—his speed, strength and predatory instinct making him more than a match for defences still in their embryonic stages.
Origi struck against both Burton Albion and Derby County as Klopp shuffled his pack, but as his comments on restoring his status as a "decisive player" suggest, the 21-year-old feels this isn't enough.
Primarily, taking a step down to the Liverpool Under-23s would provide Origi with the same opportunity to restore both fitness and confidence that the Reds coaching staff handed Ings at the start of the campaign—and with Beale's tactics often mirroring Klopp's, Ings could continue to adapt to the demands imposed on him at first-team level.
Furthermore, with rivals Manchester United (October 18), Everton (October 23) and Manchester City (October 28) all pitting their under-23 sides against Liverpool in the Reds' next three fixtures in the space of 10 days, the intensity levels are unlikely to drop below the standard required to find the "rhythm" Klopp said was lacking in Origi's performances back in August, as reported by Goal.com.
"He needs to find that rhythm again. He is so skilled, but he needs to use them all in the right moment," the German told reporters ahead of Origi's first start of the season against Burton. "He is not a very experienced player, he needs to sort all of his skills."
However, with this approach still something of a departure for Liverpool, this is far from a foolproof remedy—as exploring the overage players used in the under-21s last season shows:
- Tiago Ilori (22): eight U21 league appearances
- Joao Carlos Teixeira (22): seven U21 league appearances
- Jose Enrique (29): six U21 league appearances
- Adam Bogdan (27): six U21 league appearances
- Jon Flanagan (22): three U21 league appearances
- Steven Caulker (23): two U21 league appearances
- Martin Skrtel (30): one U21 league appearance
Of those seven players, only Ilori is still at the club in 2016/17, with Teixiera, Enrique, Caulker and Skrtel having left on permanent deals and Bogdan and Flanagan out on loan—and Ilori's demotion to the under-23s this season highlights his standing under Klopp, who moved to find him a new club in the summer.
Furthermore, Origi's solitary appearance for the under-21s last season, in a 2-0 defeat to Sunderland in February, saw Beale tell the Liverpool Echo's Paul Philbin he had witnessed "probably the weakest performance I’ve seen from a Liverpool under-21 side for a long, long time."
But as Ings will no doubt attest, playing regular football for the under-23s in the new, more competitive Premier League 2 system is more valuable in developing rhythm and skill than warming the substitutes' bench at White Hart Lane, Stamford Bridge and Anfield.
At present, Origi runs the risk of stagnating, despite his vast potential as a top-level striker, and gaining experience in Premier League 2 could be the jolt he requires to break back into Klopp's first team and challenge Firmino and Sturridge for a starting role in the English top flight.
Jack Lusby will be covering Liverpool throughout 2016/17 as one of Bleacher Report's lead correspondents. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted; statistics via Transfermarkt.co.uk.
Follow Jack on Twitter @jacklusby_ and Facebook here.
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