Firstly, this isn’t really a reaction to a dreadful performance against Plymouth. I’ve sympathy for him and Origi tonight as it was nigh on impossible to make a great impression. Of all 22 players on the pitch, those two had the hardest gig; less space than anyone, constantly surrounded everytime they got it, and in tight confined spaces. Ironically, those games where you’ve got 70% of the ball and are camped in the opposition’s goalmouth can be the hardest for strikers. They just get fuck all to work with, and the expectations are huge. I’ve noticed everyone heralding Lucas, TAA and Gomez as our best players… Sure, but it’s not coincidence that they also had the most space, were under the least amount of pressure, and had more time on the ball than anyone else. Everyone in an attacking sense – Sturridge, Origi, Coutinho, Woodburn – had mediocre games; a by-product of just having fuck-all space. It was interesting how much better Woodburn looked when he was allowed to drop deeper into space in the second half.
Anyway, I digress…
This was Sturridge’s 17th appearance of the season. He’s scored 5 goals in that time – 3 of them in the Carling Cup against dogshit opposition. He’s scored 2 in 12 in the league. He scored 13 in all comps last season, 5 the season before. This is his 10th year of top flight football; he’s only ever scored more than 13 goals in a season once in 10 years – which was the infamous ‘14/15 season with Suarez. He may be a ‘natural goalscorer’, but he doesn’t naturally score a lot of goals. Evidently he’s been injured a lot, but that shouldn’t be used as an excuse, moreso a description; he’s an injured striker. We’ve had 10 years of evidence of that.
Of greater concern to me though is his style of play, and the habits he’s getting into. I think he’s mirroring Robbie Fowler in fact. I don’t doubt that if Daniel Sturridge was fit more often, he’d have scored more than 13 a season, and he’d be scoring more now. No doubt about it – the talent’s there, just like it always was for Fowler. But that continued injury toll, aligned with a shift in how teams are structure and the game is played (this isn’t a striker’s game anymore) – has made any attempt for Sturridge to get ‘back to his best’ extremely difficult.
He’s developed two awful habits – which now pepper his games - that happens those types of strikers, and which Fowler had too towards the latter years of his Houllier tenure; coming towards the ball instead of running in behind, and going to ground far too often. The first I mentioned a year or two back – he rarely makes that darting run in-behind anymore. He never ever runs the channels either but that’s a different matter.He doesn't run away from defenders anymore, he never runs past one, and can't use pace anymore to get that half-yard in front. If he scores nowadays, it's from clever movement or a great shot, as opposed to any natural acceleration into a space to conjure an opening. His modus operandi these days is to come and get it – take it off the midfielder and probe. He can still be devastating in that fashion too – especially if he can link or find the one-two, but mostly he’s playing in front of defenders, which is easier to cope with. It was very evident for England at the Euro’s last summer – he almost played as a quasi-midfielder, and whilst he was able to conjure something out of nothing against Wales – that was an aberration to his more common performances. All of this results in that thing Fowler reverted to in his latter years; shots from distance. No one’s begrudging Sturridge – just like we didn’t with Fowler – the opportunity to bend one into a corner from 25 yards as the ability’s there – but the concern is that those are his chances these days. If he’s not shooting from distance, he’s not shooting at all. Of the 5 goals he has got this year – not one’s come from outside the box too. Yet he’s averaging 3 shots per game from there.
Secondly, this going to ground thing. You see it every game now, and it’s getting worse. Occasionally – like tonight – there can be contact, but for the most part he’s looking for it. The Daniel Sturridge of Bolton days, or early years with us, was so greedy that being clipped by a defender was the last thing on his mind. Nowadays, it’s his ultimate objective. If get it if he took penalties, but he doesn’t. Someone of his talent is always going to make any nay-sayer look foolish, because whatever speed, adaptability, and power you may lose, talent stays. He’s as capable – probably more so actually – of anyone of scoring 2 at the weekend from out of his arse. But the thought of him doing that EVERY week is nonsense, and we have to accept it.
So, is he finished? Of course not, but he’s going to have to modify his play, and accept his role. Would anybody advocate him being our starting number 9 at the beginning of next season? I wouldn’t. You can’t rely on him to be fit, and as evidenced by his play and his goals – you can’t rely on him to give you enough of what you need out of a modern striker; goals and team-influence. The best role I can see for him is the one Teddy Sheringham developed for himself; role-player with significant influence. Drop deep, collect it, influence games in 30 minute spells one week – like he did at Goodison, and then start games against opposition where he it suits him and the team better. Link the midfield and the attack, and score vital goals. Sheringham still did it when it mattered, because for all the promise younger kids may have, they don’t have Sturridge’s fearlessness against any defender or any opposition. He still genuinely believes he’s the best striker in the world most likely, which is great – because you’ll need that mentality in April when we’re struggling and fighting for the title. He’ll bag you a goal out of nowhere.
But we need alternatives, and to think beyond him for the future because the Daniel Sturridge we all hoped for is – in my view – never going to happen.
Anyway, I digress…
This was Sturridge’s 17th appearance of the season. He’s scored 5 goals in that time – 3 of them in the Carling Cup against dogshit opposition. He’s scored 2 in 12 in the league. He scored 13 in all comps last season, 5 the season before. This is his 10th year of top flight football; he’s only ever scored more than 13 goals in a season once in 10 years – which was the infamous ‘14/15 season with Suarez. He may be a ‘natural goalscorer’, but he doesn’t naturally score a lot of goals. Evidently he’s been injured a lot, but that shouldn’t be used as an excuse, moreso a description; he’s an injured striker. We’ve had 10 years of evidence of that.
Of greater concern to me though is his style of play, and the habits he’s getting into. I think he’s mirroring Robbie Fowler in fact. I don’t doubt that if Daniel Sturridge was fit more often, he’d have scored more than 13 a season, and he’d be scoring more now. No doubt about it – the talent’s there, just like it always was for Fowler. But that continued injury toll, aligned with a shift in how teams are structure and the game is played (this isn’t a striker’s game anymore) – has made any attempt for Sturridge to get ‘back to his best’ extremely difficult.
He’s developed two awful habits – which now pepper his games - that happens those types of strikers, and which Fowler had too towards the latter years of his Houllier tenure; coming towards the ball instead of running in behind, and going to ground far too often. The first I mentioned a year or two back – he rarely makes that darting run in-behind anymore. He never ever runs the channels either but that’s a different matter.He doesn't run away from defenders anymore, he never runs past one, and can't use pace anymore to get that half-yard in front. If he scores nowadays, it's from clever movement or a great shot, as opposed to any natural acceleration into a space to conjure an opening. His modus operandi these days is to come and get it – take it off the midfielder and probe. He can still be devastating in that fashion too – especially if he can link or find the one-two, but mostly he’s playing in front of defenders, which is easier to cope with. It was very evident for England at the Euro’s last summer – he almost played as a quasi-midfielder, and whilst he was able to conjure something out of nothing against Wales – that was an aberration to his more common performances. All of this results in that thing Fowler reverted to in his latter years; shots from distance. No one’s begrudging Sturridge – just like we didn’t with Fowler – the opportunity to bend one into a corner from 25 yards as the ability’s there – but the concern is that those are his chances these days. If he’s not shooting from distance, he’s not shooting at all. Of the 5 goals he has got this year – not one’s come from outside the box too. Yet he’s averaging 3 shots per game from there.
Secondly, this going to ground thing. You see it every game now, and it’s getting worse. Occasionally – like tonight – there can be contact, but for the most part he’s looking for it. The Daniel Sturridge of Bolton days, or early years with us, was so greedy that being clipped by a defender was the last thing on his mind. Nowadays, it’s his ultimate objective. If get it if he took penalties, but he doesn’t. Someone of his talent is always going to make any nay-sayer look foolish, because whatever speed, adaptability, and power you may lose, talent stays. He’s as capable – probably more so actually – of anyone of scoring 2 at the weekend from out of his arse. But the thought of him doing that EVERY week is nonsense, and we have to accept it.
So, is he finished? Of course not, but he’s going to have to modify his play, and accept his role. Would anybody advocate him being our starting number 9 at the beginning of next season? I wouldn’t. You can’t rely on him to be fit, and as evidenced by his play and his goals – you can’t rely on him to give you enough of what you need out of a modern striker; goals and team-influence. The best role I can see for him is the one Teddy Sheringham developed for himself; role-player with significant influence. Drop deep, collect it, influence games in 30 minute spells one week – like he did at Goodison, and then start games against opposition where he it suits him and the team better. Link the midfield and the attack, and score vital goals. Sheringham still did it when it mattered, because for all the promise younger kids may have, they don’t have Sturridge’s fearlessness against any defender or any opposition. He still genuinely believes he’s the best striker in the world most likely, which is great – because you’ll need that mentality in April when we’re struggling and fighting for the title. He’ll bag you a goal out of nowhere.
But we need alternatives, and to think beyond him for the future because the Daniel Sturridge we all hoped for is – in my view – never going to happen.
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