Say No to Sturridge

So there I was basking in yesterday's 4-nil win, enjoying LFC's early Christmas gift only to have a sour taste from the news that Sturridge was due for a medical. I sincerely doubt BR reads my blog but as a concerned fan it would be improper for me to let this pass silently without voicing my discontent. Whether my reservations are taken into consideration is immaterial, the most important thing is that they are noted and recorded.

There are possibly a million (not literally) reasons to say "No" to Daniel and I highlight the major ones that come to mind.


Attitude
There is hardly ever smoke without a fire and there seems to be a general consensus among media and fans      that DS has a bad attitude. A single player's negative attitude can severely affect team harmony and is not what BR or LFC need as we try to rebuild and restore the team to it's past glory. I don't know DS personally but I've heard many knowledgeable pundits talk about how he's not willing to learn, thinks he knows it all and has arrived as a player. All this sounds like a reason to be cautious about moving for DS or at the very least the special handling that may be required in managing him. Again, I have nothing against him and the few times I've heard him being interviewed he's come across as confident which can easily be seen as arrogant but still warning bells do go off.

Team Fit
Like Walcott, DS has been known to vocalize he's preference for playing as a center forward rather than out wide where prior managers seem to think he's better suited. In our current 4-3-3 formation, Suarez is currently the central striker and I don't see him being shunted wide to accommodate DS. We already have Borini wanting to play centrally so why go looking for something similar? The way I see it we have three options

1. Get a striker lethal enough to play through the middle while moving Suarez wider. Think the now unavailable Huntelaar or the potentially available David Villa 
2. Get an actual winger or wide forward who wants to stay wide. We are currently being linked with Tom Ince who fits the bill and could also pursue Scott Sinclair or Nathan Dyer who have worked previously with BR with a measure of success
3. Get a striker to serve as backup to Suarez. A few names who could fit the bill include Wilfried Bony, Ricky van Wolfswinkel or Seydou Dombia

 Slim Pickings in January
The winter transfer window is very high stakes you can be lucky like LFC was with Suarez or miss the mark like Chelsea did with Torres (the pre-Rafa version). It's also been known to make managers spend 35m on untried British talent. The smart money will be to stick it out till the Summer and not be forced to make desperate, knee-jerk buys. Another smart alternative will be to bring in a player on loan with the option to sign based on performances. I'd rather try to bring any of the above mentioned options on loan than sign DS   on a permanent deal. I could even be open to a DS loan with a return option if needed.

He's English
Seriously!!! When was the last time LFC (any Prem club really) signed a British player not to talk about striker who's excelled?
While you're figuring that out, I'll have listed tons of players from Spain, Uruguay and everywhere else but the UK that have lit up the Prem.
A major let down for KD last season was his transfer business. He's preference for England-based players and their bloated transfer prices contributed to his being shown the door. A look at a certain Spanish import currently leading the scorers chart who cost a tiny fraction of AndyC's price should put things in perspective.

Stats Men!!
Statistics are what you make of them. To argue my point, I'm going to ask you to disregard his Bolton starts and rather focus on his Chelsea stats. He scored 13 goals in 63 games (1 in 5 roughly). These aren't numbers to excite an LFC fan. Compare this to Suarez who had 81 goals in 110 games for Ajax and Torres with 82 goals in 214 games and it's painfully clear DS may not lead us to the promised land. For those who care, Kuyt had 71 goals in 101 games and was a signing that I looked forward to.

So what would I do if I were Mr. Rodgers? Simple, I'd relax have a Merry Christmas and in the New Year do the following.


Buy or Loan from abroad
I've mentioned a few players already and I'm not in the scouting department. I'd like to think the scouting network have identified loads of talent all around the world. My preference will be to strengthen the squad with a player from abroad. I like the idea of an initial loan with the potential to purchase. This provides an escape if things don't work out.


Promote from within
Credit has been given for blooding Sterling, Suso and Wisdom. The youngsters have been incorporated into the first team and haven't let the team. It's been exciting to see youth rewarded and encouraged. Surely it's a chance to continue the trend. The U21s have finished the first phase of the developmental season unbeaten so why shouldn't Morgan, Pacheco, Ngoo and Yesil get more game time? I've seen many highlights of the U21s this season and these lads deserve a chance. It's a cheap, short term solution that barring injury to Suarez will suit the team.

Do Nothing
The power of inertia should not be underestimated. The gaffer has widely set (dampened perhaps) expectations and most folks understand the team is in transition. No one is expecting miracles as long as the team show signs of moving in the right direction. Besides, Borini is coming back from injury and it's time to collect on our 10M investment. Let's see more of his "assassin" celebration and leave some bite marks on our hands.
I watched Downing yesterday and he's definitely on the rise. As long as BR can keep getting the best out of him (threaten him with being sold in the Summer maybe), I'm fine with having a player who's versatile and out to prove himself week in and week out.

In essence, I don't see  Sturridge solving our goal scoring problems. You don't have to agree with me but let it not be said I didn't warn against his signing.
   

Flight of Fantasy

Are you an Arsenal, Liverpool or <insert team of choice here> fan? Is your team disappointing you? Your manager ignoring calls to play so and so, bench so and so? Are you just not enjoying watching your team each weekend?
Let me introduce you to the fantasy premier league (FPL). Here's a place where make believe holds sway. This is the place where Friday evenings are spent.

Why else was I watching Sunderland v Reading this past week, purely because of the FPL. My pursuit for points and "value" players for upcoming weeks has resulted in my watching every single game when I get a chance. I'm constantly scouring for talent, new jewels to unearth and boost my team's point tally.

As an FPL manager, I wear many hats. I'm a scout, a manager, team bus driver, psychotherapist, team doctor and did I say manager. You get the picture. This isn't the glam and glitz of pre- and post-match interviews. It isn't the fancy half-time talks or touchline posturing, this is serious stuff. Knuckle cracking, neck cramping, crouch over your computer dilemma, because once the deadline closes, 75 minutes before the first game of the weekend there is nothing more you can do.


Unlike the "real" world, every weekend offers a fresh transfer window. Reward the point-makers,  punish those who dare not deliver and choose your style. Dare to be a tinkerer? Go crazy mixing it up week after week. Rotate your squad or wheel and deal in the transfer market. Few managers can resist the lure of making transfers and it takes a brave one to resist the temptation and stick it out with their current squad.

I'm a manager with principle of course. What would the world be without them? I don't pick players on teams LFC is playing against and I currently don't have any Toffees on my team (See I'm a classy manager).
I've seen a Manc who made Tevez captain in the Manchester derby, a Gooner who rejoiced as Berbatov put on a "3 additional bonus points" performance against Arsenal. Not in my case!

So how am I faring? I'm in several leagues but in the one that counts, the one where I'm the league moderator; I'll have you know I'm in the top four :-). In Arsene's world I'm winning a trophy this season!

Hendo the Hero

It's not everyday you can say Jordan Henderson scored the match winner, but yesterday he did. He not only scored the winner but also secured the club's progress to the knockout stages. This guarantees LFC will taste European football in 2013 at the very least.

He's a much maligned player by a large section of the fans who were mystified when KD signed him for a decent sum. It can be argued that he was played out of position last season even though he was a regular. His performances last season were not largely impressive and he wasn't helped this season with a change of managers.

The new manager clearly didn't rate him highly especially if the rumors he was willing to trade him to Fulham as part of the Dempsey deal are true. Hendo must be given credit for deciding to stick around and prove his mettle. He's been asked to play a variety of positions to get game time in some games and hasn't made a big deal out of it.

While only BR knows how playing him as right-back can be justified, his willingness to play anywhere for the team has seen him rewarded by starting games in the middle. The game against Wigan was key for me as I think bringing him on for Suso did enable us take control of the midfield and go ahead to win the game.

In some ways I see potential parallels with Lucas. Here's a player who wasn't initially welcomed by the fans, who seemed to be played time and time by the manager without this seeming justified. After the departure of Mascherano, it was clear that he stepped up his game to become a pivotal figure whose importance was emphasized with his absence for a significant period last season. In Hendo's case, he clearly isn't in BR's starting midfield 3, though I must confess I still think we could have saved the money on Allen and played Hendo in that position. However, there is a potential to be an important squad player as the game against Udinese has shown. He would also be my first player of the bench if we needed to freshen things up in games or an able deputy to rotate in when games come thick and fast.

I believe Hendo has the potential and quality to be an important part of the team. There is a reason why he is an England international and captain of the U-21's. It's just a question of being patient and grabbing a chance when it presents itself. In my view he and Jonjo have that ability to play anywhere in the middle 3, though Jonjo definitely has more of an eye for goal than Hendo and arguably has moved ahead of him in the pecking order.

For now though, let's give kudos where they are due and proclaim, cometh the Hero, cometh the Hendo!