Heading into the season, everything seemed to be in place for Daniel Sturridge to score a hatful of goals for an exciting Liverpool side.
The England striker was getting over the injuries that restricted him to eight Premier League starts in 2015/16 and Jurgen Klopp had fashioned a formation that had a prime spot for Sturridge at centre-forward, with exciting, creative players such as Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho around him.
Sturridge is one of the best finishers in the Premier League, but something has gone wrong this season.
He has started just three games for Liverpool and has been substituted by Klopp each time. Sturridge seems to be the first player replaced when things aren’t going quite as well as his manager wants.
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On a Liverpool team that have scored 16 Premier League goals, Sturridge has zero. His only goals came when he netted twice after coming on as a substitute in the 5-0 League Cup win at second-tier Burton Albion.
As he watched from the bench on Saturday as Liverpool destroyed a Hull City side reduced to 10 men after Ahmed Elmohamady was shown a red card for handball in the area (Liverpool scored five and it could have been 10), Sturridge must have regretted his actions earlier in the season when he moaned about playing in one of the wide positions of Klopp's fluid 4-3-3 formation.
At the moment, this Liverpool side doesn’t need Sturridge.
The end is nigh for Guidolin
Sometimes a manager’s luck just isn’t in, as is the case with Swansea City’s Francesco Guidolin.
Swansea have lost four of six league games. Their only points have come with a fortuitous, late 1-0 win at Burnley on the opening day, and a home draw that said as much about Chelsea’s defensive frailties as Swansea’s quality.
Guidolin had a frustrating summer. Losing top player Andre Ayew to West Ham United meant having to bring in late replacements. Record-signing Borja Baston got injured straight away.
Pressure is mounting and it is likely the Italian could go this week. You couldn’t pick worse upcoming fixtures for a struggling side: Liverpool at home and Arsenal away.
You would think Guidolin deserves time given that Swansea would not expect to win those games anyway, but what would you do if you were Guidolin’s boss? Wait for Swansea to lose two more games and then see if he can turn things around against Watford and Stoke City? Or make the change now and give the new man more time to work with the side?
Luiz was an obvious panic buy
It is hardly a coincidence that Chelsea’s season has started to go off the rails as soon as David Luiz arrived back at the club.
The Brazilian is possibly the most overrated defender in world football. He is really a defensive midfielder masquerading as a centre-half. It is a popular opinion, but he backs it up with his performances on the pitch.
If you watch highlights of the goals Chelsea have conceded and pay specific attention to Luiz, you can see how often he is caught out of position or demonstrating a complete lack of urgency.
His first spell at Chelsea was littered with these incidents, in which three of Chelsea’s back four would be holding an offside line while Luiz ould find himself 15 yards ahead trying to make a needless challenge.
His eyes follow the ball instead of the man, so he ends up playing like a school kid in the playground running round in circles as he chases the ball.
Luiz so obviously does not fit the mould of an Antonio Conte defender that you wonder who signed off on the deal and why it happened on the last day of the transfer window.
It smacks of a panic buy.
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