Topic: Daniel Sturridge

[KingKolo]

Wait, I'm confused.

So we're guessing about Van Dijks wages, because we don't know. Right?

But you're not guessing about Sturridge leaving, because.......?

Fill in the blanks.

Cmon, it's one thing wondering about how much FSG are prepared to pay a new player, and it's a completely different thing with Klopp and his views on Sturridge.

Anything you read in any articles on the Echo, Guardian, Times, anything with sensible journalists, everyone is assuming he'll leave.
Last season Klopp preferred Origi when they were both fit.
This season Klopp always went with Firmino up top and Mane and Coutinho either side for big games. Sturridge wasn't injured in the autumn, he just wasn't in the team.

He is a goner mate, it's as clear as day! A fuck of a lot clearer than 'what FSG would be prepared to pay Van Dijk'.

[Chief Brody]

Do you really, honestly think Sturridge is in the plans for next season?

Even if he's not you can't definitely say he's off. If he doesn't want to go he doesn't have to.

Can't see the club releasing him and paying him off early.

[El Lobo]

Yeah but we do know ffs, or at least some of us do and the others ought to.

Do you really, honestly think Sturridge is in the plans for next season?

I don't know?

He's played him in probably our most important game of the season, he clearly rates him. He might sell him, he might not. We don't know. Guessing. See how that works? Its a bit bizarre for you to say 'oh you're guessing about Van Dijks wages' and then proceed to guess about selling Studge.

[SerbianScouser]

Would love us to keep him if we can afford him. He's the best money can buy when it comes to killing dross. I probably wouldn't play him against top teams as I think intensity he plays at is a level below other players but we'll struggle to find a better door opener against low block teams. With hindsight Klopp was wrong not to use him more this season against those kind of teams.

[PeterTheRed ...]

I don't know?

He's played him in probably our most important game of the season, he clearly rates him. He might sell him, he might not. We don't know. Guessing. See how that works? Its a bit bizarre for you to say 'oh you're guessing about Van Dijks wages' and then proceed to guess about selling Studge.

Do you think that Sturridge would have started yesterday, had Mane and Firmino been fit?

[KingKolo]

Even if he's not you can't definitely say he's off. If he doesn't want to go he doesn't have to.

Can't see the club releasing him and paying him off early.

I don't know?

He's played him in probably our most important game of the season, he clearly rates him. He might sell him, he might not. We don't know. Guessing. See how that works? Its a bit bizarre for you to say 'oh you're guessing about Van Dijks wages' and then proceed to guess about selling Studge.

I've said a few times it depends on whether a club comes in with the right offer.
I won't be surprised if he's still here.

But, am I guessing that the club is willing to sell? No I fucking am not.
Guessing is when you have nothing to go on. We have the last two seasons to go on.
And it's all over all of the papers and opinion everywhere.

Whereas, in trying to work out how much Werner, Henry and Gordon would be prepared to pay Van Dijk, we really are guessing, because we have next to nothing to go on.

[KingKolo]

Do you think that Sturridge would have started yesterday, had Mane and Firmino been fit?

Exactly.
No he wouldn't. No chance.

[KingKolo]

Would love us to keep him if we can afford him. He's the best money can buy when it comes to killing dross. I probably wouldn't play him against top teams as I think intensity he plays at is a level below other players but we'll struggle to find a better door opener against low block teams. With hindsight Klopp was wrong not to use him more this season against those kind of teams.

I think that's unfair on Klopp.
Sturridge wasn't available during the period when our results suffered.
He could've played more in the autumn, but we battered everyone in the autumn so you can't criticise Klopp's selections at that time.

[Chief Brody]

But, am I guessing that the club is willing to sell? No I fucking am not.

You kind of are.

I agree that I think they probably are but I don't know for sure. No one outside of the club knows for sure.

[richiedouglas]

He's a great player on his day, even if that happens to be infrequent.

The thing is, he gives you so much hope. I thought he was fantastic yesterday, but there's now only one game left before the end of the season. He's going to leave us stewing on his performances over the summer and then he'll limp out of pre-season, emerge rusty around Christmas to repeat the cycle again.

I'd be tempted to keep him purely on the basis that he's brilliant when fit.

[mrantarctica]

Even if he's not you can't definitely say he's off. If he doesn't want to go he doesn't have to.

Can't see the club releasing him and paying him off early.

It'll probably be a mutual thing. The club might look to get business done early. If we are bringing in fresh faces in the front 3 then there might be a meeting between Klopp and Sturridge where I imagine he'll probably be told that he'll be fighting for fitness and for a place amongst other good players but that when others are fit, he's probably not going to be an instant selection. I think most players are given the option of trying to fight for a place or perhaps moving on. It'll really depend on what happens in the transfer window. If we get nobody in, or sign somebody who turns out to be a Voronin, then we'll thank our lucky stars if he decides to stick around and will end up kicking ourselves if he leaves in those circumstances.

[JackWard33]

Yeah but we do know ffs, or at least some of us do and the others ought to.

Do you really, honestly think Sturridge is in the plans for next season?

Did you celebrate when he did his wiggly dance or did you shout 'you need to be moved on' at him when he broke the dead lock this weekend?

[CraigDS]

It'll probably be a mutual thing. The club might look to get business done early. If we are bringing in fresh faces in the front 3 then there might be a meeting between Klopp and Sturridge where I imagine he'll probably be told that he'll be fighting for fitness and for a place amongst other good players but that when others are fit, he's probably not going to be an instant selection. I think most players are given the option of trying to fight for a place or perhaps moving on. It'll really depend on what happens in the transfer window. If we get nobody in, or sign somebody who turns out to be a Voronin, then we'll thank our lucky stars if he decides to stick around and will end up kicking ourselves if he leaves in those circumstances.

The thing is he knows when he's fit he is better than what we have, and probably what we can bring in (unless we spend serious money) - so it will come down to how he feels his fitness is and if he will be fit long enough to show his quality and make himself undroppable when he gets the chance.

[B0151?]

Cmon, it's one thing wondering about how much FSG are prepared to pay a new player, and it's a completely different thing with Klopp and his views on Sturridge.

Anything you read in any articles on the Echo, Guardian, Times, anything with sensible journalists, everyone is assuming he'll leave.
Last season Klopp preferred Origi when they were both fit.
This season Klopp always went with Firmino up top and Mane and Coutinho either side for big games. Sturridge wasn't injured in the autumn, he just wasn't in the team.

He is a goner mate, it's as clear as day! A fuck of a lot clearer than 'what FSG would be prepared to pay Van Dijk'.

That's not true. Sturridge started most of the games he was fit for. Origi did get a couple of starts in important games - but even then Sturridge started ahead of him for the 2 cup finals

[PeterTheRed ...]

Exactly.
No he wouldn't. No chance.

And that is the reality of the situation.

Sturridge is a great talent, and when fit he is one of the top strikers in the league, but he is rarely fit, so no sensible manager would consider him as a building block for a title challenging team. I have repeated several times that I won’t be disappointed if he stays as a backup for Firmino in the central role, because there is always the (small) possibility that he could pull a “Van Persie”, but I think that we have much better ways of building a title challenging team.

The first scenario is of course getting some decent money for Sturridge, and offloading his wages from the wage bill, so we could be able to pursue a top class reliable striker, and have Firmino and Origi as backups for the position. This would move Firmino mostly starting on the left, and Coutinho in midfield, and I see that as a very desirable plan.

The other scenario is that we keep Firmino as our starting striker, with Origi and Ings as his backups, and we concentrate the available funds (including the Sturridge money) on a top class goalscoring left sided attacking player (basically, a left sided version of Mane). This also moves Coutinho to midfield, with 3 top attacking players playing ahead of him.

Of course, everyone is entitled to an opinion, but I would rather give the starting minutes in the domestic cups to Origi, so he can continue to develop, instead of hoping for a miracle that Sturridge will regain his fitness.

[Bend It Like Aurelio]

Do you think that Sturridge would have started yesterday, had Mane and Firmino been fit?

He probably would have dropped Origi. But no one actually will have the answer to this, except for Klopp himself.

[KingKolo]

Did you celebrate when he did his wiggly dance or did you shout 'you need to be moved on' at him when he broke the dead lock this weekend?

Too busy jumping about to see the wiggle dance mate

[KingKolo]

He probably would have dropped Origi. But no one actually will have the answer to this, except for Klopp himself.

We're all guessing!

[mrantarctica]

The thing is he knows when he's fit he is better than what we have, and probably what we can bring in (unless we spend serious money) - so it will come down to how he feels his fitness is and if he will be fit long enough to show his quality and make himself undroppable when he gets the chance.

Problem is that lots of good strikers think this but that doesn't mean that they'll get games. For example, take Balotelli who would think exactly that but didn't fit the style and didn't actually play very well when given the chance. Now scoring goals for fun at Nice. Same with Benteke, probably thought he was good enough to start regularly, but didn't feature as much as he perhaps wanted. Decided to move on and now scoring goals regularly at Palace.

[Chief Brody]

Did you celebrate when he did his wiggly dance or did you shout 'you need to be moved on' at him when he broke the dead lock this weekend?

Just brazenly did it to the West Ham fans too. 

[KingKolo]

You kind of are.

I agree that I think they probably are but I don't know for sure. No one outside of the club knows for sure.

We've an awful lot more evidence about whether Klopp is bothered about keeping Sturridge than we do about what FSG would sanction for Van Dijk's wage.

You can't compare the two.

One is total finger in the air stuff, and the other is something where it's pretty darn clear what the situation is (even if we maybe don't '100% know for sure' or whatever).

[KingKolo]

Problem is that lots of good strikers think this but that doesn't mean that they'll get games. For example, take Balotelli who would think exactly that but didn't fit the style and didn't actually play very well when given the chance. Now scoring goals for fun at Nice. Same with Benteke, probably thought he was good enough to start regularly, but didn't feature as much as he perhaps wanted. Decided to move on and now scoring goals regularly at Palace.

bang on

and I genuinely hope it's the same for sturridge
wish him all the best

him and his shit dance
am I guessing about the dance? no.

[Chief Brody]

It is a shit dance

[KingKolo]

It is a shit dance

and as JackWard33 rightly suggests, that doesn't matter a jot when he's scoring key goals

still shit though

[na fir dearg]

Loved seeing the dance yesterday its been too long!! Hope he stays at the club, if he can get the same amount of games as in 2013/14 then that could be a lot of goals

its a big dilemma facing Klopp and the club this summer

[didi shamone]

Where's the guy who told me "if Liverpool win no one will give a shit about Sturridge" or words to that effect.   Boy was he wrong.

[El Lobo]

Do you think that Sturridge would have started yesterday, had Mane and Firmino been fit?

Who knows, doesn't really matter does it. They weren't. If he didn't trust him to do a job for him, he wouldn't have played him.

[didi shamone]

Do you think that Sturridge would have started yesterday, had Mane and Firmino been fit?

Mane is an Automatic starter in a different position. Firmino?   Well most people on here were crying out for Sturridge to start. Hes a far better striker than Firmino. But realistically Origi would have been the obvious choice to step down. Thankfully he started.  Another day we dont get the first. They score their sitter and it's all very different.  Just shows we need a clinical striker.
As for wages, our second choice left back will be on 30k more than Sturridge next year. 
That said I doubt he'll be here next year. We'll have a physically sound striker with much less talent imo.

[KingKolo]

Who knows, doesn't really matter does it. They weren't. If he didn't trust him to do a job for him, he wouldn't have played him.

there was literally nobody else left.

[ggcc14]

Where's the guy who told me "if Liverpool win no one will give a shit about Sturridge" or words to that effect.   Boy was he wrong.

All angles covered.  Plays bad...I told you he was shite, get rid.   Plays well....only turns up for sunny matches in London when looking for a move,  get rid.

I haven't seen anyone saying the latter..

What I meant was how he played yesterday wasn't going to change how anyone percieves him and what he brings to the club. Any comment anyones made in the last 24 hours probably echoes how they've felt for the past 2/3 years.

I said no one gives a shit about some Daniel Sturridge narrative, meaning no one would be looking to be pointscoring and getting one over on each other on the back of his performance. Had he performed badly we'd all be disappointed and him playing well made us all pleased.

[KingKolo]

I haven't seen anyone saying the latter..

What I meant was how he played yesterday wasn't going to change how anyone percieves him and what he brings to the club. Any comment anyones made in the last 24 hours probably echoes how they've felt for the past 2/3 years.

I said no one gives a shit about some Daniel Sturridge narrative, meaning no one would be looking to be pointscoring and getting one over on each other on the back of his performance. Had he performed badly we'd all be disappointed and him playing well made us all pleased.

spot on

[Oberyn_Martell]

It is a shit dance

Kinda like your post then?

[ggcc14]

Kinda like your post then?

[El Lobo]

there was literally nobody else left.

Your grasp of the meaning of words isn't great mate, is it?

[poopscoop]

I think that's unfair on Klopp.
Sturridge wasn't available during the period when our results suffered.
He could've played more in the autumn, but we battered everyone in the autumn so you can't criticise Klopp's selections at that time.

I agree with this. Klopp's not the tinkerman making change for changes sake. He was unlucky that he got injured. Got to stay, for me. Next season with European football and challenging for the premier league we'll need more than Divock up top.

[Klippity Klopp]

If he does stay, then I think we have to set the team up to make him thrive more - like we saw yesterday with the diamond formation.

Too often we have seen him play as the central striker in a front three or playing wide.  Neither IMO get the best out of him.

Play him upfront with a partner, be it in a diamond or a 4-4-2 or even 3-5-2 - then watch him thrive.

Having said that if he does go, I wish him luck. 

I'll back Klopp whichever way he decides to go.  But if Daniel does leave, it is nice to see him leave on a high.

Personally, I'd keep him, as if used correctly - he's special.

[amirani]

I see three possible scenarios happening.

1. We go for a marquee signing for the number 9 position. Likes of Lacazette, Auba, Icardi, Morata etc. The chances of this happening are slim but still possible. We will definitely break our transfer record if this happens. Also, this almost guarantees Sturridge leaving LFC. The incoming player would be expected to start most games in Europe and EPL. This means Firmino becomes 2nd choice for the number 9 position. We would have to manage Firmino's wisely if he plays elsewhere on the pitch. Origi remains the 3rd choice.

2. We go for a Striker who's more experienced but a level below the top level of strikers. Some names I can think of: Mandzukic, Dzeko, Defoe (would you guys want him here?). There should be quite a few more who fit in this category. These players are reliable goal scorers but they won't be asking top wages. In this scenario, I can see Sturridge staying. This would ensure healthy competition as well as rotation in the number 9 position between 4 players (Firmino, new striker, Sturridge, Origi). Firmino having the advantage of playing multiple positions would hence play more games than the others. This front 4 would ensure we are never short of decent quality up top even if one or two of the forwards get injured at the same time.

3. We end up signing no new player for the number 9 position. Lead the line with Firmino in most games with Sturridge/Origi as a back up. Might even sign a wide forward who can also lead the line.

I personally would want us to go with option 2. We still get the best out of Sturridge when he is fit. When he isn't fit, we can rely on Firmino as well as the new striker we get.

Sorry to exclude Danny Ings out of the converstion since I really don't know when will he be back.

[slaphead]

Exactly.
No he wouldn't. No chance.

Eh ?  No chance ?  One of our top few players in terms of talent, especially at putting the ball in the back of the net, was fully fit and available to play, in a game where we simply had to win, and probably before the game we would have all assumed we would need at least 2 goals to win, and there would be no chance of played ? Nonsense
If he's fully fit, which we all agree is waaaaay too little, then he's in the team every week for me
Interesting debate this all the same.

[didi shamone]

I haven't seen anyone saying the latter..

What I meant was how he played yesterday wasn't going to change how anyone percieves him and what he brings to the club. Any comment anyones made in the last 24 hours probably echoes how they've felt for the past 2/3 years.

I said no one gives a shit about some Daniel Sturridge narrative, meaning no one would be looking to be pointscoring and getting one over on each other on the back of his performance. Had he performed badly we'd all be disappointed and him playing well made us all pleased.

The latter was a response to a post that said exactly that. Not a prediction

Plenty posters expressed how yesterday changed their feeling about Sturridge. Just read back.  This thread has exploded on the back of yesterdays match. He's the most talked about player. The Daniel Sturridge narative is in full flow.
And every thread on RAWK is a point scoring exercise  .

[rob1966]

The thing is he knows when he's fit he is better than what we have, and probably what we can bring in (unless we spend serious money) - so it will come down to how he feels his fitness is and if he will be fit long enough to show his quality and make himself undroppable when he gets the chance.

For all anyone knows, the medical team could have told Klopp that Daniel won't really be able to properly play until the end of this season, but with the surgery, rehab, new training regime etc that once they give the all clear, then he's fit and over his injuries. 

Van Persie was a busted wreck everyone said when he signed for the Mancs, yet after making an 38 league appearances for Arsenal scoring 30 goals, he then made 38 appearances in his first season at Utd and scored 26. It was Moyes who managed to break him again.

End of the day, Klopp and the owners are the people who know what the plans are, the rest is nothing but guesswork.