Stephen Warnock has told BBC Radio 5 Live (03/11/20 at 7:40 pm) that Divock Origi is ‘not at the level’ of his Liverpool teammates Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Jota.
His comments came before Liverpool ran riot in the Champions League last night, as he was discussing Jota now providing, from the bench, Jurgen Klopp with the level of quality associated with their starting front three.
In recent years, Liverpool’s forward line has been an unmovable, destructive and technically-gifted force, which needed some competition from the bench.
Well, that competition has been coming in the form of summer signing Jota, who netted a hat-trick against Atalanta as the champions of England scored five, and Warnock pointed out ‘without being disrespectful’ how it doesn’t bode well for Origi.
“This [Jota performances] has now given the option of the quality is there,” said Warnock. “When you do rest a player and you say ‘who steps into that number nine’, well now there’s an option and a really good strong option.
“Without being disrespectful to Origi, I think a lot of Liverpool fans, supporters and punters around would say ‘he’s not at the level’ of those front three and Jota gives them that level.”
Origi, who was purchased for £10 million from Lille in 2014 [BBC Sport], was on the bench for Liverpool against Atalanta and he usually would be a player Klopp would use when he’s looking to rest his front three.
But getting back into that starting XI, even for games when Klopp will rest players, could prove to be even more difficult for the Belgian because a certain Firmino now finds himself as a back-up.
The Reds are due to face Manchester City at the weekend and given the destructive form Jota is in, he surely now has to keep his place in the starting XI because those on Merseyside have found a new hero to cheer.
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