I’ve been really critical of Daniel Sturridge at times, so it’s only right to comment on how good he was for Liverpool yesterday. He was terrific, and he managed to find a perfect balance between his trickery and the more direct attributes he possesses.
His third goal yesterday…
There are two obvious points to make: firstly that Philippe Coutinho’s through-ball with the outside of his foot is absolutely to die for, and secondly that Sturridge’s lofted finish was excellent.
Beyond that, this provided a good example of how important both of those players can be to Liverpool, especially when they’re in the side at the same time.
Here’s the point at which the Brazilian plays his pass:
…and here’s the position it puts Sturridge in before he scores:
If Luis Suarez is playing instead of Sturridge, then Liverpool don’t score this goal.
Of the two, the Uruguayan is clearly the better player, but his tendency to roam in the forward areas makes it harder for a playmaker like Coutinho to impact on a game. Part of what makes Suarez so special is his lack of predictability; he’s not a traditional forward, and as such he’s as likely to drop into midfield and collect the ball as he is to run off the back shoulder of a defender. Obviously that’s to Liverpool’s benefit, because it’s extremely difficult for an opposition to contain that kind of player, but perversely it makes Coutinho’s function a little trickier to perform.
When Sturridge is in the side, everyone knows that he loves to run at and beyond defenders from the wide positions, and that gives someone with Coutinho’s attributes continual opportunities to play through balls. Playmakers love to have pace around them, because it allows them to use the space on the pitch far more – be it in wide areas or behind a defence. That’s what this goal against Fulham is about: Coutinho knocking the ball into space, and Sturridge uses his acceleration to turn it into a perfect, defence-splitting pass.
If Brendan Rodgers can accommodate both Suarez and Sturridge once the former’s ban expires, then his side will be carrying two very useful – and different – threats.
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From the games Liverpool have played thus far, it would have been more appropriate to say that it is more likely that Coutinho is needs to play to bring out the best in Sturridge.