Jürgen Klopp: Divock Origi, Liverpool legend - I love it!
Jürgen Klopp hailed Divock Origi after the forward’s 94th-minute goal gained Liverpool a ‘really big’ 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Saturday’s Premier League clash at Molineux seemed set to end in stalemate, but Origi – introduced as a second-half substitute – spun on Mohamed Salah’s pass inside the box and fired in a low finish.
The strike was greeted with massive celebrations in the Reds’ dugout and the away section – and the manager felt it was extra special because Origi was the scorer.
Read Klopp’s reaction to a dramatic afternoon at Wolves with a full transcript of his post-match press conference below…
On whether the win was one that ‘wins you titles’…
If you do it 38 times, yes, absolutely. If you do it once, no. But anyway, it’s really important and feels really big today for us, to be honest, because it was a very difficult game. The wind makes football really difficult and today, especially for the dominant side it makes it really difficult. We missed a lot of chances and we had to defend the counter-attacks of Wolves with an incredible team. That was the challenge today. In these difficult circumstances I liked the game we played because we played between their lines in the first half. The start was maybe not really outstanding because we had to learn a little bit how we can play them. But when the boys found it out, then it looked really, really good – apart from the finishing or the last pass, these kinds of things. It was clear: when you don’t score you just have to keep going and that’s what we did. And then Divock Origi, the legend, came and finished it off for us. I love it.
On Liverpool’s ability to keep going until the very end…
We said it after the game, it was like the good old times – our good old times, like two years ago or so, when we really needed it badly. I guess Villa or wherever it was, I don’t remember all of them. But it’s an important skill to stay positive. It was not needed too often this season but it’s still an incredibly important skill and thank God we could show it today. It’s not a lucky win, even if of course it’s lucky when you score that late. But it’s not a lucky win in the sense they had chance after chance. No, we had chance after chance, we just didn’t score. I think a point would have been lucky for Wolves, so it’s the right result.
On why Origi has the knack for scoring big goals…
Because he is an incredible finisher – if we don’t know it at Liverpool, who should know it then? We saw that so often. How I said, it’s difficult to get 500 minutes a week in this team because of the players we have. But Divock Origi is an incredible football player. He is great in these moments, he doesn’t need a lot of run-up or time to find into a game, and especially not in this game today. It was his game, he could be Divock Origi 100 per cent: in and around the box, use your body, use your technique, finish the situations off. He was unlucky with the ball before I think, he was involved in a lot of good moments, he was a threat before he scored. These kinds of goals we see plenty of times in training and everywhere. Winning in the 95th minute is great, but when Div scores the goal it makes it even better, to be honest.
On whether he expected Origi to leave last summer…
If I would be in another club I would go for him and I thought that would happen, that’s true, because he didn’t have massive game time. But, again, I cannot believe that people think if you don’t play for Liverpool you cannot be good. This team is outstanding and if you are our No.12, 13 or 14 you have to be outstanding – and Div is. I am very happy that he is still here, actually. I didn’t expect it to happen, but I wouldn’t have been surprised.
On Origi’s attitude…
He is a top striker, a top boy. He is already here at Liverpool for a long time; he came here very young and has scored some of the most important goals in the history of this club. He is a positive boy and I am really happy.
On how important today’s win was in the context of the season…
What was the matchday today? Fifteen? It means we have not even [played] half the season. That you have ‘glamorous wins’ 20 or 25 times a year is really unlikely, so who cares? We have to win football games in different ways – and today was that way. The game was really difficult, you all saw Wolves playing this year very often – and Wolves play completely different football than they were allowed to play against us today. We really pushed them back, our pressing was outstanding, our counter-pressing in a lot of moments, our recovery runs [were] great and we created chances. The wind, a deep-defending side and all of these kind of things make it not easier. We are not surprised that the boys stay on track, but I don’t take it for granted as well. It means I am really happy that we could show that skillset again today because it was not needed for a while now, but today it was needed, it’s still there and I am really happy about that.