When Daniel Sturridge put pen on paper to make him Liverpool’s first signing of 2013, there were concerns that his arrival could halt Suarez’s goal-scoring form; that he could mean Liverpool changed the way they attacked especially considering Suarez led the line so effectively since the start of the season.
I was one of those critics, believing that Sturridge’s signing was “uninspiring” and “unimaginative”. In other words, I thought it was dull and Liverpool could do far better than that, considering they boast an apparent global scouting network. I was particularly concerned because Sturridge had never particularly set the world alight wherever he went. He was billed as a prodigy at Manchester City, but soon left for Chelsea thereafter where I thought he showed flashes of brilliance, but was always inconsistent. His loan at Bolton remained just that: while 8 goals in 12 games were promising, it was a small sample size to begin with.
My logic was that since Sturridge is English, he’s very likely to be overrated, over-hyped and most of all, overpriced. After all, Liverpool fell victim to the previous three British signings: Henderson, Downing and Carroll. As good as they might become, they were never worth that amount at that point in time to begin with.
But if the first six games where Sturridge has starred are anything to go by, he has proved my thesis emphatically wrong. I was pleasantly surprised when he displayed the verve, vigour and hunger that I thought was previously lacking in some of his plays at his previous clubs.
What was most strikingly obvious – to me – was that Sturridge looks as if he’s taking this opportunity with Liverpool as kind of a last-chance saloon. The 23-year-old striker is taking one game at a time, preferring to focus his attentions on doing his best whenever he’s on the pitch.
But what’s most talked about is how his introduction into the Liverpool team will affect Suarez’s position in the side, considering that the Uruguayan has led the line brilliantly. Sturridge has instead taken the mantle, starting in Suarez’s previous position, whereas Suarez is now found further behind or towards the left.
This is beneficial for Liverpool in three ways.
One, that Suarez is able to offer so much more than just being in and around the box and being the first line of defence. Suarez isn’t technically the soundest, nor he is the fastest, but he adds the level of commitment, dedication and energy that will be even more useful if exploited further down in the middle of the park, where the midfield battle is essentially where the game is won or lost. He adds that pressing on defensive midfielders and deep-lying playmakers, hassling them so as to prevent the ball from getting out of the opposition half. If he’s playing down the left, he tracks back and his all-round game is a testament to this. If utilised in other areas – yes – perhaps his goalscoring record might be hampered. But he was never a prolific striker to begin with, he’s just one that takes a lot of shots and as probability dictates, he’ll score a greater amount of goals.
Two, that Suarez playing deeper will mean that the any defensive line will be drawn closer to the Uruguayan. This is largely to Sturridge’s benefit because his turn of pace and acceleration, particularly over a few yards, is out of this world. If any defender is out of position because of getting distracted by Suarez, Sturridge is there to exploit and these few inches of space is very crucial.
Thirdly, the simple logic that having two strikers is basically having no focal point. Suarez had been the focal point for far too long, hence when he was tightly marked he was essentially never effective. Especially since Sturridge has hit the ground running with 4 goals in 6 appearances, it means that there is more than one that defenders have to deal with. And that’s excluding the likes of Gerrard, Sterling etc …
While it might still be early days to make a judgement on how Sturridge’s career will pan out and how the Sturridge-Suarez axis will work, it has been very encouraging. Liverpool arguably boast a far more mobile, fluid and transitional strikeforce since the addition of the 23-year-old Englishman. Much of their future successes are dependent on how their different strengths can be actually exploited at opportune moments in any game. It’s been only six games, but the partnership is encouraging and long may it continue.
