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Sturridge

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Best Believe It

Quantum Leaper
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So what do we think about this chap then? Asserts for a number of years that if played in a central role he would produce goals. Comes to us, strikes up a good partnership with Suarez and delivers, although some grumblings that he doesn't get on with Luis and wants to be the main man.

Suarez leaves, leaving Sturridge as the focal point of the team's attack, and a succession of injuries and rumoured psychological trauma leaves him essentially marginalised for the entire campaign.

There's a line today in an article somewhere - it may not be true, so I'm not bothering to dig it out - that he'll be going back to the states this summer to sort his injuries once and for all. But there have also been stories at points during the season that indicate he's not prepared to play through the pain barrier, takes longer than most to get over injuries, and the stats show he's clearly prone (at the moment anyway) to picking them up.

So can we really rely on him as our main man upfront? And, if not, if we need therefore to sign someone major to have as the focal point, where will that leave Sturridge, who has griped for a lot of his career about not being afforded the opportunity to shine?
 
I've given up hope on him. I think he's a good striker, but I just don't think he's physically up to the task of playing top level football. Need to buy his replacement in the summer and keep him as a top quality backup (if we play one up top).
 
I remember saying whilst he was great for us that I never quite believed in / took to him as a Liverpool player - it was like the whole thing was too good to be true and something was amiss.

Feels like there was something in that now. Either way, I don't want to have to go through another season like this again so yeah, we most definitely need another top class attacker (not necessarily convinced it needs to be a striker).
 
I've given up hope on him. I think he's a good striker, but I just don't think he's physically up to the task of playing top level football..

I reckon he is, but not mentally. There are some players who get injuries, recover, then don't think about it again, while there are others who get injuries, recover and then keep wondering why they happened, what their consequences might be, whether they'll recur, etc etc etc. He's firmly in the latter camp. I don't think it's that hard to sympathise with the lad, but he's just got to find a way to block out those thoughts. At this stage in the season I bet most strikers are nursing some aches, pains and minor injuries, but they play though it. Even Owen, after his early injuries, used to push himself back into the fray, even though you could see the anxiety etched on his face. Sturridge can have all the bespoke training plans designed for him that he wants, but he's got to get his head right before this problem starts fading away.
 
I think we saw the best of him last season as he never had to play more than once a week. He is obviously very fragile and needs additional recovery time. I think we'd need to try that again next season - get in more trustworthy strikers meaning we can afford to only play Sturridge in the league and have others holding the fort in other competitions.

Its hard to judge him based on this campaign as he has only been around in very very short spells.
 
I think we saw the best of him last season because he knew that Suarez was a competitor as well as a colleague, and we were flying as a team. He even played with an injury when he was trying to ensure he had a World Cup place. He can do it in certain circumstances.
 
It was being **reported** that studge is self diagnosing himself and only making himself available to play if he is 100% fit, which is a worrying if true.
 
Yes. As I say, it's not hard to sympathise - I mean, I always find it funny how some blokes at games see a player get absolutely clattered and shout 'Get up ya soft twat' even though we all know if it had happened to them in some pub game they'd be hobbling about and boring people with how bad the pain was for months and months! It's probably odder that most forwards aren't like Studge. But the guy's just got to get through this. Steve Peters can rehearse as many psychological platitudes as he likes, but ultimately Sturridge has got to need to overcome it enough to fight through the anxieties himself. You'd think the lure of superstardom and trophies would be enough; I'm not sure what else motivates him.
 
I wonder whether our form/squad makes a difference. Had we been playing really well, creating loads and winning games he might be more keen to get back in the side as soon as possible. I definitely agree that Suarez being Suarez motivated Sturridge last season; but realistically he knows that Balotelli, Lambert and Borini aren't going to be competing with him for a place, so he can take his time getting fit because he's always going to get back in the team.
 
I wonder whether our form/squad makes a difference. Had we been playing really well, creating loads and winning games he might be more keen to get back in the side as soon as possible.

I think you're right. He was irritating Rodgers last season, but that was because he'd agree to come back quickly and play, but he'd still be moaning about not being right until he got wrapped up again in the excitement of being in a successful team. This season he's held back from playing, so there's certainly a link there that's been recognised by the staff.

Probably the trail can traced back to before the game against Everton in November 2013. First Sturridge went off to England, eagerly trying to cement his place in the team with these comments:

"For me, regardless of what condition you are in, if you are selected by the England manager you go out there and do the best you can regardless of whether you are carrying an injury or not. The manager gave me an opportunity and it's always a pleasure to put the England shirt on. Regardless of what condition you're in, fit or not fit, if you are selected for England then you go out there and do your best."


Then he returned to Anfield declaring he didn't feel right, listing all kinds of niggles and declining to train, so Rodgers dropped him to the bench. After the game Rodgers said:

"If you want to be a champion, if you want to win things, you have to be ready," he said. "I felt Daniel wasn't ready. The games he has disappointed in have come when he hasn't trained. That was the call here."

Since then, of course, it hasn't gone unnoticed that, now that Studge feels established in the England team, those 'regardless of what condition you're in' comments have disappeared and he's as neurotic with the national team as he is with Liverpool.
 
I really like him but its clear that hes not cut out to be the main striker you build your team around, hes just not available consistently enough. We dont need to sign a striker to play alongside him we need one that will play instead of him.
 
I reckon he is, but not mentally. There are some players who get injuries, recover, then don't think about it again, while there are others who get injuries, recover and then keep wondering why they happened, what their consequences might be, whether they'll recur, etc etc etc. He's firmly in the latter camp. I don't think it's that hard to sympathise with the lad, but he's just got to find a way to block out those thoughts. At this stage in the season I bet most strikers are nursing some aches, pains and minor injuries, but they play though it. Even Owen, after his early injuries, used to push himself back into the fray, even though you could see the anxiety etched on his face. Sturridge can have all the bespoke training plans designed for him that he wants, but he's got to get his head right before this problem starts fading away.


And what about his body language? (while we're on the topic of stuff we know nothing about and that's probably nonsense)
 
I think even without his injury problems, playing with Suarez in a very attacking side overstated how good he is.

There was some game last year where Suarez was asked to play on the left wing in a 4-5-1 and did lots of defensive work, with his trademark crazy work rate. And even with a player miles better than him playing as hard as possible, where asked, it didn't embarass Sturridge into really busting a gut. That sort of cemented my opinion of him. Still capable of brilliance from time to time, but on a team that is now inferior, he'd have to do more work not less. Especially coming back from injury, he's a player that will rise to the quality of the team around him, rather than raise their quality.
 
I find it difficult to judge him because, to be honest, it feels like he's been injured for as much time as he's actually played. Especially now, almost a full season has gone by without seeing Sturridge in a rich vein of form, so my opinion of him is more influenced by what I've seen this season; he still has a goalscoring instinct but doesn't seem like someone who will constantly pressure the defenders into making a mistake.
 
Are you always this impulsive, that people just simply cannot experience any downturn in form/fortune without the ultimate consequences?


Like I said great player.. but cannot be relied upon...

His injury record speaks for itself... its not a downturn in fortune..

He is too injury prone.. He has a career history which shows just that...

Sell him before his value declines... (assuming we can find an adequate replacement that is)
 
Recent Injury record since signing for Liverpool

Hip/Thigh injury, March 22, 2015
Hip/Thigh injury, November 18, 2014
Calf/Shin injury, October 13, 2014
Thigh muscle strain, September 5, 2014
Hamstring injury, July 31, 2014
Hip/Thigh injury, June 14, 2014
Hamstring injury, April 13, 2014
Ankle/Foot injury, November 29, 2013
Hip/Thigh injury November 9, 2013
Hip/Thigh injury September 1, 2013
Ankle/Foot injury, May 29, 2013
Hip/Thigh injury, March 19, 2013
Hip/Thigh injury, February 25, 2013
Hip/Thigh injury, February 3,2013
 
Do you not think his value has already dropped seeing as he scored five times as much last season?
 
Do you not think his value has already dropped seeing as he scored five times as much last season?

I assume you mean, less.. Probably.. But I imagine his Injury record has put paid to that..


Such a shame though.. if he was injury free he would be a wonderful player to have..
 
If I were Boss I'd be making sure the full medical team (including Peters) was on his case constantly.

I heard he was on 150k per week, for that I'd want him to play unless his head had fallen off.
 
If I were Boss I'd be making sure the full medical team (including Peters) was on his case constantly.

I heard he was on 150k per week, for that I'd want him to play unless his head had fallen off.

If he could be relied upon to actually do something while hes on the pitch then yeah, but he wont. When he doesnt 'feel right' he just mopes around half heartedly and makes you wish he hadnt started
 
He's a fantastic player, but we can't rely on him.

If we don't sign a seriously capable forward this summer, then we'll be scrambling around in 5th position next season again.
 
Isn't there a thread where it's said that Rodgers is poo because he didn't want Sturridge and now this thread says we should sell him or he's unreliable?

So we get rid of Rodgers and Sturridge? Talk about fickle fans.
 
It was being **reported** that studge is self diagnosing himself and only making himself available to play if he is 100% fit, which is a worrying if true.

Is it?

How does a physio or doctor diagnose pain?
 
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