Liverpool set the Premier League alight in 2013-14 with a clinical Daniel Sturridge and relentless Luis Suarez, can 2016-17 be the year Sturridge gets a new partner in £40 million signing Saido Mane?
It truly is an interesting question to ponder after seeing newly arrived Senegalese international Saido Mane score a wonder strike individual goal against Arsenal on Sunday.
Daniel Sturridge is soon to return from injury, yet again, but this season could be one where he remains healthy and firing like he hasn’t in the last three years.
The reason being the arrival of 24-year-old Mane. But, first lets take a quick look back.
History of 2013-14 SAS.
In 2013-14 Liverpool’s attack was spearheaded by a 26-year-old Suarez at the height of his abilities in England and a 23-year-old Sturridge that seemed to never miss.
Sturridge scored 21 goals and provided seven assists while Suarez scored 31 with 12 assists in the Premier League alone. That year Sturridge made 33 total appearances in the Premier League and cup competitions.
Since 2013-14 he has made only 26 EPL starts due to injuries. Between the last two seasons he also made an additional 17 between both the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Europa League.
However, I believe the arrival of Mane could be just what the doctor ordered to see Sturridge stay fit for this season and see his new partner rise to the best campaign of his career.
What Sturridge has lacked since 2013-14 and the departure of Suarez is a partner that can do most of the hard work physically and allow Sturridge to save his prowess for goals.
The majority of the time the 2013-14 S&S of Liverpool saw Sturridge start as a lone striker and Suarez out on a wing for defensive purposes but work into the middle of the park on attack.
Suarez was a relentless runner, created chances, created width and wreaked havoc on opposing defensive lines with his tireless pressure.
The following 2014-15 campaign and beginning of 2015-16 saw Brendan Rodgers trying to make Sturridge do the same physical work of Suarez, but his body has always been fragile and he physically couldn’t take the punishment.
In 2014-15 Rodgers brought in Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert up front, neither of whom was ever going to take the place of Suarez in partnership with Sturridge. Both were failures because Lambert couldn’t be a workhorse at his age and Balotelli has never been one during his club career.
Divock Origi was part of that summer transfer window, but he remained in Lille on-loan for the campaign as a non-factor.
Last summer saw Rodgers again spend big money on another believed star striker in Christian Benteke whom again was not set up for the type of workhorse position with Sturridge that Rodgers really needed if he wanted to repeat the success of 2013-14.
Although some will say the Northern Irish manager was trying to change the Reds style of play, nothing ever proved that was the real case and his lack of results cost him his job last fall.
Klopp takes the reigns.
Enter Jurgen Klopp, the German mastermind inherited a side that was lacking confidence and an identity and their star striker from 2013-14 was once again injured and a shadow of his former self.
Under his new manager Sturridge made 11 starts and three substitute appearances in the Premier League scoring eight goals with one assist, eight UEFA Europa Cup appearances with three goals and one assist as well as three more cup appearances and two more goals.
Klopp was able to keep Sturridge mostly healthy by not over working him and trying to get the midfield to work more for their star forward.
It frustrated Liverpool fans to see Sturridge be forced to wait more time between performances. But, it was crucial for Klopp to keep his most important forward healthy for the coming season as 2015-16 was always going to be about figuring out what he had for 2016-17.
Mane arrives for £40 million.
This summer Klopp brought in an attacking player that can truly pick up where Suarez left off two years ago in terms of hard work and goal scoring potential in Saido Mane.
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Mane was a beast in the Austrian Bundesliga for Red Bull Salzburg scoring 45 goals in 87 appearances across all competitions before Ronald Koeman brought him to Southampton in 2014-15. The last two seasons he scored 25 goals with nine assists in 75 total appearances across all competitions for the Saints.
Although Mane had some talented teammates at Southampton, he did not have the stock of talent that Liverpool has in terms of potential goal scorers and they did not have Sturridge.
Mane doesn’t quite have the height of Suarez, he makes up for it with his pace and strength and his ability to keep his head in intense situations where we all know younger Suarez was a loose cannon at times.
Sturridge can focus on being a poacher, a clinical finisher and on dropping into the midfield as needed to build on an attack. Mane can provide the pure hard work of harassing defenders and using his pace and strength to break into the open spaces and score of create goals.
Liverpool’s attack is uniquely positioned this season to see an SAS truly return with Mane on the wing playing through the middle and Sturridge leading the line.
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Next weekend against Burnley should be the first time we see them together in the Premier League and it is certain to be an interesting partnership to watch develop this season as the Reds look to make their return to the elite of England’s top flight.