WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - Saturday, December 4, 2021: Liverpool's Divock Origi celebrates after scoring an injury time winning goal during the FA Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and Liverpool FC at Molineux Stadium. Liverpool won 1-0. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

The marvel of Divock Origi and the value of a narrow win to Liverpool

I think we all know that Jurgen Klopp enjoys a Liverpool goal, but I’m not sure that he’s ever enjoyed one quite like Divock Origi’s winner at Molineux…

A game that was in danger of becoming a case of ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’, after Liverpool had swept Everton aside in midweek, frustration was very much the flavour of this one for 93 minutes – until our Divock produced yet another piece of that beautifully weird voodoo of his.

The value of Origi to Liverpool FC is immeasurable.

Not in terms of a transfer fee, but just for the simple well-being of the club and the feel-good factor he engenders, a man that Klopp referred to as a legend in his round of post-match interviews.

As emotional and passionate a man as Klopp is, he always seems to be in the most consummate control of himself.

Yet after the events of the 94th minute away to Wolves, he struck the vision of a man that had been blown away, in the most joyous of manners.

2H95FTW Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Divock Origi celebrate after the Premier League match at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton. Picture date: Saturday December 4, 2021.

There was a candid inner-thinking on offer from Klopp as he spoke; there was an open honesty that Origi deserves, the type of public assessment that perhaps no other player at the club would be afforded, when his manager talked about how he wished that his match-winner would one day play for a manager who would play him more often.

There was a paternal pride in not only the manager’s words, but also within his glistening eyes.

From his days in his homeland, there is the story of a player asking Klopp why he doesn’t get more games, only to be informed that he doesn’t complain enough.

Essentially, the player was easy to omit from his lineup, because he never kicked off about being left out.

It is undeniably easy for Klopp to omit Origi from his Liverpool lineup, and undoubtedly he clearly isn’t a player that will complain about it.

Yet, he remains utterly priceless to the Liverpool cause.

WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - Saturday, December 4, 2021: Liverpool's Divock Origi celebrates after scoring an injury tinme winning goal during the FA Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and Liverpool FC at Molineux Stadium. Liverpool won 1-0. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

From his laidback nature, to the love his team-mates harbour for him, to his devotion to the club, absolutely everything that filters through about Origi is wrapped in total positivity.

As Klopp said on Saturday, Origi is a legend.

He really has cemented his place within the lore of Liverpool FC. He is both cult hero and traditional all-action hero rolled into one. Marvel should be looking into commissioning a movie about him.

Following in the footsteps of David Fairclough and Ronny Rosenthal, as the man brought in from the cold to save the day occasionally, Origi should cut an at-least-partly dejected figure upon the Liverpool periphery.

This just isn’t the way it is with Origi, though, a man whose position at Liverpool basically cost him a place in the Belgium squad for the Euros and had been a contributary factor in him missing out on a place in their 2018 World Cup squad.

WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - Saturday, December 4, 2021: Liverpool's captain Jordan Henderson is replaced by substitute Divock Origi during the FA Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and Liverpool FC at Molineux Stadium. Liverpool won 1-0. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

None of this has brought Origi crashing down. He just waits patiently to be called upon, and then gives his all when the shout does come. I mentioned it a few weeks back, but Divock very much is that recurring character from a long-running and much-loved television show.

When Origi makes an impact, the imprint takes a long time to fade. He is a glorious conundrum, and we should never want to see the back of him.

Take another look at the moments that surround Liverpool’s winning goal on Saturday, and the rapture of the final whistle.

On the pitch, on the touchline, in the away section.

While we, as supporters, will still be here, year after year, decade after decade, for those managers and players who come and go, some of them willingly, others less so, they will never have as much fun in football as they do with a Liverbird upon their chest, whether we ultimately win as much as we should or not under Klopp. These are the days, my friend.

WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - Saturday, December 4, 2021: Liverpool's Divock Origi celebrates after scoring an injury tinme winning goal during the FA Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and Liverpool FC at Molineux Stadium. Liverpool won 1-0. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

After a spate of collective near-misses, there was something almost formulaic about the match-winning contribution from Origi, considering he has pulled the rabbit out of the hat so many times before.

He offers a punchline that is somehow draped in comedy, on occasions like this, he delivers a punchline that the opposition can almost see coming their way, hopeless to stop it.

It is a footballing version of Ocean’s Eleven, and Origi is our greaseman. He is The Amazing Yen.

It was the most wonderful way to take advantage of Chelsea’s loss in the early kickoff, something we very nearly failed to capitalise upon. This win might just work as another of those springboards, from which we can bounce on through the Christmas period.

WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - Saturday, December 4, 2021: Liverpool's Divock Origi (C) celebrates with team-mates Trent Alexander-Arnold (L) and Mohamed Salah (R) after scoring an injury time winning goal during the FA Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and Liverpool FC at Molineux Stadium. Liverpool won 1-0. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

There is no coincidence that in his pre-match interviews, before his team took to the pitch at Vicarage Road, Pep Guardiola struck the image of a vaguely dejected man, because he knows that the value of a narrow last-minute win can be higher than a dominant 4-0 victory sometimes.

Next up, we dot the I’s and cross the T’s of the Champions League group stage, at the San Siro against old friends Milan, before we welcome Steven Gerrard and his Aston Villa to Anfield, for what will be a surreal occasion.

An interesting week lies in wait, before everything escalates towards the madness of Christmas.