16 Sept 2015

It's Official: Rodgers confirms £28m Liverpool-duo 'will' definitely 'start' against Bordeaux. Good News?

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers usually keeps team news close to his chest, and rarely reveals important details about line-up formation pre-game. Today, though broken with tradition to publicly confirm two members of his starting XI for Thursday's Europa League clash with Bordeaux.

In his pre-match press conference today, Rodgers told reporters:

"Divock Origi [Cost: £10m] will play tomorrow night and I’m sure he will show his attributes".

Rodgers also added:

"After the international break, Sakho [Cost: £18m] was always going to be needed. We won the first few games so it was difficult for him to get in the team. He will start [against Bordeaux]".

If Origi is starting, that probably means that Ings will be on the bench yet again...unless, of course, Rodgers plays two up-front.

If Ings plays, it's more likely, however, that Rodgers will play Ings on the left again, which - as the Man United game showed - is a total waste of the striker's talent.

Playing against Bordeaux will be a bit of a Busman's holiday for Origi. The Belgian spent last season on-loan in Ligue One, and lined-up against Les Girondins no less than three times.

Origi has been granted only 16 minutes of pitch time so far this season (hardly good preparation for an important European game), and Rodgers has put him under pressure to perform by claiming that he's 'sure' that Origi will 'show his attributes'.

Origi needs to take his chance, but to be brutally honest, there's no real motivation for the Belgian to bust a gut. Even if he scores two goals, Rodgers will probably drop him for the next to make way for Christian Benteke.

Given Benteke's price-tag (and wondergoal against Man United), it's understandable why he'd come straight back into the team, but players should also have a chance of staying in the team on merit, and under Rodgers' current system, that won't be possible, especially with Lallana and Coutinho available again.

I wouldn't expect too much from Origi, though. He'll probably be isolated up-front, and he failed to score/create a goal in three games against Bordeaux last season.

Author: Jaimie K


0 Comments:

Post a Comment