Where will Sturridge fit in?

Following the goalless draw against Bolton in the FA cup, Brendan Rodgers in his post match interview with BT Sport was adamant that Daniel Sturridge will be in the squad to face West Ham.

This is the news that every Liverpool fan has been waiting to hear. The 5 (yes, 5) long months without Daniel Sturridge is finally coming to an end. And it couldn’t have come at a better time, with the reds about to head into their toughest run of fixtures.

Liverpool’s next 5 Premier League games consist of 4 teams placed above them as well as the Merseyside Derby. Not forgetting the cup competitions where we come up against Besiktas home and away, a replay against Bolton and should we get past them, Crystal Palace in the 5^th round of the FA cup.

However, in the excitement of Sturridge’s return, many people seem to have glazed over one crucial question. Who do you drop?

To many, Sturridge can easily slot into the team at the spearhead of our attack at the expense of any of Liverpool’s current front 3 of Coutinho, Sterling or Gerrard. But would you really want to lose Coutinho’s ability to glide past defenders, Sterling’s pace or Gerrard’s natural leadership? No. The only player who I think could be sacrificed for Sturridge, is Lazar Markovic.

By removing Markovic from his role as a wingback, you can truly begin to utilise his abilities as a footballer. Even though the Serbian has proved to be useful in this position, Markovic simply isn’t a wingback. To get the best out of Markovic, you need to put him in a role that requires less defensive responsibilities. If you don’t believe me, ask anybody who watched him during his Benfica days.

Subsequently, I believe Sterling should be moved to the position of wingback, with Daniel Sturridge playing up top with the talents of Coutinho and Gerrard behind him. This way you not only get the best out of Coutinho, Sterling and Gerrard. But with the amount of games coming up for Liverpool, and the inevitability of having to prioritise Gerrard’s playing time. Liverpool can finally call upon top quality players to replace Gerrard such as Lallana/Markovic. As well as having the ability to effortlessly switch back to a 4-4-2 and play the formation that terrorised defences last season.

In the case of Liverpool and many other teams who are still battling within 3 competitions, having a strong squad is crucial. Liverpool’s prospective bench for the rest of the season could read: Jones, Lovren, Manquillo, Allen, Lallana, Markovic, and Balotelli. In my opinion, the strongest bench we’ve had in a long time. It’s also worth noting that this bench doesn’t include the likes of Johnson, Lambert, Borini, Rossiter, Ibe, Toure, Flanagan. Competition within our squad is high, and that can only continue to bring out the best in our players.

One thing’s for sure, the return of Daniel Sturridge is vital to the rest of our season. Not only because of the amount of goals he may score, but the knock on effects his return will have to our squad. That will undoubtedly have a massive impact on our push for a top 4 spot and a trophy to end Gerrard’s Liverpool career.