Friday, March 29, 2024

Sturridge return a tonic for struggling Liverpool

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge returned to training on Wednesday and will be looking to improve the Reds fortunes

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge returned to training on Wednesday and will be looking to improve the Reds fortunes

Liverpool and England striker Daniel Sturridge returned to training yesterday, as he looks to recover from a groin injury which has kept him sidelined since the Reds 3-0 victory at Tottenham on August 31st.

Injury-plagued

The former-Chelsea star has endured an injury-plagued season so far, making just three appearances for the Reds this season, scoring one goal.

The groin injury was sustained while he was attempting to come back from a thigh injury.

The striker will be hoping his next comeback will not encounter such problems, as he is so vital for Liverpool and England.

Goals

Last season Sturridge started to fulfil his potential, scoring 22 Premier League goals alongside Uruguayan star Luis Suarez. The pair formed a lethal partnership which took the Reds to the brink of their first top-flight title in 24 years.

Sceptics have claimed that a lot of those goals were down to Suarez’s endeavour and vision. The Uruguayan was outstanding for Brendan Rodgers side and did create a lot for his teammates last season, but it is worth remembering that Sturridge was scoring goals while Suarez served his ban.

Sturridge did not always need Suarez to assist his goals, but every player needs good teammates around him to perform at his best

The likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have benefitted from world-class teammates in La Liga, while neither has really shone bright on the big stage of the international game.

Sturridge is not quite in their class, but he is a very effective goalscorer when given the opportunities in front of goal. The former-Chelsea star is poacher and with the right support will score goals, even without the irrepressible Suarez.

Strikers

Liverpool have struggled to find any sort of form this season and boss Brendan Rodgers is being heavily criticised by a section of Reds fans for his teams performances. The Northern Irishman could have done with having his star striker fully-fit, because his strikers have looked poor.

Controversial Italian striker Mario Balotelli is yet to register his first Premier League goal and is already being labelled a £16million flop by some. Maybe a partnership with Sturridge could bring the best out of the former-AC Milan star.

Balotelli made his Premier League bow in Sturridge’s last appearance for Reds against Spurs and actually looked like he linked up well with the England striker.

Sturridge’s England international teammate Rickie Lambert has also failed to register a goal in the Premier League this season, but the majority of his appearances have come from the substitute bench.

The 32-year-old has struggled for first team football with Liverpool, even though Sturridge has spent most of the campaign in the treatment. When Sturridge returns it means that the former-Southampton star’s chances of action will be even worse.

Italian forward Fabio Borini has made just four top-flight appearances for the Reds this season, starting just once. He has also failed to score or assist on any top-flight goals since his return to Merseyside after a loan spell at Sunderland.

Missed

It is highly apparent that Liverpool have missed the pace and energy that Sturridge gives their attack. The Reds are currently 11th in the Premier League table and have won just four of their 11 top-flight games.

With just 14 goals scored in their 11 top-flight games this season the men from Merseyside have been disappointing in front of goal this season, looking very impotent up front at times.

Break

I would imagine that both Sturridge and Liverpool fans will be relieved to see the striker return to full fitness and action in the near future.

The 25-year-old may take a while to get back to full match fitness, but his return has come during the international break, which is good news for Liverpool as it gives the striker time to build up his fitness before their next game.

England faces Slovenia on Saturday in a Euro 2016 qualifier at Wembley and are favourites to claim victory at odds of 3/10 to win. Sturridge’s presence is unlikely to be vital to the Three Lions victory, so building up his fitness back on Merseyside will probably be the best thing for the player.

Recovery

Daniel Sturridge’s return to training could have come just in the nick of time for him to help aide the Reds recovery their season. No doubt the Reds would have fared far better this season with a fully-fit Sturridge spearheading their attack and his return to action will be a welcome one for fans and boss alike.

Will Daniel Sturridge’s return to the Liverpool team help improve their fortunes?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Nugent


David is a freelance football writer with nearly a decade of experience writing about the beautiful game. The experienced writer has written for over a dozen websites and also an international soccer magazine offline.
Arguably his best work has come as an editorial writer for Soccernews, sharing his good, bad and ugly opinions on the world’s favourite sport. During David’s writing career he has written editorials, betting previews, match previews, banter, news and opinion pieces.

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