John Arne Riise Warns Daniel Sturridge, Aims Dig at Jose Enrique in Twitter Q&A

Former Liverpool favourite John Arne Riise has issued a warning to striker Daniel Sturridge and his current team-mates, suggesting the England international needs to address his contribution for the Anfield giants under new boss Jurgen Klopp. 

Richard Arrowsmith of the Mail Online reported the Norwegian full-back, who spent seven years on Merseyside, questioned members of Klopp's squad, saying Sturridge needs to "step up his work rate" under the new manager. 

In the question-and-answer session on Twitter, Riise also said he hopes Spanish full-back Jose Enrique doesn't make it back into the Liverpool starting XI, and new signing Roberto Firmino "needs to show more" in order to be a success in the Premier League. 

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Sturridge has missed months of football due to his continuing issues with injury, but his goal record for Liverpool suggests he is hitting the mark when fit. 

The former Chelsea and Manchester City man has an impressive goal ratio since joining the club in 2012-13, scoring 37 goals in the league in only 47 starts, according to WhoScored.com. 

Firmino is yet to register a goal or an assist for his new club since joining in the summer, but he had been a prolific contributor to Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim's attack for several seasons, suggesting he simply needs time to settle into life in the more energetic settings of English football. 

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Klopp will need to get the best from the pair if he is to have immediate success after his appointment for the Reds. The German has said he trusts Sturridge to manage his fitness in his attempt to get back into the first team after missing the game against Tottenham Hotspur due to a knock in training, as quoted by Tom Beck of Goal.com:

"

I trust this player 100 percent. If Daniel is fit, then he can play no problem. If he is not then I don’t think about it because if the medics and physiotherapists tell it is not possible, then it is not possible.

I have known Daniel for one week and for six days he was perfect in training. Everything we did he was full of power, skills. He was outstanding. There were so many good things and then he had this contact with [Jordon] Ibe.

"

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Sturridge comes alive in the box when his predatory instincts kick in. However, with Christian Benteke now at Anfield, the player might find himself in a wider berth, forcing him to increase his work rate, as Riise suggests. 

His unfortunate run of injuries will not help him psychologically as he tries to conform to Klopp's all-action style, and he might struggle as he works on his true match fitness.

However, his goal record guarantees he will feature when fit, with Klopp confirming his perfection on the training pitch during his first week at Melwood.

The next six months will shape the new coach's tenure at Liverpool, and the success or failure of Sturridge will dictate how far Klopp's side progress in the short term.

Former boss Brendan Rodgers might still have a job if the player had remained fit over the previous 12 months. If the attacker can once again be a regular starter—a huge factor that Rodgers couldn't control—Klopp's opening weeks at Anfield will be much easier.