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Daniel Sturridge is one of the best players that I’ve seen in the flesh. I like him, there’s something about him that Liverpool have missed in recent years; a proper striker. Sturridge signed for Liverpool from Chelsea in January 2013 for a fee of £12,000,000 and scored on his Liverpool debut in the FA Cup 3rd round away to Mansfield Town days after signing for Brendan Rodgers’ side. He has since scored 19 goals in 25 games and has been on fire in the 2013/14 campaign with Liverpool, notching eight goals in nine league and cup games, with an average of 104.67 minutes per goal.
Sturridge’s Liverpool are currently 2nd in the Barclays Premier League, level on points with leaders Arsenal after five wins in seven games. I believe he can be the catalyst to Liverpool’s season alongside Luis Suarez, and this will help Sturridge go to Brazil with England in the 2014 World Cup. But for me, it’s not just all about his goalscoring form and him being in the right positions to get the goals, it’s his overall game.
I have had a close look at Liverpool this season, and Sturridge in particular. After all,I consider Liverpool to be the Premier League club I like to see do well. Since his arrival, Liverpool fans (myself included) have took to him incredibly well, not just for his goals, but for his efforts, love for the game and immense pride of playing for Liverpool, which the Anfield faithful have lacked from certain players in recent seasons.
His movement is second to none. He’s always in the right place in the right time to get on the end of a pass or cross and score goals, he’s eager to keep going and keep learning at Liverpool as well, trying new things as well as the freedom to be trusted alone up top. He loves to come back and help his midfielders, playing deeper behind the half-way line and helping out, showing his determination to work as a team player and win the ball back. His pace is one of his best attributes. Everyone knows how fast the Premier League is and Sturridge is one of the fastest in the league, which gives him a great advantage over his opponents. He uses his pace to run onto balls, run at defenders and goalkeepers and also on the counter attack. I went to watch him against Sunderland and he was my man of the match. His effort and contribution towards the goals stood out for me and I believe that he’s only going to get stronger over the course of the season, providing he can stay clear of an injuries or niggles. Even with minor injuries, he still works like the Duracell bunny, as shown in the 1-0 win over Manchester United in September when he picked up a thigh injury prior to the game itself, but still scored the winning goal.
Anyway, back to the Sunderland game. I learnt a lot about his game that day. He showed me that he was not all about scoring goals like many people suspect. He’s more than happy to setup goals for the rest of the team, and he helped setup two goals for Suarez against Sunderland, using his pace, first touch and dribbling to full advantage. During the course of the game and many other Liverpool games this season, he has done the same, tricking the defenders against Crystal Palace by putting the ball onto his right foot and then onto his left for the finish was just as impressive as his overall game, showing Chelsea what they’ve missed out on. Tracking back and helping out is a huge part of his game now, picking the ball up and being able to do so many things with it like picking out a pass or running at defenders and creating a goalscoring opportunity is very encouraging to see and I like that a lot about him, I think he is crucial to Liverpool’s side and bid for Champions League football.
Liverpool have adapted to a 3-4-1-2 formation which will accommodate Sturridge and Suarez, who were recently branded as the new ‘SAS’ (Sturridge and Suarez). Being compared to Chris Sutton and Alan Shearer can’t be that bad! Liverpool will play to help the pairing score goals. Normally, Liverpool would rely on Suarez for the goals and many thought it would take time for Suarez and Sturridge get used to each other but they’ve hit it off like a house on fire – massively evident in the Sunderland and Crystal Palace games. They both leave me something which I’ve lacked in recent seasons as a Liverpool fan – confidence. I go into every game knowing Liverpool can get a result with the amount of quality that we have up front as well as in goal, the backline and midfield with Brendan Rodgers’ additions in the summer. We finally have not just depth, but also quality in depth, which is what Liverpool have really haven’t had in recent seasons.
Sturridge is about to score against Stoke in the first game of the season. Courtesy of Ruaraidh Gillies
Suarez and Sturridge leave me wanting more after every game. They’re different players but they connect so well and I think that’s why it works. I thoroughly believe this could be the year that Liverpool finish in the top four. Call me deluded but if there’s nothing wrong with optimism in football!! Especially after what I have seen this season in all seven of Liverpool’s Premier League games, the whole team have gelled so well and the new additions such as Mamadou Sakho and Simon Mignolet have fit in really well and have impressed me as much as Suarez and Sturridge. But for me, Sturridge is the key to Liverpool’s season. He’s prolific and his hard work will pay dividends and help him compete with the other top strikers fighting for the Premier League’s Golden Boot Award, which is awarded to the player who scores the most goals in the Premier League over the course of the campaign.Sturridge’s goals along with his assists and goals from other players will help Liverpool win a lot of games and the consistency that Liverpool have gained under Brendan Rodgers will help Liverpool maintain their good run of form and remain at the top. There’s something about this Liverpool side that enables me to feel confident and believe that the campaign will be a good one.
