Reds can't rely on Sturridge anymore (ESPN article)

[tlw content]

by Dave Usher for ESPN

 

I wrote something on Tuesday regarding Daniel Sturridge's impending return and what it meant for Liverpool. I went into a fair amount of detail on how his return to the line-up could transform the struggling Reds and breathe new life into some of his teammates who have suffered from his absence. Just when we thought he was back, news of his latest injury emerged, leaving Liverpool facing up to the cold reality they can no longer count on him.

 

Incredibly, this is the third time in as many months he's been injured in a training session. The original injury came while on international duty and Liverpool blamed Roy Hodgson for over-extending the player on what would normally have been a rest day. Brendan Rodgers made a compelling case as to why the England medical staff were wrong to make Sturridge do a full session two days after a game and Liverpool fans -- who rarely need much encouragement in this regard -- were furious with Hodgson.

 

Rodgers was left embarrassed six weeks later, however, when Sturridge suffered a calf strain just from warming up for a training session at Melwood. I'm afraid that one can't be pinned on Hodgson, or this latest one for that matter. Having returned to training last week, Sturridge was all set to feature against Crystal Palace this weekend but pulled up with pain in the same thigh he damaged with England. It seems Sturridge's problems run a whole lot deeper than being overworked by Hodgson.

 

Even if this latest scare turns out to be something minor, it has highlighted once gain just how precarious this whole Sturridge situation is. Liverpool need him, they rely on him -- and you can even say they're a bit of a mess without him. Yet they cannot count on him because the spectre of injury is always going to be looming. A lot of players are injury prone but this feels different somehow. It has to be extremely worrying for player and club as for whatever reason, Sturridge can no longer even get through training sessions unscathed, let alone the hurly burly of a competitive game.

 

Therefore, Liverpool need to plan for a future and indeed a present without him. That doesn't necessarily mean offloading him; it means they have to stop pinning their hopes on his return and start viewing it as a bonus any time he is available for selection. Sturridge should not be a factor in any transfer decisions made by Liverpool from now on. Admittedly there's an element of hindsight in this, but had Rodgers taken that approach last summer then he probably wouldn't be in this mess now.

 

Read the rest of the article here

 

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[ZonkoVille77]

We're fucked.

[xerxes]

An excellent article in full.

 

Sturridge's mercurial past was well known when we bought him, and a reason why both City and Chelsea off-loaded.

 

Rodgers seemed to have won him over, with his attitude and application beyond reproach.

 

Exactly what is going on here is difficult to tell, but Brendan needs a solution quickly.

[Nightcat]

"But we'd be fine without Suarez." "But, we'd be fine with just Sturridge, if Suarez left." "But Ian Ayre and the Committee have done a terrific job this summer."

 

Liverpool FC can't rely on Sturridge's fitness, eh? NO SHITE.

 

Liverpool FC can't rely on FSG either.

[Kevin D]

I reckon Usher was pissed when he wrote that.

[Section_31]

"But we'd be fine without Suarez." "But, we'd be fine with just Sturridge, if Suarez left." "But Ian Ayre and the Committee have done a terrific job this summer."

 

Liverpool FC can't rely on Sturridge's fitness, eh? NO SHITE.

 

Liverpool FC can't rely on FSG either.

What's FSG got to do with the fact we've got three fully fit strikers at the cost of £30 million pound yet we'd be better off with me and you up front?

[Section_31]

I reckon Usher was pissed when he wrote that.

Ha! You eidetic memory motherfucker!

[Nightcat]

What's FSG got to do with our alternative strikers? Absolutely everything.

 

FSG have imposed the Age, Wage and transfer Fee limit restrictions. Even after record TV rights deal, finishing second and selling Suarez.

[Section_31]

What's FSG got to do with our alternative strikers? Absolutely everything.

 

FSG have imposed the Age, Wage and transfer Fee limit restrictions. Even after record TV rights deal, finishing second and selling Suarez.

 

They're not bad transfer fee restrictions are they? Record brekaing £35 million for Carroll and £20 million for the unproven Markovich. 

 

How does the age thing work with Lambert? He's officially too old to join the infantry.

[moof]

An excellent article in full.

 

Sturridge's mercurial past was well known when we bought him, and a reason why both City and Chelsea off-loaded.

 

Rodgers seemed to have won him over, with his attitude and application beyond reproach.

 

Exactly what is going on here is difficult to tell, but Brendan needs a solution quickly.

Are you mentally ill?

[xerxes]

What's FSG got to do with our alternative strikers? Absolutely everything.

 

FSG have imposed the Age, Wage and transfer Fee limit restrictions. Even after record TV rights deal, finishing second and selling Suarez.

I am often critical of FSG, but their transfer guidelines, as reported, seemed pretty sensible to me.

 

Few could argue that we have not spent enough recently, whether that has been well spent is another matter.

[xerxes]

Are you mentally ill?

I thought it was a good article by Dave - and stand by that.

[Nightcat]

When have you been critical to FSG Xerxes? would you mind providing a link?

 

JWH, the other fella that looks like a potato, Ayre, the French transfer guru fella, King Kenny and Rodgers have all said that there are certain predetermined selection criteria applied to identify our potential targets. Criteria which ultimately dictate the targets' profile. Those criteria include an Age, Wage and Transfer fee limit.

[milky]

'Reds can always rely on Nightcat to turn a good thread into an anti-FSG tirade in four posts.'

 

 

Click here to view the abomination.

[Section_31]

Nightcat hates Yanks, it'll be something to do with international shipping, Delta Force and shit.

[Mook]

An excellent article in full.

 

Sturridge's mercurial past was well known when we bought him, and a reason why both City and Chelsea off-loaded.

 

Rodgers seemed to have won him over, with his attitude and application beyond reproach.

 

Exactly what is going on here is difficult to tell, but Brendan needs a solution quickly.

Is it maybe that he's got a gammy leg?

 

[an tha]

Interesting that all the papers websites seem to be saying it's 6 weeks, the echo even states it's a grade 2 year. Yet the club site carries a story with no detail apart from he will be unavailable and be monitored

[Marko121]

Interesting that all the papers websites seem to be saying it's 6 weeks, the echo even states it's a grade 2 year. Yet the club site carries a story with no detail apart from he will be unavailable and be monitored

This, for me suggests that the club have no idea how long he will be out other than it will be a long one

[an tha]

This, for me suggests that the club have no idea how long he will be out other than it will be a long one

I tend to agree.

 

'A grade 2 year' fucking poxy phone!

[PatiencePending]

So yet another layer is added to this utter shit cake of a season...

 

I don't think I can face another weekend watching Mario as a lone striker (demonstrating yet again that him in place of Suarez, in the same sort of system, is as bad a replacement of the same magnitude of blunder as was David Moyes succeeding Alec Ferguson last year!).

 

FFS Brendan! How could you get it all so badly wrong so quickly?   

[Stickman]

This, for me suggests that the club have no idea how long he will be out other than it will be a long one

He'll be out till his next training session....rinse and repeat...

[Gym Beglin]

Lambert and Borini please.

[stringvest]

Sounds like a cheap cigarette and a cheaper glass of fizz

[George Costanza]

the simple fact is that a lot of people employed by the club are not pulling their weight or doing anywhere near enough to warrant their current employment.  There is a total lack of structure and clear thinking about how the take the club forward.  Its a total mish mash of ideologies and it is showing clearly in our recruitment policy - not just those that we sign but also those that we miss out on.

 

I'd sack every single director and all those involved in the transfer committee + many other scouts too

[skend04]

Nightcat hates Yanks, it'll be something to do with international shipping, Delta Force and shit.

Black Hawk Down. The Yanks went and fucked his shit up in Mogadishu and now he's angry. Still.