Jurgen Klopp has put Daniel Sturridge well and truly in his place for the tweet our crocked striker sent following the Boxing Day victory versus Leicester, reports the Guardian.
Congratulating his team-mates for their 1-0 victory over the table-toppers, Sturridge claimed he was ‘good to go’, only for Klopp to firmly tell reporters that he’ll be the man that decides when Sturridge is ready to return – not the player.
Perfect gift for Christmas from the boys getting a win. On a sidenote I’m back training and good to go!! #Lfc #redordead
— Daniel Sturridge (@DanielSturridge) December 26, 2015
“This is absolutely the same thing that Daniel said four weeks ago, and we let him play and he was injured again,” said the boss, who’s completely correct. Sturridge has threatened to make multiple comebacks already this season only to injure himself again.
Instead, Liverpool’s coaching staff now want him to have his own pre-season – and will not consider him until he’s properly built up his resistance.
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“He says this, you ask him, and he says he’s good. I know he is good, but he has to train. Otherwise we always have this situation for the next 10 years and always talk about ‘where is Daniel Sturridge – can you play him?’. We have to try and change something, we have tried everything else, so we must try this now.”
Interestingly, Klopp doesn’t even want to see Sturridge in training, because he’s worried the player’s ability might convince him to rush him back!
“I don’t want to see him in training because everybody knows you go ‘oh my god, come on, bring him’. That’s his quality,” the German continued.
“But we have to be really, really patient in this moment, we have to wait, we have to train, we have to give the body the right information, and then he can go.
“If we do this, then maybe we can change something or we will be here talking about Daniel Sturridge for the next 10 years.
“This is a good moment to try to change something.”
Sturridge has scored 44 goals in 73 Liverpool games. He’s prolific and brilliant, but Klopp’s plan of action is undoubtedly the right one.
What’s the point in bringing the English striker back for two games only to see him miss the next six? Our other strikers are not exactly on form, but we have expensive, highly paid players to start in his place while Sturridge is training.
Sturridge’s quotes do one thing though – reject the accusations that he’s a bottler. The forward is dying to play, but it’s Klopp rightly holding him back.