Didier Deschamps needed a spark, and he got one from a player who might not even be a guaranteed starter for his club. Michael Olise delivered a hat t...
Didier Deschamps needed a spark, and he got one from a player who might not even be a guaranteed starter for his club. Michael Olise delivered a hat trick of the highest order as France brushed aside Northern Ireland 3 1 in their final pre World Cup warm up. For the watching Liverpool scouts, and indeed for the decision makers at Anfield, this was more than just a friendly. It was a statement of intent.The Crystal Palace winger has long been admired by the Merseyside hierarchy as a potential long term successor to Mohamed Salah. But performances like this one, in a France kit no less, shift the conversation from potential to necessity. Olise's first goal was a moment of pure transitional brilliance. He collected the ball on the half turn, drove at a retreating Northern Ireland defence with purpose, and curled a left footed strike into the far corner. Clinical finishing from a player who knows exactly where the goal is.His second was even better. Picking up possession in a tight pocket of space, Olise shifted the ball onto his right foot, wrong footed two defenders, and thumped an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net. The third, a composed finish after a swift counter attacking move, completed the treble. This wasn't a man struggling for rhythm. This was a footballer playing with the kind of swagger that wins trophies.For Liverpool, the equation is becoming increasingly simple. Salah's future remains a source of perpetual speculation, and while the Egyptian King is still delivering at the highest level, the club cannot afford to be caught napping. Olise offers a different profile to Salah. He is more of a playmaker, a creator who drifts inside and links play, but he also possesses that ruthless edge in front of goal. His tactical flexibility means he could slot into Arne Slot's system without missing a beat, whether deployed on the right or as a floating number ten.Deschamps, naturally cautious in his public pronouncements, will have been impressed by the composure Olise showed under the lights. The question now is whether the Frenchman's performance has forced Liverpool's hand. The January window is a notoriously difficult time to do business, but when a player of this calibre lights up an international stage, you have to ask yourself: can you really afford to wait until summerOlise didn't just steal the show. He reminded everyone why he is the most talked about wide attacker in the Premier League outside the top three. And for Liverpool, the clock is ticking.
