Another game, another objective for Daniel Sturridge. The Chelsea slash England slash UK of Great Britain plus Northern Ireland sans Northern Ireland plus Scotland ('team GB') strike has today played regarding 2 full games at the 2012 Olympics, plus has notched twice. His initially strike, up against the United Arab Emirates, became a breathtaking lob which came following Scott Sinclair had absolutely earned the match. His second was far less officially impressive, however, ended up guaranteeing which GB topped Group A with a 1-0 win against Uruguay. Not too bad, appropriate?
Of course, it'd be silly to based the opinion of Sturridge's performance based about a close-range tap-in. If he's inside the conversation for a centre forward character at Chelsea, we're going to need to be very confident which he may really play the position. Because he's just ever certainly played because a broad forward with you (along with a help striker with Bolton Wanderers), it's difficult to recognize how he'd play inside the center. The Olympics provide you a good chance to find what Sturridge provides when moved within the proper wing.
Unfortunately, a bout of viral meningitis before the tournament has meant which his fitness plus sharpness are somewhat lacking. If you've watched him play, you'd have watched a initially touch that's really a little off plus acceleration which isn't very about his normal specifications. But that's to be expected from a player recovering from a very severe condition, plus certain rust shouldn't prejudice you against his performances.
His technical abilities, yet, are somewhat alongside the point. We recognize Sturridge is wise found on the ball plus has an eye for objective. What we're actually seeking is an indication which his link-up play functions plus which he makes the decisions you anticipate from a pure centre forward. What's the verdict? So, it was mixed.
Sturridge is clearly not a 'target' sort centre forward. He's not superior inside the air plus doesn't absolutely result in the required runs for significant crosses (though his close post runs did permit Craig Bellamy to play the ball to Scott Sinclair at the back post). He equally refuses to remain central, drifting to the wings plus often even deep inside purchase to choose up the ball. His movement really reminded me a great deal of the Chelsea incarnation of Fernando Torres.
There were certain superior runs plus several bad, however it's value pointing out which he scored a classic poacher's finish plus possibly must have grabbed a next, hitting the post whenever presented with an clear web as well as the ball possibly six inches off the goalline. Fortunately for Danny, the entire sequence was ruled out for Bellamy's cross going from play, yet despite that the finishing was awful, the movement was good.
This is all dodging the elephant inside the space, yet. The primary criticism of Sturridge lies inside his supposed 'selfish' play. Leaving apart the absurdity of attaching a perjorative to a certain playing fashion (should you think you are able to ascertain someone's character within the means they play sports, you're virtually absolutely an idiot), it's very well-defined which the 22-year-old doesn't play inside an completely optimum technique. Sometimes he shoots whenever a pass is a greater choice -- he did thus about at smallest 2 times against Uruguay -- plus often he goes for a flair pass whenever a easier choice will be greater.
That's a valid criticism, however we're getting to the point where we're critiquing a caricature of Sturridge instead of the player himself. No player, not even Xavi, is a best choice machine, plus centre forwards inside certain are notorious for favouring direct play over passing. We disregard the extended spells where he plays... effectively, usually, interchanging possession with Tom Cleverley at the best of the box, or struggling to release Neil Taylor found on the overlap, considering they're not element of the 'selfish selfish selfish' narrative we're chosen to weaving about him,
Sturridge is young, plus could possibly learn how to pass more frequently inside conditions where shots aren't especially probably to go inside. He's additionally going to score a great deal of objectives because of the truth which he's ready to convert solutions into shots. I'd really quite have a player that shoots too much at forward inside this Chelsea team than 1 that shoots too little*, though clearly having Sturridge be a little less extreme with all the shooty-shootiness will be a positive.
*Not to turn this into a Torres debate, however, Nando might virtually absolutely stand to be a little less careful inside taking shots.
Do I think which Sturridge is a flawed player at this point? Yes. Do I think he had a advantageous game against Uruguay? Not truly. Was it a bad 1? Not at all. There were a couple of terrible decisions, the type we receive from a 22-year-old goalscorer, along with a some pieces of good function, sandwiching the meat of general competence. He took 4 shots, 3 of that were about target, plus forced Martin Campana into a surprisingly difficult conserve. He didn't lose the ball too frequently. Oh, plus he scored a objective too.
I don't recognize what Chelsea fans are expecting from Sturridge, however, for me this had been a good performance, even permitting for a fairly weak Uruguay defence, plus I don't anticipate which opinion to change much whenever I return from the game for a next time. This really is a player inside an unknown position plus recovering from a very nasty condition, plus he's doing really fine.
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