Will Sturridge prove the right signing for Liverpool?

"Sturridge will have to be patient but, if his attitude is right, he should still flourish at Liverpool."

Christian Crowther debates whether Daniel Sturridge was the right solution to Liverpool's search for attacking reinforcement...

Wednesday was certainly one of the more uplifting days of Liverpool's season as the Reds swept aside Sunderland just hours after announcing the signing of Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge.

Liverpool's new boy can only have been impressed with what he saw from the stands too, especially from Luis Suarez, the man he will have to dislodge if he's going to fulfil his wish of playing in his preferred central position.

And therein lays a potential problem. The pivotal reason why Sturridge instigated the switch from Stamford Bridge was due to Chelsea's reluctance to play him as a main striker.

Now he arrives at Anfield, where he will find a team which operates a similar system to the one he couldn't penetrate at Chelsea, only the man he will be fighting for a place is fast becoming one of the world's top players in his position.

Suarez's second successive brace took his season's tally to 15 Premier League goals - the same amount as he managed in the whole of his first year-and-a-half on Merseyside - and after Lionel Messi comparisons from an understandably effusive Brendan Rodgers, it's difficult to see anyone replacing the Uruguayan if fit.

According to Rodgers, Suarez is the sort of player who wants to play every minute of every game as well, so that leaves the manager with only a few options.

Either Sturridge has to settle for one of the wide roles in the front three, he plays Suarez out wide, or he changes the system and plays 4-4-2, which would make the already fierce competition for midfield places even more intense.

With Suarez scoring so freely from his central role though - rated at 3.8514/5 to be the league's top scorer - it is difficult to envisage Rodgers switching his star man to the flanks.

Furthermore, it's even harder to envisage Rodgers changing his formation just to accommodate the new signing.

It's far more plausible that Sturridge will initially have to settle for one of the wide positions, with possibly Raheem Sterling on the other side, or bide his time until Suarez is rested or even injured.

One thing is for sure though; Sturridge has pace to burn, meaning he can make it work in wide areas.

So although he may not be immediately deployed in his favoured role, his technical ability and youth make him exactly the sort of player the manager wants for his new-look side.

Sturridge will have to be patient but, if his attitude is right, he should still flourish at Liverpool.

There are no comments on this article.

Amazon Watches Center

Why Ashley Young is a better signing than Villas-Boas

Premier League / Maxliu / 23 June 2011 / 1 Comments

Bettors shouldn't underestimate the impact Young could make

"Signing Young should consolidate United's [3.0] title favouritism. It also makes them a good bet [10.0] in the Champions League."

Manchester United have signed Ashley Young from Aston Villa for around £15 million. Max Liu explains why the winger could turn out to be a very important acquisition for the Premier League champions.

Chelsea have appointed a new manager and Manchester United have signed Ashley Young. Of the week's two developments, which will have the biggest impact on the 2011/12 title race? Most people will surely choose the former but I have a feeling that it could be the latter.

I dug Andre Villas-Boas' bluster-less first press conference and, if his Porto side were anything to go by, Roman Abramovich may finally get the attacking football that he craves. I want the new boss to succeed because, for me, supporting another team never gets in the way of a good story. Villas Boas is a good story and if he wins the title or the Champions League he will be an even better one.

But thirty-three is too young. Predictably, he's hailed as the new Special One but, when Jose Mourinho arrived at Stamford Bridge, he was a good deal older and had won the Champions League as well as the UEFA Cup. Mike Norman has already written about this, but the Chelsea squad needs a dramatic overhaul and an injection of youth. I wouldn't touch that [3.75] title price or [8.6] in Europe.

Mike says Villas-Boas could build a team round transfer target Joao Moutinho which suggests that this could be a transitional season for the Blues. Will Roman Abramovich tolerate the 't' word? The fact that Chelsea launched a bid for Luka Modric last week, while managerless, shows who's in charge at Chelsea. What odds will you give me on Villas-Boas still being at Stamford Bridge this time next year?

As for United, signing Young should consolidate their [3.0] title favouritism. It also makes them a good bet [10.0] in the Champions League. I'm not saying Young is a definitive signing who's going to set Europe alight, but these type of acquisitions can prove pivotal.

There's a historical precedent. In 2006, Manchester United hadn't won the title for four years. Chelsea ruled the Prem while both Arsenal and Liverpool had reached Champions League finals. United were failing to draw players to Old Trafford , losing out on the likes of Arjen Robben, Michaels Essien and Ballack. The Red Devils had, as a colleague observed in those dark days following Roy Keane's sacking, "No midfield."

Fans expected Sir Alex to spend big throughout the squad. But he made only one significant signing: Michael Carrick for £18 million from Spurs. The midfielder was clearly cultured but few expected him to put United back on their perch. In the event, they won the next three league titles, reached two Champions League finals, winning in 2008.

Carrick was no talisman but he balanced the midfield and allowed those around him to thrive: Cristiano Ronaldo, who had promised much but underachieved, became one of the best players in the world; Paul Scholes rediscovered his attacking game and Nemanja Vidic acquired confidence and learned the English game with a more authoritative midfield in front of him. The signing of Carrick was one of Ferguson's quieter revolutions but it ushered in a glorious period.

Like Carrick, Young, who managed 39 goals in 190 appearances for Villa, will be asked to score more. But his versatility, speed and directness will be an important element in a changing attack. Dimitar Berbatov - [1.5] to leave - has no place in this new frontline as Ferguson opts for fluidity in his bid to assemble a team capable of beating Barcelona. Contrary to what we saw at Wembley, he might be closer to that aim than many people think. The signing of Young could be a subtle yet crucial piece in that jigsaw.

Premier League champions are on the verge of signing up Aston Villa ace.......

New Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas already has a squad capable of challenging for the Premier League title says Mike Norman, but how can the Blues mount a serious challenge in Europe?...

Steve Bruce's side are shaping up well for the new season having confirmed the arrivals of Sebastian Larsson and Keiren Westwood on free transfers, and made an offer for Connor Wickham....

Play Casino & Poker here