http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/179934-sturridge-confident-of-mario-connection Daniel Sturridge believes he can forge a strike partnership with Mario Balotelli after watching the Italian net a decisive goal against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Tuesday night. Balotelli notched his first Barclays Premier League strike for the club when he arrived in the right place at the right time to convert Adam Lallana's pass and seal a 3-2 victory against the Reds' top-four rivals. For Sturridge, the game brought a first start since the reverse of the fixture against Spurs at White Hart Lane in August, and the forward provided an assist for Lazar Markovic's opener before being fouled for the penalty which Steven Gerrard calmly converted. In the 74th minute, Sturridge made way for Balotelli - and when Jordon Ibe released Lallana with a clever through ball as the clock ticked down, the No.45 was left with a simple finish to send Anfield into ecstasy. "It was important for Mario," Sturridge said. "He's been waiting for a while to break his duck and been working very hard in training, and now he has scored one in the league I am sure things will start to go his way now. "It's not easy to settle into a new team, a new area, a new lifestyle, with different people around you and so on and so forth. People don't ever take that into account. I try to do my bit [to help him], although I'm not taking any credit for him scoring against Spurs - I'm just happy he did! "Of course we can get a good understanding going. I'd say I can play with any player not just Mario. Whatever team the manager chooses to put out I will do my best, whoever I have a partnership with. "I try to adapt to whoever I am playing with and bring out the best in each other, and we [me and Mario] click when we are playing together. "With Mario I can move around and go into wide areas because I know he will occupy the centre-halves. It's different, you play differently with different players and I am sure we will strike up a partnership in the future, I have no doubts about that. "I like playing with a partner, but I also like playing on my own. It is down to whatever the manager chooses but it is important, whoever I am playing with, to help them play well. It is not just about me trying to do what I do." Sturridge's last start for the club prior to Tuesday, at White Hart Lane in August, saw him partner Balotelli from the off as Liverpool went about demolishing Mauricio Pochettino's side 3-0. At Anfield this week, the No.15 found himself in different surrounds, playing through the middle of the attack in a 3-4-3 approach, flanked by Markovic and Philippe Coutinho, on the lookout for his every move. "In the Tottenham game [in August] I played a little bit different to how I did on Tuesday night because I know how Coutinho plays and he likes to thread balls through so I have to play on the shoulder a bit more," explained the striker. "Obviously I still have a few gears to go up, Tuesday was my first start for five months or so. It's just an opportunity to get the minutes under my belt." Despite firing 24 goals last season to help Liverpool secure a return to Champions League football following a five-year absence, injury prevented Sturridge from partaking in any of the Reds' six group games in the competition this season. However, having returned from a frustrating spell on the sidelines with a goal against West Ham United two weeks ago, the 25-year-old is determined to play a part in guiding the side to success in the remaining competitions. "We also still have the Europa League and we're looking forward to hopefully getting back into the top four and the Champions League," he explained. "Then I will be able to play my part in the Champions League next season. "There are a lot of twists and turns yet. Every game is a big one, it's a final for us, that's the truth of it. It is important for us to be in the top four and to win some silverware. If we can do that it will be a great achievement."
You're absolutely right - Lambert would perform so much better at the main striker in the 3-4-3 ... Lallana has played in his favoured positions since he joined and has been poor yet everyone wants to make excuses for him. Compare that Mario who was constantly played as a lone striker in an awful system. We then moved to the 3-4-3 (against United and that's when we saw how much of a handful he could be).
The main point is that they should not be on the pitch together at the moment as the current system works and we should not change it to accomadate this potential partnership.
I'd also say Balotelli shouldn't be on the pitch from the start at the moment either, he's not earnt the right yet. Keep coming off the bench with performances like against Spurs and it won't take long though.
I'm not really impressed with anything I saw against Spurs, it was on a plate for him but I agree with the sentiment. Come on play well get a goal if you can and I will be a covert but at the moment nothing has changed for me.
Mario has been improving since we moved to the 3-4-3. He started a lot of games when we played that awful 4-5-1 formation where he was stuck as a lone striker (where he has NEVER excelled in his career), and it's when we didn't have our best players i.e. Moreno, Markovic, Can, Sakho. He was an easy target in a poor team which had far worse players. I think he needs to be playing more in this time alongside Sturridge before any criticism is warranted.
Although I'm not as anti-Mario as luv I agree with his post earlier. I can't see them getting much game time together atm. The system is working fairly well and barring an enforced change through injury why would we alter it to accommodate him? Do we really want more experimentation at such a crucial time?
Great but back to the conversation. You were criticising people for not giving Balotelli a chance... Whether you were right or wrong is irrelevant. You criticised them before they proved you right (debatable on its own with Lallana) but say Balotelli needs to be given a chance. Can you not see the hypocrisy...?
I thought he tried his best to Migs the goal, have you seen the weird angle of his for as he connects with the ball? I thought he ran and harassed more, worked for the team for once. I don't expect to see it for another twelve games now mind
Mario has hardly featured in those fifteen games we've played 343. I'd guess he's featured in less than five of those matches! Edit: and he's not played ninety minutes in any of them!
welll...... i didn't want to say cos this stuff is pure fantasy. the guys been dropped out of our 18 man match days squads and injured so I cannot say how on earth a gaol meand balotelli's been marvellous or something. The guy is average. everyone knows he's average and sometimes capable of an amazing goal then you get average again. there's no point sugar coating it. If he's thus far not done anything stupid thats a bonus bascially. he's so far not been unreliable and a liability in games but he's not played enough for a while to have a chance to get sent off. I just think we need to appreciate our first 3 and hope sterling signs up very soon or he will be gone and then we will be left with badontelly.
My biggest criticism of Mario has been his workrate more than his lack of goals. Crouch did not score for us until his 17th appearance but was putting the work in every game, making chances and assists, by comparison Mario whenhwhen he first played for us seemed to sulk around the pitch andand be afraid to keep hold of the ball at all. Marios recent effort has sseen me overall happier with him, the goal didnt hurt but that is not the reason I am more upbeat on him than I was a couple of months ago.
