Jun 7, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; England forward Daniel Sturridge (9) reacts during the second half against Honduras at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
When oh when will Daniel Sturridge catch a break on the injury front? The Liverpool hit man has missed a majority of this season with a skew of leg injuries and what looked to be all behind him has now taken a turn for the worse. Reports have now claimed Sturridge has re-aggravated his thigh strain injury that he suffered on international duty with England and will miss up to another six weeks. Daniel’s second set back and third injury of the season could see him miss another crucial eleven matches for the Reds. This will rule him out of the Crystal Palace match this weekend where many Reds fans were breathing a sigh of relief when reports said he would be making a return.
Liverpool have struggled without their top striker this season and new signing Mario Balotelli has found it very difficult to find the goals needed in his place. Brendan Rodgers has become very frustrated with this situation, Daniel was his focal point this season after losing Luis Suarez to Barcelona, but who do you question in this instance? Many people believe the Liverpool training staff are to blame as it is them that give Daniel Sturridge the green light to start training and may have told him to start working the injuries far too soon in his recovery. Part of this blame however could be directed at Sturridge himself who even came out and said these injuries could be hereditary. If this is the case only Daniel knows when he is ready to start training again and potentially his desire to return has cost him and his club again. No one will really know the true stint of the situation behind closed doors at Melwood but what is very clear is this is a massive blow in what already has been a disappointing season for the Reds.
Immediate Solutions
Jul 30, 2014; Bronx, NY, USA; Liverpool FC forward Raheem Sterling (31) controls the ball against Manchester City FC during the second half of a game at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
With this negative news thrown into Liverpool’s faces again and the team struggling to find goals and wins to emulate that great campaign last season, Brendan Rodgers needs some drastic changes to improve his clubs chances. Now the Reds of course cam look for some new signings in the January transfer window to improve the clubs attack but they will still have another month of football before they can make any significant moves. They will be looking for immediate solutions and in my opinion it should start with Mario Balotelli. Super Mario has struggled to make an impact up front this season with no goals in the BPL and only two in all competitions.
I believe that this weekend when the Reds take on Palace that Mario should start from the bench. I think Rodgers needs to send a statement to the player that his form must improve if he and his club want to start making a move up the table. By leaving him on the bench he will only get hungrier to play and this could spark a goal or two out of him. He’s also the type of player that once he scores he can start scoring in bunches. Now if they don’t start Mario than who would you play up front? Well either Borini or Lambert could fill that void but something I believe Rodgers should look at injecting some pace to lead the line which is something that is missing without Daniel Sturridige in the line up. A potential would be to play Raheem Sterling as a lone striker as he is the type of player that likes to make those runs in behind defenders. This could open up more space for midfielders like Lallana and Coutinho to work their magic around him.
January Moves
Jul 1, 2014; Salvador, BRAZIL; Belgium forward Divock Origi (17) battles for the ball against United States defender DaMarcus Beasley (7) in the first half during the round of sixteen match in the 2014 World Cup at Arena Fonte Nova. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
When the January transfer window opens up Liverpool will be able to look in the market for a striker who can fill the socks of Daniel Sturridge. Reports are already surfacing that Liverpool may turn to their summer signing Divock Origi who has been sent back on loan to Lille for the remainder of the season. Origi is a brilliant young talent who has many of the qualities as a striker that Liverpool desperately need this season. The Belgian star signed in the summer but was returned to Lille in France for the remainder of the season to get game time. Origi could be brought back early to Liverpool as long as the Reds pay Lille what looks to be an additional 5 million euros. This might seem pricey to some but instead of forking over 20 million for a new striker you can save some cash and bring in a player with the quality and finishing Liverpool are in need of.
A few more names surfacing on the transfer front are Jackson Martinez from Porto and Andre Schurrle from Chelsea. Martinez is a powerful player who would also inject some pace into the front attack. the Colombian and Porto star has dazzled the Portuguese Super Liga for years now and has many goals to show for it. Schurrle could also be a solid signing as he was one of the bright stars in the World Cup winning Germany side. He hasn’t featured much for Chelsea this Premier League season and might be welcome to a move away from Stanford Bridge for regular team football.
Rodgers is looking to improve the squad further. Picture courtesy of www.theguardian.com
Whatever is decided for Liverpool they can only control what is right in front of them and that is a Premier League clash with Crystal Palace this weekend. The Reds need to take this game by game and try to get some positive results along the way. A few wins on the trot will clear out this dark cloud hanging over the Merseysiders. Any negative publicity on your club can only make it that much more difficult to turn around so as the line goes “Walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain.” Liverpool must start believing again.