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Just one start for England and one goal but Sturridge is primed for centre stage
By MATT BARLOW
PUBLISHED: 16:35 EST, 10 October 2013 | UPDATED: 16:38 EST, 10 October 2013 0
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Daniel Sturridge has, by sheer weight of goals and blistering form for Liverpool, created a situation where a nation will be staggered if he does not start for England on Friday night.
Roy Hodgson has been predictably coy about his plans but Sturridge seems set to start only his second game for England and is likely to be up front with Wayne Rooney just behind him.
The Liverpool striker has under an hour of competitive international football in his tank, less than any of Hodgson's five strikers, including Rickie Lambert, and he has only scored once for his country, the seventh in an 8-0 romp in San Marino.
Yet there is no argument. Look at the figures. Sturridge has eight in nine for Liverpool this season and 20 in 27 games for club and country in 2013. Not only the goals, he is making things happen for a side who are going well.
ROY LOVES TO TINKER WITH HIS ATTACK...
Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge line up together on Friday for the first time since the 1-1 draw against the Republic of Ireland in May.
It is one of 11 striking combinations that tinkering Roy Hodgson has used in his 20 games as England manager.
The others are: Ashley Young and Andy Carroll, Young and Danny Welbeck (twice), Jermain Defoe alone (twice), Welbeck and Rooney (five times), Defoe and Rooney (twice), Welbeck and Carroll, Carroll alone, Welbeck alone, Rooney alone (twice), and Ricky Lambert alone (twice).
'He's even better than I thought, said Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard. 'I'd seen his games at Chelsea and Manchester City where I'd seen flashes but his consistency has been brilliant at Liverpool.
'He's different, razor sharp, with great technique and can score any kind of goal. You saw the finish against Crystal Palace at the weekend, some finish from a tight angle. He's confident but not arrogant or flash. He has a lot of belief in his own ability and I don't blame him.'
Sturridge's quality has never been questioned. At Chelsea, Carlo Ancelotti used to marvel at his pace over a few yards and his ability to create space in a crowded penalty area.
But he finally seems to have escaped his reputation as a difficult pupil, something he acquired when he arrived at Chelsea from Manchester City when his attitude was questioned almost as often as the size of his salary.
It is as if he has responded to the added responsibility of leading the Liverpool line in the absence of Luis Suarez and relishing the chance to prove his worth at centre forward.
'He's been absolutely no problem at Liverpool,' said Gerrard. 'He's needed a manager who was prepared to build a team around him, put him as the main striker and we've seen nothing but quality in training and in games.
'It's all about him being available and fit. If he is, I think he'll do a lot of damage for both club and country.
Sturridge is red hot and leaving him out of a game when England must score goals and win would be foolhardy, as would asking him to play wide in a front three, where he was often deployed during three-and-a-half frustrating years at Chelsea. It was the key reason behind his exit in January.
Hodgson appears equally unlikely to suggest Rooney move to the flank, given we now know that his opposition to playing anywhere but up front through the middle was the source of his unhappiness at Manchester United last season.
So England revert to two central strikers for the first time since the tedious draw against the Republic of Ireland in May, the friendly which sparked Gary Lineker's Twitter rant.
'Back to the Dark Ages, two lines of four,' said Lineker, who added: 'Predictable and dated' and 'Brazil will thrash us if we line up the same way'.
Sturridge was injured 30 minutes into the game against the Irish, missed the next four international games through injury and England went back to a 4-3-3 shape, which seems to offer greater depth and balance and met with Lineker's approval, at least it did until the 0-0 draw in Kiev last time out.
It is the shape Hodgson prefers when Jack Wilshere is in the team but there have been clues in training this week that Wilshere may miss out.
So does Hodgson ask Rooney or Sturridge to move wide? Or play without one of them? Or go back to the flat world which will have Lineker stirring trouble on his night off?
'I don't expect people to keep their noses out,' said Hodgson, who is now friends with Lineker.
Failure tonight is not something Hodgson will contemplate. England expects, as he said himself, but if all does not go to plan few will disagree with his desire to pair Sturridge and Rooney.
'They're two excellent front players, who can perform all the roles you want,' said Hodgson. 'The first time I had that was for the Republic of Ireland game and I liked the look of those two and they'd do a very good job.
'Sturridge set up the goal for Frank Lampard but got injured... now I have an opportunity to resurrect that partnership if I want.'
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By MATT BARLOW
PUBLISHED: 16:35 EST, 10 October 2013 | UPDATED: 16:38 EST, 10 October 2013 0
View
comments
Daniel Sturridge has, by sheer weight of goals and blistering form for Liverpool, created a situation where a nation will be staggered if he does not start for England on Friday night.
Roy Hodgson has been predictably coy about his plans but Sturridge seems set to start only his second game for England and is likely to be up front with Wayne Rooney just behind him.
Ready for action: England's Daniel Sturridge (R) warms up during training session
The Liverpool striker has under an hour of competitive international football in his tank, less than any of Hodgson's five strikers, including Rickie Lambert, and he has only scored once for his country, the seventh in an 8-0 romp in San Marino.
Yet there is no argument. Look at the figures. Sturridge has eight in nine for Liverpool this season and 20 in 27 games for club and country in 2013. Not only the goals, he is making things happen for a side who are going well.
ROY LOVES TO TINKER WITH HIS ATTACK...
Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge line up together on Friday for the first time since the 1-1 draw against the Republic of Ireland in May.
It is one of 11 striking combinations that tinkering Roy Hodgson has used in his 20 games as England manager.
The others are: Ashley Young and Andy Carroll, Young and Danny Welbeck (twice), Jermain Defoe alone (twice), Welbeck and Rooney (five times), Defoe and Rooney (twice), Welbeck and Carroll, Carroll alone, Welbeck alone, Rooney alone (twice), and Ricky Lambert alone (twice).
'He's even better than I thought, said Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard. 'I'd seen his games at Chelsea and Manchester City where I'd seen flashes but his consistency has been brilliant at Liverpool.
'He's different, razor sharp, with great technique and can score any kind of goal. You saw the finish against Crystal Palace at the weekend, some finish from a tight angle. He's confident but not arrogant or flash. He has a lot of belief in his own ability and I don't blame him.'
Sturridge's quality has never been questioned. At Chelsea, Carlo Ancelotti used to marvel at his pace over a few yards and his ability to create space in a crowded penalty area.
But he finally seems to have escaped his reputation as a difficult pupil, something he acquired when he arrived at Chelsea from Manchester City when his attitude was questioned almost as often as the size of his salary.
It is as if he has responded to the added responsibility of leading the Liverpool line in the absence of Luis Suarez and relishing the chance to prove his worth at centre forward.
'He's been absolutely no problem at Liverpool,' said Gerrard. 'He's needed a manager who was prepared to build a team around him, put him as the main striker and we've seen nothing but quality in training and in games.
Primed: Sturridge will be expected to start upfront on Friday
'It's all about him being available and fit. If he is, I think he'll do a lot of damage for both club and country.
Sturridge is red hot and leaving him out of a game when England must score goals and win would be foolhardy, as would asking him to play wide in a front three, where he was often deployed during three-and-a-half frustrating years at Chelsea. It was the key reason behind his exit in January.
Hodgson appears equally unlikely to suggest Rooney move to the flank, given we now know that his opposition to playing anywhere but up front through the middle was the source of his unhappiness at Manchester United last season.
So England revert to two central strikers for the first time since the tedious draw against the Republic of Ireland in May, the friendly which sparked Gary Lineker's Twitter rant.
'Back to the Dark Ages, two lines of four,' said Lineker, who added: 'Predictable and dated' and 'Brazil will thrash us if we line up the same way'.
Sturridge was injured 30 minutes into the game against the Irish, missed the next four international games through injury and England went back to a 4-3-3 shape, which seems to offer greater depth and balance and met with Lineker's approval, at least it did until the 0-0 draw in Kiev last time out.
Hot shot: Sturridge has scored eight in nine games for Liverpool this season
It is the shape Hodgson prefers when Jack Wilshere is in the team but there have been clues in training this week that Wilshere may miss out.
So does Hodgson ask Rooney or Sturridge to move wide? Or play without one of them? Or go back to the flat world which will have Lineker stirring trouble on his night off?
'I don't expect people to keep their noses out,' said Hodgson, who is now friends with Lineker.
Failure tonight is not something Hodgson will contemplate. England expects, as he said himself, but if all does not go to plan few will disagree with his desire to pair Sturridge and Rooney.
'They're two excellent front players, who can perform all the roles you want,' said Hodgson. 'The first time I had that was for the Republic of Ireland game and I liked the look of those two and they'd do a very good job.
'Sturridge set up the goal for Frank Lampard but got injured... now I have an opportunity to resurrect that partnership if I want.'
More...
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