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?
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?