Liverpool striker must be utilised as spearhead in a 4-2-3-1
Published:If you want to win a relay race then save your fastest runner for the last leg, everyone knows that. Similarly, if you want to win a football match, it’s strongly advisable to place your best players in their most effective positions, something England failed to do until late on against Denmark.
When Daniel Sturridge did eventually wander in from the flank during England’s attritional 1-0 victory over Denmark, the Liverpool hotshot stuck away the winner.
Although Roy Hodgson would argue that Sturridge was part of a fluid front three, alongside teammate Raheem Sterling and Waybe Rooney in a 4-3-3 system, the sight of Studger tracking back in wide positions is not a welcome one for the England fan.
Therefore, recreating the system in which he operates for Liverpool seems by far the best way to utilise his predatory instincts and furthermore, it actually suits other personnel within the England ranks too.
Sturridge’s ridiculously prolific return of nine Premier League goals from as many games, which included setting a new club record of scoring in eight consecutive matches, have come courtesy of playing on the shoulder of the last defender in said system.
Having moved onto 18 league strikes, Sturridge has reeled team-mate Luis Suarez in to a gap of just six in the race to be the Premier League’s top scorer, at odds of 15/2 to supersede the Uruguayan, with 10 left to play.
At England level, Hodgson would then be able to accommodate his skipper Steven Gerrard as the deep-lying option in a familiar midfield two, with Jack Wilshere probably the one to play alongside him.
Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney can slot into his favoured number 10 berth behind Sturridge and anyone of Danny Welbeck, Andros Townsend, Adam Lallana, Raheem Sterling or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain can fight it out for the pronged attacking positions.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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