If I was playing against him, I'd want to smash the **** out of him. However, as a spectator I don't have an issue
It's one of Sturridge's best attributes - The quick step-over then the burst away from the defender.. Reminds me a lot of Torres when he was here.
I was a wee lad at that the time and we've already established I don't know my even from my evenings... #ffs
Daniel Sturridge has no regrets about putting his country before his club last week. The Liverpool forward's patriotic, if arguably foolish, decision to play 90 minutes for England against Germany while carrying a thigh injury infuriated his club manager, Brendan Rodgers, and saw Sturridge restricted to substitute duties for the first 79 minutes of Saturday's Merseyside derby. He stepped off the bench to score an 89th-minute equaliser against Everton in the 3-3 draw at Goodison Park but Rodgers was not in forgiving mood. "I am looking at him in training on Friday and he is not right," he said. "Whose responsibility is that? It is the FA's and the player's." Refusing to see his stance as either selfish or potentially self destructive, Sturridge viewed things differently. "For me, regardless of what condition you are in, if you are selected by the England manager you go out there and do the best you can regardless of whether you are carrying an injury or not," he said. "The manager gave me an opportunity and it's always a pleasure to put the England shirt on. Regardless of what condition you're in, fit or not fit, if you are selected for England you go out there and do your best." The thigh problem has been troubling Sturridge for some time and he acknowledges that being on England duty hardly accelerated his recovery. "I have been hampered for the past three games," he said. "Since West Brom [on 26 October], when I got a bang, I've had blood underneath my muscles in my thigh. It's still there now. When I shoot from long distance I still feel pain but it's getting better. "It's important that I'm training but I didn't get to train much when I was away with England. I only trained once before the game. I need to get the momentum going and just try to get it right and make sure I'm in the right condition to be able to go out there and do myself justice. I hope I'll be fit enough to start against Hull next weekend. It would be great to be back in the side." Rodgers may have to calm down first. He was upset about a perceived indifference on Sturridge's part to the prospect of starting his first Merseyside derby, but at least the striker seemed suitably impressed and excited by the occasion. "It was a remarkable game to be a part of," Sturridge said. "I wasn't too sure whether I would get on as we were holding on to a lead at 2-1 but when Everton scored the manager told me to warm up again and then put me on. It was great to be a part of it and help the team get a draw. "In the end we have to be happy with a point. We were a bit disappointed that we didn't win having led twice but now we'll look to push on. We showed great character and resilience to get back into the game and that was important. It's not about individuals, it's about Liverpool Football Club and it's great to be part of it." Rodgers will hope he backs up words with actions. "If you want to be a champion, if you want to win things, you have to be ready," he said. "I felt Daniel wasn't ready. The games he has disappointed in have come when he hasn't trained. That was the call here." http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/nov/25/liverpool-daniel-sturridge-brendan-rodgers
"In the end we have to be happy with a point. We were a bit disappointed that we didn't win having led twice but now we'll look to push on. We showed great character and resilience to get back into the game and that was important. It's not about individuals, it's about Liverpool Football Club and it's great to be part of it." doesn't sound like someone who is going to sulk to me, also good that he says its not about individuals, only issue we might have now is how Brendan reacts.
I don't like how Brendan carried on criticising a young player who had been called up for his country against one of its biggest rivals. Pointless or not most youth would kill for that chance. Why blame Sturridge for taking it? He's a player that thrives on confidence and positive limelight. You'll end up alienating him and trashing his form. I hate internationals and get more than my dose of it during the world cup but we have to understand the players. To them, they see it as an obligation set in stone. Its not their fault England play Germany 4 days before a league game, so being as dumb as rocks, they'll just keep going until they collapse. Its the managers that need to deal with tired/inured players. Roy made a mistake, but Rodgers has clearly been making a mistake playing him while injured as well. A players job is to play and not to manage himself through his fixtures. He cant sub himself off. There's a bloke being paid hundreds of thousands of pounds per month to do that. Blame them, not the player.
Was just about to say exactly the same. I guess Rodgers is trying to motivate him to look after himself and be fit as often as possible (fair enough) but did this really need to be aired publicly? So Sturridge wants to go to the world cup. Hardly a big shock. Of course Woy deserves some criticism in this but equally so do we. Did we really need him to play against Fulham? We would have beaten them with Bert and Ernie playing up front. I'm glad the lad wants to play whether that's for club or country.
Has BR "carried on" criticising his player though? Everything I've just read in that article is just a re-hash of what he said after the game, which has already been widely quoted. The only "news" is Sturridge's explanation of his own thinking, carefully made to look like he's "putting country before club". It seems to me yet another attempt by the media to spin something out and make it into a big issue. Of course BR is disappointed his player comes back unfit after a meaningless international, aren't we all? I don't want to see this become yet another witch-hunt against a player or his manager over something which is a common problem amongst players divided between their club and their country. The media also play their part by building up internationals into some jingoistic crusade for "national pride" when I believe most grass roots football fans are more concerned with their club's fortunes than those of the national team.
I'm pretty sure that not too long ago, the media actually accused Sturridge of putting club BEFORE country? - Sturridge then came out with a statement how he meant to say that if he played well for LFC, then the England call up will come. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...rridge-accused-putting-Liverpool-England.html
TBH, this is how players should be. If players and fans all saw representing their country as the bigger thing football would go some way to getting back to the morals of yesteryear. However, these comments aren't going to help him with the Liverpool fans, its Michael Owen mkII!
I don't blame him for wanting to turn out for England (injured or not). At the end of the day it's a world cup year and regardless of how much of a joke we treat international football, The World Cup is the biggest competition of them all. It's every players dream to play in a world cup
Young lad wants to take part in the World Cup in Brazil, can you believe it? Absolute non-story this. BR hasn't helped the situation though to be honest. He should have said that he was shocked that Daniel played 90 minutes against Germany...That is all.
I agree with Rodgers, it was a friendly and an ideal opportunity to rest an injury. Had it been a qualifying match then fair enough. It's great to play for your country but in this instance Studge and the Englans staff should have at least limited his playing time.
I think the issue is more about it being a friendly and him carrying an injury then him wanting to represent his country.
He's going to play anyway though, he's the best striker they have it wasn't a matter of him fighting for a place if fit he starts.
