“Oops. I did it again.” – Divock Origi, pop connoisseur | Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
The Liverpool striker’s alleged gift for sending clubs into crisis has claimed another victim.
Liverpool FC took home the spoils after yesterday’s electric, if one sided, Merseyside Derby. Sadio Mane was clearly the player of the match, but Divock Origi wasn’t far behind in terms of names who lit up the Anfield pitch against Everton.
Big Div was responsible for two goals, including an absolutely audacious second wherein he handled a long pass from Dejan Lovren with a velcro-like touch to bring it down. He then took it, on the half volley, and lobbed Jordan Pickford. It was, in a word, spectacular.
And while Origi may not find himself on the pitch that often given the quality of the starters ahead of him, no Liverpool fan would have found themselves surprised at the fact that the Belgian international was at the heart of good things happening for Liverpool. I mean, there is after all The Curse of Origi.
Well, news has come today – nearly a year to the day after Origi’s heroics in the Merseyside Derby – that Everton have decided to sack Marco Silva. It is a slide that was begun with Divock’s stoppage time winner and the supposed beginnings of The Curse, as well as the beginning of Origi’s redemption arc with the club.
In fact, if one were to plot the fortunes of Everton and Divock Origi on a graph, they’d be on divergent trajectories from that fateful day. And Wednesday only served, to this point, to finalize the work begun last December.
The reports coming out of Goodison Park indicate that Everton will turn to club hero, Duncan Ferguson, to stem the their free fall. Meanwhile, a permanent manager is still being sought, with names like former Everton manager David Moyes and Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe being bandied about.
Looks like a time of deep transition for the Blue half of Merseyside.
