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Sturridge injury offers warning and opportunity

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Liverpool IT was with great disappointment that we learned that Daniel Sturridge would miss the festive fixtures and a little bit more after injuring his ankle ahead of the Hull City match.

That disappointment sunk to desperation after a pondering effort saw the Reds dispatched by a well organized Hull team. It was not the first time Steve Bruce has departed from matches against Liverpool with a favourable result.

In fact he now has 5 wins and 8 draws from 20 games against Liverpool, a creditable return from being in charge of Birmingham, Wigan and Hull.

Last week I was extolling the virtues of a Liverpool defence that is packed with options offering Brendan Rodgers the opportunity to shuffle his pack tactically to make up for the lack of depth in midfield and up front. Little did I anticipate that such proclamations would be damaged by a limp performance last Saturday. Sadly, pre the recent Suarez inspiration, the team had a lack of cutting edge with Moses and Sterling struggling to justify maintaining a place in the team.

But with little options available at the sharp end of the team there is now a real opportunity for someone to earn a place as a first team regular. Moses may feel slightly jilted as he had performed reasonably well in his opening few appearances in a red shirt. However, the Suarez and Sturridge combination was far too impressive for Moses to retain his place in the team, particularly given Coutinho’s wizardry in the final third. Moses looked awkward as a make shift no.10 and as a result his place has been marginalised.

With Sturridge now out injured, Moses will be afforded playing time once more and after making bold statements about scoring goals if given the games he now needs to prove that he can play as well as he can boast. There is no doubting that there is a good player within Victor Moses but if he wants to make it at the top then he must make it impossible to drop him. This is his opportunity to do that.

For Raheem Sterling it is a different matter. For all the poise and class he showed at the beginning of last season, it seemed like that shine had worn off for the time being. That said he has not had anywhere near the playing time this year and it is much harder to make an impact on a match as a young player with only a few minutes to showcase your talents. Sterling had looked like a player out of practice and out of confidence but we should not expect an 18 year old to shoulder the ambitions of the club.

Despite this, the switch to once up front will allow wide players to profit under Rodgers once more and Sterling could use this as a spring board to resurrecting his first team appearances. It only takes one good performance for a young player to get their confidence and swagger back and with games coming thick and fast over the next few weeks Sterling should be looking to use these games to prove doubters of his potential wrong – starting with an impressive goal this week.

However, while the loss of Sturridge provides opportunities to other players in the team it also acts as a warning about the fragility of the team up front. There is no doubt that Liverpool were reinvigorated as a team with the arrival of Sturridge and Coutinho last season. The worry is that against Hull, without either in the starting 11 we looked exactly like the team we were 12 months ago. We should have progressed beyond that by now.

There has been a tendency within Liverpool fans to treat defeats as if they will signal the end of a good run of form and the team will regress to the wilderness of 12 months ago. That is not the case. What we will learn from the next few games though is how much mettle the summer recruits really have.

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31 comments

  • Erin says:

    Try to keep up…we lost Gerrard now

  • Michael says:

    “The worry is that against Hull, without either in the starting 11 we looked exactly like the team we were 12 months ago. We should have progressed beyond that by now” Rodgers had all summer to bring the right players in for cover but he didn’t do well in the market at all. When Sturridge got injured that’s when we needed a decent player in the summer to fill in but Aspas, Moses, Alberto aren’t even good enough to force Sterling out of the team. Rodgers said last summer he can’t make any mistakes in the summer market if Liverpool are to get top 4 and I understand what he meant now.

  • Nigerian KOP onyedika says:

    Kopites, for all those who care to listen, i stil say that BR is not the right man for the Job.. We are reaping the goodworks of KD(suarez and hendo)… BR should go and manage the u-21 side where he can buy young average boys not the 1st team that should have World-class competitors…

    • Bloodyred says:

      Nigeria kopite…..as pathetic as ur remark. Kenny has lost his love mind manager wise and success can’t come overnight as for Rodgers

    • Paul says:

      Nigeria you are spot on . Well said .

      • Baz Season ticket holder says:

        Paul you Di#k head. We are sitting in second and looking good (Hull game apart) I suppose you are one of those clowns still clinging to the belief that Kenny is the second coming of the Messiah!

        He rates as one of the greatest ever players but I never rated him a manager, even the first time around. Sure we were good and won things under him for a few seasons but that was mainly when he was player/manager. Once he hung up his boots his tactics got more and more defensive and I for one was not happy when he got re appointed.

        BR has had to endure (and still does to some extent) a torrent of sh*te from people like you, even though his efforts are now bearing fruit. So you and your mate from Nigeria can go and * yourselves and leave the true supporters to back the club and it’s manager to a top four finish……… *

        • Liam says:

          Yawn. What a load of bull . Back to your cave kid.

          True supporter ? Hahahaha

        • Liam says:

          This fool says Kennys 1980s got more and more defensive . Clown ! It was one of the most free flowing attacking teams in the history of football.

          Total fool baz. Doubt he’s e ever been to anfield

    • ian says:

      Nigerian KOP… Keep up with the times Kenny is quoted saying Suarez was already signed when he took over, he had nothing to do with LS signing!! Fans of Nigerian Kop’s comment, shame on you backing a comment without looking for facts/truth first.

      Also, name me one season where Rafa did not lose to a team in bottom three?

      Also read, we have scored more games this year involving us scoring five, than Rafa managed in his entire time.

      Not saying Rodgers is better or Rafa worse just saying that with a bit of fine tuning, the future seems rosey.

      Fair enough the top teams might beat us, no shame in that, they have money, freely available, have been building teams/squads for years, whilst we have been in turmoil.

      I’d rather smash lower teams, play well against big boys (not necessarily beat them) and hopefully qualify for CL, rather get a result against a big team and lose subsequent three matches against lower opposition, as has happened in the past… Hey, that’s just me.

      Next year, once BR has shown a certain level of progress, the owners will back him with more mullah, having been bitten previously by KD, who Nigerian Kop said has made all Rodgers Work easy for him.

      Adam, Downing & Carroll may have been products of KD, not so great now are they.

  • stevie says:

    Rodgers is doing a good job. Stop going on about dalglish. With dalglish in charge we consistently failed to beat mid to lower ranking teams. With rodgers we are doing that so stop pining for dalglish. I was sick of 1 – 1 draws against sunderland and the like

    • Paul says:

      You must not have liked getting to cup finals and beating all the TOP teams . Rodgers is great at getting results against relegation fodder

      • Baz Season ticket holder says:

        Yeah and it’s those relegation fodder teams that consistantly took points of us for the past few years! to win anything these are the teams you must grind out results from, that is more important than beating the bigger teams…….. that’s what the manc c**ts have known for years

      • Baz Season ticket holder says:

        Well said Paul. I suppose when we make the CL next year it will all be down to Kenny’s hard work!

    • Baz Season ticket holder says:

      Spot on stevie

  • israel seun says:

    Wat has kenny done?suarez deal has been on b4 dalglish bcame liverpool’s manager and wat is it so special about hendo? BR bought d likes of coutinho wich in all ramification is a beta player compared to hendo and anoda marquee signing in daniel sturidge who is a better player compared to andy caroll,likewise iago aspas is still more talented compared to downing but still findin it difficult to acclamatize to life at anfield but has shown flashes of brilliance.pls check ur fact right b4 u say sometin rash abt BR

  • joel says:

    Rodgers is doing OK.. but average signings in Boroni, Allen, Alberto, Illorli, combine 42 million pound.. what 2 players could we have..
    But I think if we go over every manger.. Rafa and especially Dalglish million have been wasted..
    Stability is what we need for the season.. So Super suarez can stay.. One class mid and one class striker in the transfer window and anything can happen..
    All said and done we are second on the table and there is still people call for his sack.. lets all get on board this bumpy road.. cmon reds please beat the * from spurs and I will have a happy Christmas..YNWA

  • Ozred says:

    U must have missed kennys remarks this week when he admitted the Suarez deal was as good as done when he came in.

    Paul u r a pathetic whinging fool.

    • Jack says:

      Your the whinging fool . Moron

    • Martin says:

      Liverpool had only made enquiries under Hodgson about Suarez , he was on a list of possibilities. Kenny could have said yes or no . Kenny pushed the deal through , Kenny convinced him to come. It was Kennys signing.

      Think before you speak , or you will continue to seem uneducated.

  • Darren A says:

    We cant win trophies or be succesful til we beat the big boys regular . Can’t see that happening under rodgers

  • ian says:

    Nigerian KOP… Keep up with the times Kenny is quoted saying Suarez was already signed when he took over, he had nothing to do with LS signing!! Fans of Nigerian Kop’s comment, shame on you backing a comment without looking for facts/truth first.

    Also, name me one season where Rafa did not lose to a team in bottom three?

    Also read, we have scored more games this year involving us scoring five, than Rafa managed in his entire time.

    Not saying Rodgers is better or Rafa worse just saying that with a bit of fine tuning, the future seems rosey.

    Fair enough the top teams might beat us, no shame in that, they have money, freely available, have been building teams/squads for years, whilst we have been in turmoil.

    I’d rather smash lower teams, play well against big boys (not necessarily beat them) and hopefully qualify for CL, rather than get a result against a big team and lose subsequent three matches against lower opposition, as has happened in the past… Hey, that’s just me.

    Next year, once BR has shown a certain level of progress, the owners will back him with more mullah, having been bitten previously by KD, who Nigerian Kop said has made all Rodgers Work easy for him.

    Adam, Downing & Carroll may have been products of KD, not so great now are they.

  • T.boier says:

    Every man is entitled to his opinion & based on that, i think it’s safe to say i aint a fan of BR. But before i go deep about his short-comings, aint we 2nd on the EPL log table ?? Brendan had no business signing Ilori & Alberto because L’pul want to get back into UCL futball wich means that we shuld rada go for quality players rada dan wait for young ones to develop into stars. Ours is not a testing club for C.O.L.. But very much as d fixtures have bin kind to LFC, i tink BR deserves to be credited for picking up d points where nided especialy as big spenders like Chelsea, Citeh & Spurs have refused to justify dia investments in players.. LFC can do better & d upcoming fixtures has provided us with dat opportunity.. A win isnt beyond us but away draws from dos 3-big spenders wont be a bad result either… Hangin around d top-4 come January shld hint FSG dat its investment time(central midfield, defensive midfield, d man in d hole) so as to secure dat coveted 4th position.. No1 is ever perfect and i belive BR is learning from his short-comings but if Citeh & media-frendly happy1 culd be below us after 15-games den i tink somfin positive has definitly bin happening under BR dat we nid acquiring lenses to see if our normal eye wont allow us see it.. And ama Nigerian so no insults to my Nigerian dude..we should all stand as Kopites & detest discrimination…YNWA

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