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.