Duology: Suarez and Sturridge

All the world is a stage, but Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge were more than merely players. In 2013/14, their only full season together, the two combined to produce sheer theatre of the sort rarely seen before on a football pitch: Suarez the anti-hero, Sturridge the flawed genius. Ultimately it was not an Achilles Heel but an Achilles tendon that brought the latter down, while the Uruguayan left for Barcelona without a Premier League medal and with yet another scandal hanging over him – it transpired that the campaign was destined, in the end, to be a Greek tragedy. However, though the partnership collapsed, the memories endure; Liverpool has seen some truly wonderful footballers in its long history, but Suarez and Sturridge can stake a claim as two of the greatest ever.

It is tempting, with hindsight, to diminish the impact of Sturridge in the whirlwind 13/14 campaign. This would be to do a gross disservice both to Sturridge as an individual and to the near-telepathic connection that the two built up. Suarez, of course, is one of the most gifted forwards ever to grace a football pitch, but without Sturridge there would be no title charge about which to reminisce. The English forward led the line himself in Suarez’s enforced absence at the start of the campaign; he scored all three goals in three consecutive 1-0 wins, clearly laying out his credentials as a world class striker in his own right. His subsequent terrible injury luck has clouded the memory of many, but make no mistake: the undisputed best English centre-forward at the time plied his trade at Anfield.

The results of throwing a volatile South American into the mix were predictably seismic. Each was equally capable of picking the other out or taking on their marker with consummate ease, and the movement was simply impossible to defend against – a visibly less-than-fit Suarez returned from his ban against Sunderland, and managed to score two goals simply by virtue of getting on the end of Sturridge passes. Many frustrating minutes wasted out on the wing at Chelsea came to fruition in these moments, as Sturridge effortlessly drifted to the byline before instinctively picking out Suarez in the middle. Despite having just half of the previous season to get acquainted, the pair seemed to intuitively occupy the same wavelength: this was an enviable gift indeed, and defenders were certainly rarely able to enjoy similar premonitions as to what was coming next from either of them. Countless established defenders and goalkeepers were made to look foolish over the course of the season – there was little to be done when the pair descended upon a back line. Sure enough, while Sunderland were occupied with Luis Suarez at the back post at a corner, Sturridge added a goal to his two assists in the 3-1 win at the Stadium of Light. This two-man show proved to be a sign of things to come.

Part of the beauty of the partnership that came to be known as ‘SAS’ was the way in which it harnessed a certain volatility to such deadly effect. The two strikers undeniably struck a chord, but it was at times a jarring one – scoring was the currency of both forwards, and a kind of rivalry developed. If one decided to go up a level, the other instantly responded with a refusal to be outdone. A game against West Bromwich Albion sticks particularly firmly in the mind. Suarez had wrapped the result up almost on his own. He opened the scoring with a trademark winding run through the entire defence, followed by a powerful finish into the corner. The second was just as admirable; a fairly average cross meant that Suarez had to meet the ball at a near stand-still, but he somehow managed to generate enough power on his header to beat the goalkeeper. The hattrick was completed with a second header, a delicate glance into the far post from a corner. A visible change came over Sturridge, as he started to play entirely off pure goal-scorer’s instinct; he was not going to fail to get a goal on a day when his partner had managed three. Sure enough, he found his way on to the scoresheet by upstaging all of Suarez’ strikes – he went on a powerful run of his own before lifting the ball delightfully over Ben Foster from twenty yards out. Cue the ‘wriggly arms’, an enduring image from Sturridge’s time at the pinnacle of the game. Very few players would have even spotted the keeper marginally off his line; the technique to execute the chip to perfection was simply outrageous, and ensured that Sturridge shared the headlines.

That is not to say that the pair were selfish, or at least not overly so. They were undeniably single-minded, and would never pass up a goal when presented with the opportunity, but this is what made them so good – the reason these chances came along with such regularity in the first place is that Suarez and Sturridge kept laying them on for one another. Many classic partnerships have had a playmaker and a finisher, or some variation on the ‘big man, little man’ approach that so dominated the thinking of English coaches in the 1990s: not these two. They were both complete forwards, equally adept at producing something out of nothing and converting the chances when they came.

Indeed, the partnership that developed was almost transactional – an assist created more than a goal, it created a debt. It merited a response in kind, often an immediate one: in away matches at Stoke and Cardiff, in which Liverpool scored a combined eleven goals, Sturridge laid on goals for the Uruguayan only to be presented with tap-ins of his own later in the same games. Invariably, this would prompt a celebration almost as iconic as the wriggly arms: Sturridge would turn and point at the provider, who would be pointing back at him with a look of unbridled joy etched on his face. The elation was about a goal for the team, of course, but beyond that it was about the restoration of equilibrium between the strikers.

There was no such parity by the end of the season in terms of goal and assist tallies – Suarez ultimately found a level with which even Sturridge was not quite on par, finishing with an astounding 31 goals and 13 assists despite missing the start of the campaign. He was second only to Steven Gerrard in assists, and led the second-highest scorer by ten clear goals. Who was this second-placed man? Daniel Sturridge. These statistics make it all the more remarkable that Liverpool did not win the league; it is a historical anomaly, and one that does a disservice to a front two who are almost unrivalled across the entire Premier League era in their brilliance. Suarez had thrown absolutely everything he had into the campaign, and his tears after Crystal Palace were those of a man who has done everything within his power but still fallen short. Even before the unpleasant side of his utter single-mindedness reared its head at the World Cup in the form of a bite on Giorgio Chiellini, a move away from Anfield seemed inevitable.

This same World Cup provided one fitting last act in the Suarez and Sturridge relationship. England were drawn in the same group as Uruguay, which meant that the two forwards who had thrived so much together would now have to do battle on the biggest stage. Again, this was almost irresistible theatre: the two men had just endured the pain of falling short in the Premier League together, and now it fell to one of them to inflict a final blow on the other.  It was Suarez who would emerge victorious, scoring twice to eliminate Sturridge and England from the competition. This final severance of the ever-unsteady bond between the two signified the end of a partnership that burned bright but ultimately burned out.

Sturridge remained at Liverpool in 2014/15, but a combination of awful misfortune with injuries and the club’s utter failure to adequately replace Suarez cruelly limited the influence he could exert – all that was left of the SAS was a memory. It is inevitable that this casts a shadow over the partnership, but it would be an immense shame if the pair were lost from the archives of the best footballing duos in history. Circumstance transpired to bring them together in a team that was otherwise simply not equipped to push for the league, and they were ultimately dragged down, but this cannot erase the mesmerising connection shared by the two strikers. Who can forget Suarez’s remarkable four-goal haul against Norwich, or Sturridge’s delicate chip over an onrushing Tim Howard in the derby? These are the things that fans pay to go and see: it cannot be denied that Suarez and Sturridge were the ultimate crowd-pleasers. This, and not the circumstances in which it all fell apart, should be their legacy.

First published on These Football Times as part of the Duology series: https://thesefootballtimes.co/category/duology-footballs-greatest-partnerships/

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

2013/14- A New Dawn?

Two games into the new season, Liverpool are looking very good. They have played some excellent attacking football in both matches, as well as looking strong defensively (not conceding in either game). Most importantly, though, they have won both of the matches, meaning they already have 6 points on the board. This contrasts hugely to the way we have become accustomed to Liverpool starting a campaign; the win against Stoke marked the first time we had won an opening game in the Premier League since 2008 (in a season which saw us finish 2^nd). Does this turn-around in early season form mark a new dawn for LFC?

Firstly, it is worth noting that Liverpool’s two opening games have both been against relatively poor opposition. Both of the sides they have faced thus far in the Premier League, Stoke and Aston Villa, finished well within the bottom half of the table last season. In truth, most fans, quite understandably, would expect nothing less than a victory against clubs such as these.

Saying this, it is not as if our first two fixtures didn’t pose any challenges. Stoke have proved time after time that they are hard to break down defensively, so to be able to find a way past them in our first competitive game since May 19^th was no mean feat. Villa posed an even greater challenge. In their opening game they caused an upset against Arsenal, coming out 3-1 victors. They also netted against Chelsea, though they ended up being narrowly defeated by 2 goals to 1. Their star man Benteke scored in both of these fixtures, and Liverpool’s defence, as well as new goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, had to be on top of their games to deny him yet another goal. Add to this the fact that the quality of opposition hasn’t made much difference to our results in previous opening-day matches (one simply has to look at the 3-0 humiliation at the hands of West Brom last year to see that), and it could be said that the odds, if anything, were against Liverpool!

It is clear then that Liverpool’s opening two games were by no means easy to win. However, it is not just the victories that make me, as a fan, so excited; it is the manner of the victories. In both games, Liverpool got off to quick starts, swiftly getting the upper hand. They were able to dominate for large portions of the game, and played some lovely football during these periods. This in itself is not much different from last season, but what has changed is our ability to put the ball in the net! Countless times last year we were all over a game but somehow failed to score, and thus missed out on the victory. In contrast, in our opening two games this year, we have succeeded in getting that crucial goal, and getting it early on. This is largely thanks to Daniel Sturridge, who is in exquisite goal-scoring form. He has provided the goals in both of our games this season, and has certainly looked capable of providing more in future. If he can keep this up, and the team can keep providing him with the service he needs, we will have a much better chance of finishing in the top 4 than we have had for a long time, as the sort of games which ended in draws last season we should be able to turn into victories during this campaign.

That said, there are some negatives I took from our two opening games. The main problem was the way we seemed to fade towards the end of the halves. We were able to keep well on top of our opposition until roughly 5 minutes before the end of each half, and then suddenly seemed to lose all of our momentum. We were pushed right on to the back foot, and forced to rely heavily upon our defence and keeper. This happened against both Stoke and Villa, and resulted in some nervy moments towards the end of the games. Though it didn’t prove costly, it may well do against stronger opposition. If we are to stand a chance of beating United on Sunday, we cannot invite large amounts of pressure from them at any point in the match, as, with the quality they have in their attack, they will be bound to punish us.

To sum up, I have been extremely heartened by our first two games, as Liverpool have shown that they are indeed embarking upon a new dawn. Unlike in the past, they have been able to start the season on the front foot, by beating teams who have in previous seasons proved frustratingly hard for us to score against. Despite this, there is still a long way to go for Liverpool, and before they can genuinely pose a threat to Arsenal, Tottenham and maybe even (in the long run) the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City, they will have to learn to sustain a high level of performance for the full 90 minutes. Here’s hoping that they can do that, and that they can continue their winning start to the season against United next week.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Liverpool vs Stoke- Pre-Match Analysis

At last. After a long summer of waiting, the time is finally upon us. At 12:45 on Saturday, Liverpool will get the 2013/14 Premier League season underway. They entertain Stoke at Anfield in their opening fixture, and most fans will be expecting a win.

When one takes a good look at Stoke, it is clear why the weight of expectation is with Liverpool. Stoke have appointed a new manager since the end of last season, replacing Tony Pulis with Mark Hughes. Admittedly they have had the whole of pre-season to adapt to his style of play, but it is clear from the poor start Liverpool made last year under the then newly appointed Brendan Rodgers that often, more than just a couple of months and a handful of games is needed. On top of this, their activity in the transfer market has hardly been inspiring. They have brought in two new players on free transfers, signed full-back Eric Pieters from PSV for just over 3million pounds, and bought Maurice Edu from Bursaspor for an undisclosed fee. None of these signings are bad in themselves, though I doubt that any of them will be setting the Premier League alight this season! Man for man, the Liverpool squad is (on paper at least) far superior.

However, Stoke’s pre-season has been relatively successful. They have played 5, winning 3, drawing 1 and losing 1. The key figure, however, is that they kept clean sheets in all of their last four matches. Towards the end of last season they were not as solid at the back as they had been, but it seems that they may have re-found their defensive form. Admittedly the games they have played were against relatively weak opposition, Genoa being the pick of their opponents, but the signs, for them, are promising.

Add to this the fact that Liverpool are renowned for their slow starts to the season (they have failed to win an opening day fixture since the 2008/09 season, which was incidentally the last time they qualified for the Champions League), and the fact that, as we saw against Celtic, we have a tendency to dominate a game and yet still fail to score, and our victory is not as secure as one might think at first glance.

Saying this, I do still think that Liverpool will manage to win the game. The Celtic game was the only match which we failed to score in, and our overall pre-season form in front of goal has been exceptional. Coutinho has continued to shine, scoring and assisting with apparent ease. Raheem Sterling has also proven himself to be ready for another run with the first team, playing some dazzling football in pre-season as well as scoring prolifically. He continued his goal-scoring form on international duty, scoring for the England U21’s against Scotland. New signing Iago Aspas has also looked threatening in front of goal, and Jordan Henderson, Steven Gerrard, Luis Alberto, Joe Allen and Jordan Ibe have also been on target for Liverpool. Daniel Sturridge also scored twice in a behind-closed-doors game against Newcastle. The fact that there are now so many potential goal-scorers in the team gives Brendan Rodgers the option to change things around if we are failing to score, which I think will be the difference from last season.

This is how I think the team will line up:  

                                                       Created using @footy_formation

 Before the transfer window closes I would ideally like to sign another centre-back for the first team, although to be fair Toure has impressed me a lot in pre-season. He will certainly be adequate to deal with Stoke’s mediocre attack. Aspas could play as a right forward in place of Sterling, but I think Stoke will find it very hard to cope with Sterling’s trickery and on-the-ball skill. If we are failing to score, I would expect Rodgers to replace Sturridge, who isn't fully match fit yet anyway, for Aspas. Joe Allen may also come on for either Lucas or Gerrard, as he has done very well in pre-season, and has shown himself to be good going forward as well as dictating the play from a central position.

To sum up, it would be a mistake to underestimate Stoke, who, though they don’t have the most inspiring squad, are solid at the back. However, I think that, unlike last season, we now have enough attacking options to find a way through the Stoke defence, and get our season off to a winning start.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Sterling- Starter?

This pre-season, we have been seeing a lot of Liverpool starlet Raheem Sterling. He has been very impressive thus far, netting 4 times and showing that he can combine very well with the rest of the team. Many believe that his performances warrant a place in the first team for the start of the season.

Firstly, let’s address the issue of his youthfulness. At only 18 years of age, some people think that Sterling is ‘not ready’ for the first team, and should be given more time to develop. However, whether or not a player is ready for the first team is defined by their ability, not by their age. Sterling has proved himself to be extremely talented, and should therefore certainly be considered for the first team. As for whether he is mature enough to combine well with the rest of the team, it should be noted that he played regularly for the first team at the start of last season, at the age of just 17, and did exceptionally well. He lost his place through injury, not lack of ability. Fully fit once more, he has shown in pre-season that he is still perfectly capable of scoring, as well as combining beautifully with the rest of the team.

It is clear then that his age should not be considered a factor when considering him for our opening game against Stoke. One thing that should be looked at, on the other hand, is the competition he faces within the squad. He is a midfielder, and it is true that this is the most saturated area in the Liverpool squad. However, he plies his trade in a wider position, which puts him out of the territory of players such as Gerrard, Coutinho, Allen and Henderson. His only real competition is Stewart Downing and new signing Iago Aspas. Aspas has looked very promising in pre-season, and looks a likely candidate to make the first team for the coming season. However, given the option between Sterling and Downing, I would take Sterling any day of the week. He has more pace, is better on the ball, and is better at passing and crossing. I think that Liverpool should line up in a 4-2-3-1 this season (see my previous article), meaning there is space for two attacking wide players in the team. It would make sense, therefore, to play Aspas on the right and Sterling on the left, with maestro Philippe Coutinho down the middle, all behind Daniel Sturridge. This combination of players looks very promising indeed.

As well as the competition within the squad, the outside competition should also be debated when deciding to play Sterling. For the first game of the season, this will be Stoke. Sterling would be perfectly suited to playing against a team such as Stoke. They are not the quickest of teams, and have the tendency to come up with a fair amount of clumsy tackles. Sterling’s pace and agility would be nigh on impossible for Stoke to deal with, and he would most likely to be able to create lots of space for himself and others, as well as drawing lots of fouls. He is also very strong for such a small player, and would therefore be able to stand up to the physical presence of the Stoke defence.

On the whole, I certainly think that Sterling should, and will, be given a chance in the first team this season. Brendan Rodgers, like all good managers, gives players a chance in the first team if they are performing well enough, and Sterling has been one of our stand-out players in pre-season. He will almost without question be selected ahead of Downing (who is rumoured to be on his way out of the club anyway, possibly to Newcastle), and he has the potential to be hugely effective in our opening fixture against Stoke. It’s a big season for the 18 year old, and if he continues to play like he has been in pre-season he will not only cement himself as a regular in our side, but also almost certainly prompt another international call-up. He’s an exceptional young talent, and Liverpool are lucky to have him.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013