Suarez and Sturridge: Everything Chelsea could have had

13 January 2014 09:19

Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge were reunited this weekend at the Britannia Stadium as Liverpool’s devastating duo helped the Reds smash five past Stoke City, ending a torrid run of three straight losses on the Potters home soil.

The strike force known as the SAS are responsible for 32 of the clubs 51 goals this season and have helped move Liverpool from potential top six candidate, to Premier League title chasers in half a season and are keeping defender up and night with their devastating finishing and deft passing in the final third.

While the Merseysiders are enjoying the fruits of the pairing’s labours, down in south London, Chelsea fans can only be reminded of what they could have had.

Chelsea have hardly been struggling for goals this season, amassing 40 of their own so far this season, but few have come from their forward men, with Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and Samuel Eto combining for a grand total of eight net rattlers after the first 21 games of the season, two less than Sturridge has scored on his own.

The young England and Liverpool forward left Stamford Bridge last season after spending too much time watching and waiting in the wings for his opportunity to play in the centre of the attack. As new managers came in and out of the London club’s revolving doors, Sturridge continued to be overlooked as a centre forward, with nearly all who picked him placing the Birmingham born attacker on the flanks, despite the fantastic form he showed in front of goal during his half season loan spell at Bolton Wanderers in 2012, scoring eight in just 11 starts.

Sturridge’s protests and unhappiness over station in the Chelsea ranks was put down to immaturity and a poor work ethic, a characteristic that hampered his development at Manchester City before his arrival in London, and his cries to play down the middle of the pitch fell on deaf ears. Now thriving in that position at Liverpool, Roman Abramovich must be wondering why he insisted that his managerial minions play the likes of Torres and Nicolas Anelka ahead of the energetic Englishman.

A strike force, now, of Sturridge leading the line with Edin Hazard, Oscar, or even the out of favour Juan Mata, could be the SAS storming Stamford Bridge were it not for the clubs eagerness to fill a hole, not with players already in the squad, but with a fresh, financially expensive, face.

Before any more spending takes place at the Bridge, before Juan Mata gets shipped out by Jose Mourinho, Chelsea might want to reflect on what they had with Sturridge, what slipped through their fingers, and who else could be gone before it’s too late.

 

Source: DSG