With Daniel Sturridge still believing his future lies at Liverpool Football Club, Jack Hallows ponders how he can remain a part of Klopp’s setup.
We’ve had this same problem every year since 2015 unfortunately.
Daniel Sturridge comes back looking sharp in pre-season, nets a few goals and tells everyone he’s fit and hungry to fight for his place at the club. Everyone laps it up and wonders “what if?” due to the fact the striker was immense during the eighteen months he was at his absolute peak back in 2013 and 2014.
Ultimately though, he stays on Merseyside, makes a handful of bench appearances and then disappears for weeks if not months at a time after another injury setback.
It sounds like a harsh assessment but sadly, it’s nothing but the truth.
I really like Sturridge as both a player and a personality. Obvious natural ability aside, I think he brings a lot to our dressing room and always seems to be one of the first names mentioned by the younger lads when asked who they perceive as their main mentors within the first team setup.
Alongside this, he’s also been the most proven source of goals in Liverpool’s squad aside from their incredible front three over the last 12 months.
However, questions have been raised over his effectiveness when brought on as an impact substitute with Sturridge featuring just 47 times and netting just 10 goals over his last two full seasons for both Liverpool and West Brom.
Only half have come from the bench.
A brace against Burton Albion, the fourth in a 4-1 home victory over Stoke in 2016, the fourth in a 4-0 victory over Arsenal at the start of the last campaign and a last minute strike in a 3-0 win over Maribor.
Not exactly inspiring numbers.
In fairness to Sturridge, however, Liverpool’s impact substitutes overall under Klopp since the start of 2016 haven’t exactly been prolific in front of net and it’s this lack of goals/depth outside the starting XI that have likely prompted the purchase of Xherdan Shaqiri and the chase of Nabil Fekir.
That said, is Sturridge really worth keeping around as an impact substitute with those statistics behind his back? Especially when his wages are rumoured to be in the £100,000+ region. Or would Klopp be better off handing opportunities to raw prospects with seemingly bright futures such as Solanke or Brewster when Firmino is in need of a rest?
I’d love to say yes but Brewster is yet to play a single minute of senior football while Solanke managed just a single goal in all of last season and looks a truly raw prospect at present.
With Origi and Ings both seemingly on their way out in search of regular first team football and Klopp not in the market for another forward, Sturridge may have just landed himself another lifeline.
However, the former Chelsea and City man simply must change his game if he is to play an important part for Liverpool this season.
Where Roberto Firmino is so successful for Liverpool is in the Brazilian’s willingness to press from the front and set up chances for team mates to score goals just as much – if not more – than he scores them.
He’s the perfect Klopp forward. A hybrid of deadliness in front of goal, work ethic and genuine selflessness that sees him put the team and the result ahead of any potential individual accolades. No wonder Salah and Mané love playing alongside him!
Now, I’m not suggesting that Sturridge needs to start winning 5 tackles per 90 minutes, contesting for every aerial duel he can get near and becoming a pest to opposition defences.
It works so well for Firmino because it’s what comes naturally to him whereas with Sturridge, it would likely see his body not just break down but shatter into pieces.
No, I’m simply suggesting that Sturridge needs to start utilising his best assets far more often in a more well-rounded role as Liverpool focal point when called upon.
Simply being a penalty box poacher just won’t cut it in this system.
Sturridge’s reputation is genuinely just that of a deadly finisher but the striker is so much more than that. He has a frankly incredible passing range for a forward and his ability to beat a man is still there in the right circumstances.
If the Englishman needs to drop deeper to get on the ball then that’s fine, encourage him to do so and have him turning at defenders, playing balls in behind for Salah and Mané to chase. Remove the stigma of him filling a role as simply a number nine and turn him into a creative forward who can not only score goals but set up chances along the way.
I’ve seen numerous articles suggesting taking this one step further and playing Sturridge deeper, in a number 10 position so that he’s almost a second striker but personally, I don’t think this would work. Especially not alongside Firmino.
Instead, Sturridge should be helped to play as almost a nine and a half – similar to Firmino only without the work ethic – in an attempt to get the most out of his creative assets.
This goes for situations when he both starts, or comes on as a substitute.
He’s proven he can’t be that impact substitute that comes onto the pitch and stretches the opposition but with the pace of Salah, Mané and new signing Shaqiri, he shouldn’t have to be. He can play just as important a role being the man who stretches opposition with the ball at his feet, feeding the quicker runners alongside.
Perhaps most importantly though, Sturridge also needs to finally come to terms with the fact he’s not the main man anymore. There isn’t one in this Liverpool squad and even if there is, it’s probably that incredible Egyptian bloke who scored 40+ goals last season.
I like a confident player.
Hell, I like a player whose confidence borders on slight arrogance at times, it’s good for their performance and the overall confidence of the team. However, at the end of the day, in this setup and under this manager; the team simply just has to come first.
Otherwise – and I hate to say it – he is simply a waste of a body on the football pitch.
If Daniel Sturridge is going to stay at Liverpool Football Club club and play a role as an asset to the squad rather than simply soaking up wages until his contract expires, then a slight tweak to his role when he’s on the pitch is in my mind going to be the best way of doing this.
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