LILLE, FRANCE - Thursday, October 23, 2014: Lille OSC's Divock Origi in action against Everton during the UEFA Europa League Group H match at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

LFC Loan Watch: Origi Struggles Continue, Wisdom Dropped, Ojo Impresses and Moyes wants Ilori

We round up how the loaned members of the Liverpool squad have performed for their temporary clubs over recent weeks – a time of mixed fortunes for the loanees.

LILLE, FRANCE - Thursday, October 23, 2014: Lille OSC's Divock Origi in action against Everton during the UEFA Europa League Group H match at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Divock Origi

Liverpool’s £10 million man continues to endure a tough time at Lille where the Belgian still hasn’t scored a Ligue 1 goal since October.

His form has become of increasing concern to the French side – something boss Rene Girard blamed on the Reds in a recent press conference where he claimed the Belgian’s head is already at Liverpool – and having registered just one assist during the same period, Origi has been subjected to more boos from the fans – most recently against Lyon on Saturday despite a 2-1 win.

Having been a key figure in the side for most of the season however, Girard – who says the 19-year-old “is not giving his all” at the mid-table side – has used Origi more sparingly in recent weeks, with the loaned man being used off the bench mostly – completing 90 minutes only twice in his last six matches.

 

Andre Wisdom

The 21-year-old defender had been a nailed on starter for West Brom at right back since joining on loan in the summer, but recently has seen a worrying down turn in match action following Tony Pulis’ arrival.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, August 27, 2013: Liverpool's Andre Wisdom in action against Notts County during the Football League Cup 2nd Round match at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Wisdom started all but one of the first 23 league games – left out only for the match at Anfield due to being ineligible to feature – but since a 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham at the end of January that saw the right-back hauled off on the hour mark, the Reds loanee hasn’t played a single minute of Premier League action.

The last four matches have seen the natural centre back remain an unused substitute for Pulis’ side – with the improved Baggies picking up two wins and two draws – and those results have significantly eased Albion’s relegation fears and are likely to result in Wisdom staying amongst the substitutes for a while longer.

 

Joao Carlos Teixeira

Since featuring only once in January, the Portuguese play-maker has enjoyed a much more prominent role for Championship outfit, Brighton.

The 22-year-old midfielder has bagged two goals in his last five appearances alongside picking up two Man of the Match awards for his impressive displays in a 2-0 win over Leeds and 4-3 victory against Birmingham, and after a period of sporadic action, Teixeira has now cemented his place back in the Seagulls’ starting XI.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJFiCCWcwkc

https://twitter.com/BrightonFanbase/status/569185707949989889

Now under the guidance of Chris Hughton, a revitalised Teixeira – who has featured mainly in the number 10 role – has also completed full matches in four of the last six Championship fixtures, and has enjoyed better form as a result of his increased match minutes – seeing in him take his tally to six goals and three assists in 21 appearances.

 

Sheyi Ojo

Since joining at the beginning of February, the highly-rated prospect has enjoyed an impressive opening month on loan at relegation threatened Championship side Wigan.

https://twitter.com/sheyi_ojo/status/568905657103065088

Ojo – who has played both on the right and left side of midfield since joining Malky Mackay’s team – claimed two Man of the Match awards despite his side being on the wrong end of results, and grabbed an assist for a winning goal against Reading, all in his first three appearances at the DW Stadium – a remarkable feat for someone of only 17 years of age.

The talented youngster has featured six times so far – four starts and two substitute appearances – and has provided a ray of light in a miserable season for the FA Cup winners of two years ago, who already sit nine points adrift of safety in second bottom and face a huge task to survive the drop.

https://twitter.com/LFC_reserves/status/568846288885846016

 

Luis Alberto

The Spanish attacking midfielder has endured a frustrating season at Malaga since his move, and his mixed fortunes continue to rumble on at Estadio La Rosaleda.

After showing signs of improved form and consequently enjoying increased amounts of game time in January – Alberto has disappointingly failed to feature throughout February in La Liga, being left out of match-day involvement too for the most part by manager Javi Gracia.

The 22-year-old did make the bench for the seventh placed side last weekend in their 3-2 victory over Getafe however, but that is where he remained for the 90 minutes as he was an unused substitute for the duration.

This season the creative Spaniard has made only eight starts in all competitions, scoring two goals and grabbing a single assist.

 

Iago Aspas

Having finally started to translate his fine form in cup and European competition to La Liga in January for Sevilla, Aspas picked up an untimely injury.

The thigh problem sustained has seen the 27-year-old striker side-lined for almost a month so far, meaning the Reds loaned man has been unable to feature for Unai Emrey’s team since starting just his second league match of the season against Getafe on February 8th following scoring in back-to-back games against Espanyol and Real Madrid.

Liverpool’s £7million signing continues to be ruled out by the injury, but will be hopeful of returning to the team to add to his healthy tally of 10 goals scored in all competitions so far this campaign.

 

Sebastian Coates

A frustrating loan spell coming back from injury for the Uruguayan continues to see his match action limited at the Stadium of Light.

The 24-year-old hasn’t played a single minute of Premier League football since Sunderland’s 3-2 defeat against Man City on New Years’ Day and has only featured twice since the turn of the year – both times in the FA Cup in a 1-0 win against Leeds and 0-0 stalemate with Championship strugglers, Fulham.

Coates completed 90 minutes on both of those occasions, but is clearly viewed as no more than a back-up option behind John O’Shea, Wes Brown and Santiago Vergini by Black Cats’ boss Gus Poyet,

 

Tiago Ilori

Featuring for Bordeaux’s reserve team on occasions, Ilori failed to play a single minute in 13 league matches dating back to October before regaining his place in the team in more recent times.

The recently turned 22-year-old played three consecutive games for Willy Sagnol’s side from the beginning of February – helping them claim seven points from nine keeping two clean sheets in the process – but despite his positive contribution, he has once again disappointingly been dropped from the first team since the final of those games against Saint Etienne on 15th of last month.

The Portuguese centre back’s form over the three games in which he featured is said to have impressed former Everton and Man United boss David Moyes however, with a small number of reports since emerging that the Real Sociedad boss is keen on signing the pacey defender in a potential cut-price summer transfer.

 

Rafa Paez

After a spell at Serie B side Bologna for the first half of the season where Paez appeared 15 times, the Reds’ under-21 defender was set to switch clubs in January to join Spanish Primera Division side Eibar for the rest of the campaign.

However, the proposed move to the Spanish top-flight team was blocked by FIFA following an “administrative error” as reported by ESPN, resulting in Eibar launching an appeal for the transfer to be finalised after the mistake was corrected, and the Spanish defender being unable to feature for his new side.

As a result of the blocked move, Paez – who continues to train with the club – hasn’t played a single minute of competitive action since January 24th – a 2-1 win over Virtus Entella in his final appearance for previous employers Bologna.