Souness Concerns for Sturridge
This topic contains 36 replies, has 17 voices, and was last updated by mwake 7 years, 4 months ago.
-
AuthorPosts
-
November 14, 2016 at 3:01 pm #1315461
It’s been very quiet around here so I thought I’d start an argument! Souness suggests that Sturridge has an abundance of talent but just doesn’t have the work ethic.
November 14, 2016 at 3:55 pm #1315503Ohhhh this is a weird one…I think it’s unfair to call Sturrigde out like that although I kinda have to agree to a point. I love Sturrigde he is definitely the best finisher in the club maybe in the league. However Sturrigde doesn’t chase down and press as much as other players. That doesn’t make him a bad player because years ago most strikers played like Sturrigde…it’s only in the last 10 years or so that we have had this issue with strikers pressing from the front. All my favourite strikers when I was a kid in the eighties used to be “goal hangers”, that is to say not doing much and loitering and waiting for the ball to be delivered to them. Now I don’t think Sturrigde is that bad but he not exactly has the work rate of coutinho… maybe there are some fitness issues still in terms of his cardio ability…I’m sure with all the top sport scientists at Liverpool now they will be working to improve sturridgess ability to run around and press more…
November 14, 2016 at 4:30 pm #1315524Oh no…not this again!
He’s still frustrating though…(stands back and waits for Ginger lol!)
November 14, 2016 at 5:25 pm #1315566Question is the reason Sturridge won’t press much is down to him not working hard enough, or is it because of his injuries that he simply can’t do it so he saves his energy staying in the box. This is what he said recently that he needs to be in the box.
November 14, 2016 at 6:18 pm #1315614Newspapers are just trying to kick up a storm to sell newspapers because it’s international week… Even though sturridge hasn’t scored in the league he’s been an important weapon. We still in the league cup where he has scored and I’m sure he’ll be important in fa cup…I’d love to win the league but if we can pick up another trophy to with sturridges help no one will doubt his contribution… No one should doubt it now!
November 14, 2016 at 6:24 pm #1315620I agree with Souness and have been of the opinion for some time. As Lee says, or a similar question is does he not work due to a fear of injury or is it laziness or poor work ethic that he’s not prepared to put in the shift that Firmino is prepared to.
There are loads of people who jump on board to his defence but yet won’t deal with the issue. Why won’t he work as hard?
November 14, 2016 at 6:40 pm #1315626Of course Souness is right. Studge is and always will be a lazy bar steward which is why he will never be a great.
November 14, 2016 at 6:51 pm #1315638I feel for Sturridge in moments like this! I tend to agree with him that the team needs a focal point – it does frustrate when watching footy and there is nobody at the top of the pitch. However, that’s not to say that if Sturridge tracks back that someone like mane can’t fill his shoes at the top of the pitch…much like when a player like henderson filling in at CB if matip runs forward.
He certainly doesn’t sprint like he used to before his long injury lay off…and you don’t know if he just can’t do it or doesn’t want to try out of fear he will have another injury. I don’t believe it’s because he is lazy. That’s just a lazy point to make, and doesn’t even go anywhere near analysing what is actually going on in this situation.
November 14, 2016 at 6:53 pm #1315641I don’t particularly rate what souness has to say on many situations actually
November 15, 2016 at 8:54 am #1315884It’s all opinions, you have this from Souness but lots of opinions to say otherwise:
My personal opinion is that a lot of these comments about working hard (more so this ‘pressing’ argument) have undoubtedly come about since Klopp has come in not before (previously it was about him staying fit). Klopp is entitled to play in a way he sees fit, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t effective. If Firmino hadn’t been playing well Sturridge would’ve had much more game time and goals and I still think his time will come (IF he chooses to stay).
I think it’ll come to a head in the summer and he could well go. If we allow him to go in Jan, whether he wants to or not, it could turn out to be a very costly move.
November 15, 2016 at 10:07 am #1316019Bob: I really doubt he’ll go (or be let go!) in January but do think he’ll be gone in the summer. He’s never been one of those players that looks too happy but clearly he’s thinking about jumping ship.
If that’s the case, you have to respect it in one sense as he wants pitch time but ask on the other hand why he wouldn’t want to push himself more to get into the Liverpool team as it appears to be a team on the up. Some players just feel hard done by when they aren’t getting pitch time and others work their backsides off to get into the team.
November 15, 2016 at 10:27 am #1316055There’s now a story about him today leaving in Jan. I don’t believe it.
It would be madness to sell him in Jan. If we are serious about a proper challenge for the title this season then none of our first 15/16 players should be sold.
The only one I can see going is Sakho.
Sturridge may not be a starter now but it only takes an injury or 2 and we will be very thankful for having a quality striker to call upon who knows exactly how we want to play. Remember Mané is set to leave In Jan and miss 6 games which include some very important matches.
Come next summer Sturridge may not be happy with playing off the bench for much of the season and decide to leave. Klopp may decide to sell. He I said after all on big wages and would fetch a lot of money but for the time being he should be going nowhere.November 15, 2016 at 12:46 pm #1316265Seem to remember a certain I Rush who was a deadly finisher AND spent the game pressing or ‘defending from the front’ as they used to call it. He could do both and keep scoring so what’s Sturridge’s excuse??
November 15, 2016 at 1:18 pm #1316317Is your arguement really “well he did it so why can’t he do it?”.
You do realise that players are individuals with individual attributes and attitudes? There not automatons.November 15, 2016 at 1:19 pm #1316323Macclad I don’t think Sturridge has or neccassarily needs an excuse.
Players are different, Sturridge is not the same as Rush, just like Rush was not the same as Firmino.
I think where we are all going to disagree is that he’s not trying, I think he is and imho not pressing doesnt equate to that.
November 15, 2016 at 3:57 pm #1316476Now I know that it’s all conjecture and paper talk to sell newsprint but if Sturridge is “world-class” and “the best finisher in the league” as some on here would have it, why then are the papers talking about a £28 million bidding war between ……. Stoke and West Ham? Journalists often print what they like to suit an agenda but in general one thing they are not is stupid. So if he was indeed “world class” and “the best finisher”, do you not think they would realise that bigger and better clubs than those two might be interested and the fee might be more than what these days buys an average peripheral international striker?
As I said, journalists are not stupid (and neither am I stupid enough to believe everything that’s in the papers) but that supposed fee and the supposed suitors really does put Sturridge’s perceived value into perspective.
November 15, 2016 at 4:43 pm #1316512If he was to be available at that price, I’d be very shocked if arsenal didn’t make a move for him..or other clubs of the same level across europe
November 15, 2016 at 5:17 pm #1316542Stan Collymore says that if he hasn’t got back in the team by the end of the season,he should consider signing for the Shite. Yeah,cos we’ll do business with them won’t we? We’ll sell our best striker to Everton Stan,sure we will.
I’d love to ask Stan who he’d drop to accommodate Sturridge. Lallana? Nope. Mane? Nope. Firmino? Nope. Coutinho? No chance. I wouldn’t sell Sturridge under any circumstances,unless we were bringing in a Benzema or Lewandowski to replace him,which doesn’t seem very likely does it?
November 15, 2016 at 5:35 pm #1316569“Journalists often print what they like to suit an agenda but in general one thing they are not is stupid”……..that’s news to me.
November 15, 2016 at 5:43 pm #1316578I think the lazy tag is kinda rude, I don’t see Sturridge lazy in a Balotelli type way its more that he seems to be micro managing his own game and he chooses his battles based on where he thinks his fitness levels are. There’s nothing worse than burning yourself out in the first five minutes and then watching the game pass you by becasue your exhausted.
However, I do agree that Sturridge sometimes looks out of place with the rest of the team sometimes becasue of his lower energy levels. If Klopp and his fitness team don’t find a way to raise it this season then I agree with others that we ma part ways with Sturridge next summer.
Even with Sturridge’s recent goal drought, he has an incredible scoring record. So despite his alleged laziness it doesnt affect his scoring prowess. @ Macclad not all strikers played like Rush, most didn’t when I as growing up. Strikers had different ‘privileges’ then than they do nowadays. Midfielders back then were expected to do the bulk of the running around and creating, whilst strikers generally put on their ‘dinner napkins’ and waited to get served. Now the football culture has changed totally and pressing from the front is expected from all attackers. BBCs own Gary Lineker was a great striker but he never had a reputation as a relentless presser! Sturridge plays like an old school striker and he always did even when he had is electric pace. Now he has lost a little of his pace it maybe makes him look somewhat lazy. But as I said lazy is a bit harsh, hes just an old fashioned “give me a great pass and I’ll score” striker.
-
AuthorPosts
You must be logged in to reply this topic.