Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp stated that he does not intend to play Daniel Sturridge as a winger.
Building up to the weekend’s Premier League, Jurgen Klopp said that he has no issue with Daniel Sturridge voicing his concerns over being fielded as a winger. However, Klopp insisted that he plans to play him as a central striker, but said that the game is all about changing positions.
According to the Guardian, the Liverpool boss said:
“The first thing is I don’t want to play Daniel as a wide player but of course he can start there and play there but in the decisive moments he needs to be involved in all the finishing situations.
“I think both goals [against Burton] he scored inside the box so he was not on the wing in this moment – that is flexible football. That is how football works, it is not a fixed position [where you] stay outside and wait until you get the ball – especially not in Daniel’s case.
“When a striker plays in the centre it makes no sense so you have to change positions. Daniel is a very smart player in hiding himself in positions where it is not easy to defend and it is very often in a wing position.”
Sturridge recently stated that he was not happy being played out of position, and that he deserves to play as a central striker. The English striker was played out wide during the Reds’ 2-0 defeat against Burnley over the weekend, but made a case for his selection as a striker when he came on to score a brace in the EFL Cup game against Burton Albion.
Despite showing tremendous promise, Sturridge has gone through a rough patch at Anfield due to a number of injury worries. In the 2013/14 season, he worked in tandem with Luis Suarez, but ever since the Uruguayan’s departure, the English striker has failed to regenerate his golden touch.
However, it now seems that Sturridge has fallen down in the pecking order with Klopp preferring to deploy Roberto Firmino as a false nine. Also, the resurgence of Divock Origi may see Sturridge become third choice at the club. Thus, it would not come as much of a surprise if the 26-year-old is deployed as a winger instead of a striker.