da bet nacional： Daniel Sturridge’s regular exclusion from Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool starting line-ups should not come as a surprise. Liverpool have evolved as a side during Klopp’s short reign at Anfield, as is evident from watching even a short spell of their play. The result has been that the England striker, even when fully fit, cannot secure a place in the eleven.
da doce： There are a few reasons for this. It is not an insult to Sturridge’s quality as a forward, he is one of the most prolific finishers in the league, nor is it a reflection of some personal spat between the forward and German manager.
In Klopp’s fast-transitioning system, Sturridge is not the ideal forward to have. Widespread complaints that Sturridge has been farmed-out to a wide role are equally misguided, as he drifts into these areas regardless of his position. Even since his early days at Chelsea, Sturridge has looked to find space in the inside right channel, aiming to cut inside the opposing left-back onto his far strong left foot.
Although Roberto Firmino has often been preferred in a central role, Sturridge is hardly adapting his game to play wide. Liverpool’s front three interchange in un-trackable patterns, but Klopp clearly does not see Sturridge as a natural fit for this role.
Perhaps because of an understanding of the requirements, or his relative disinterest in the high-intensity pressing, Sturridge sees Divock Origi, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino ahead of him in the pecking order for various roles in the Liverpool forward line.
Even when Sturridge has been in and out of action with injuries, his minute-per-goals rate is hard to argue with. Some of the audacious shots he attempts with his left foot can appear selfish, but his irrepressible self-confidence makes him the danger that he is.
Rather, then, it is the injuries that may be the issue for Klopp.
Whoever you are, managers will lose patience with players who are unfit often, as Jack Wilshere has found out all too well. Klopp has always been a manager – like many of the best – who values system over individual quality. For all his goal-scoring and creative ability, Sturridge’s recent record is blighted by injury.
18 Premier League starts in the last two seasons say as much about Sturridge as his brilliant 2013/14 campaign did, unfortunately. Managers cannot build a team around players who are too often out of action, as much as Klopp may want to see Sturridge as an integral member of the squad, it’s not that simple.
He is not the conventional number nine, like Robert Lewandowski. Sturridge wants to be facing the goal, running at defenders and finding angles for a shot. He is more poacher than attacking pivot and that role doesn’t have a regular place in Klopp’s plans. All the breath-taking position changing during their opening clash against Arsenal was hardly something you could see Sturridge thriving in.
Although the former Manchester City and Chelsea star can function in this system, it’s tricky to envisage him out-performing an in-form Sadio Mane or linking play like Roberto Firmino.
Sturridge has no divine right to be a key player for Klopp. It is not to say that Klopp sees him as surplus to requirements, but that an injury-riddled forward should not be shoehorned into a team at all costs.
His quality is not in doubt, but his suitability most definitely is.
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