Why Sturridge vs. Blind Will Be Key Liverpool-Manchester United Battle
Daniel Sturridge should return for Liverpool as they face Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League, and his battle with Daley Blind could be a big factor in the round-of-16 tie.
Sky Sports reported: "The England international has been rested for the last two matches but is set to lead the line in the first European encounter between English football's most decorated sides."
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On the evidence of recent games, he could well get some joy out of Blind. The Netherlands international has generally outperformed expectations at centre-back this season—partly because expectations were pretty low—but his past couple of games have been shaky at best.
Samuel Luckhurst of Manchester Evening News wrote in defence of the former Ajax man after the game against Watford at Old Trafford on 2 March:
"[Louis] Van Gaal has not placed Blind in 'the red zone' yet. Considering his protectiveness of the compatriots he coaches, he might defend Blind following his woeful midweek performance—his fourth game in 10 days. The fatigue was etched on his face so prominently at Watford he might have been drenched more by sweat than rain.
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The most obvious part of his error-strewn performance was a tendency to gift possession to United's opponents. He gave the ball away with 29 per cent of his passes against the Hornets, per WhoScored.com. That number is genuinely shocking given his normally expert use of the ball.
Blind was perhaps not solely to blame for the lack of marking that allowed Salomon Rondon to score for West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, but he deserved a part share of the culpability.
He will have to be better as he faces Liverpool, who will apparently have their star striker back.
Sturridge is enduring yet another injury-hit season. Back in November, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said his charge needed to learn "what is serious pain or what is only pain," per the Guardian.
Sturridge eventually addressed his critics, saying, per the Press Association (h/t MailOnline), "I am very ambitious, very determined to help Liverpool have success; I'm totally focused and of course I want to be on the pitch every game playing like every player and it hurts not to be playing."
His quality has been evident since his move to Anfield in January 2013. In the brief periods of fitness in among his injuries he has always scored goals.
After scoring 10 in 11 starts in the remainder of the 2012-13 campaign, he struck 21 times in 26 full appearances in the following season as Liverpool just missed out on the title. Last season, it was four in seven, and so far this season, he has scored three in four starts.
It is a remarkable level of consistency for someone so rarely fit to play recently. Given Liverpool's strikers have hardly been in form this season, Sturridge's presence could be invaluable in taking advantage of any tiredness in Blind.
Of course, Blind will have a partner in Chris Smalling with whom to share the burden. The England international was one of the few United players to emerge from the West Brom game with any credit.
After a solid start to the season, Smalling's form had dipped in the weeks leading up to his recent injury. Perhaps he has benefited from an enforced break.
Sturridge seems well placed to attack Blind, who generally relies on his footballing brain to gain an advantage. The Dutchman told United Review (h/t Manchester Evening News' Luckhurst): "I have shown it’s not only about strength but also about quick thinking and being in the right position."
Sturridge is a smart footballer too. Jack Lusby of This is Anfield praised the 26-year-old's "intelligent movement" after this season's home win over Swansea City. Back in 2014, Ibrahim Akkas of Squawka cited the forward's intelligence as one of the reasons he should have been considered a candidate for player of the season.
Rather than a battle in which he is physically outgunned—though Sturridge is quicker than him—Blind will have to be ready for a more cerebral battle than he is used to.
Back in August, United's first game of the season saw them face off against Tottenham Hotspur. Mauricio Pochettino had clearly told Harry Kane to focus on Blind's side of the defence—it looked almost as if the striker was man-marking the Dutchman.
At the time it seemed as if that would be the way strikers targeted United's defence for most of the season. That has not come to pass, but it will be intriguing to see if there is something of a return to that approach in this one. Considering the move would certainly be worth Klopp's time.
There are other important battles in this game, of course. If this was the Old Trafford leg of the tie then perhaps there would be more focus on the clash between Anthony Martial and Nathaniel Clyne. Indeed, Lusby picked out that battle for special attention in his preview of the game for Bleacher Report.
He wrote: "[Clyne] offers Liverpool a stable, if unspectacular, option at right-back, and if the Reds are to keep the fleet-footed Martial quiet at Anfield, he will need to draw upon his defensive nous."
There is also a battle to be won in the centre of midfield, though exactly who will be contesting that battle from United's side is uncertain.
While Morgan Schneiderlin and Ander Herrera had built something of a partnership when Van Gaal was forced by injuries to pick them together, the manager disbanded that partnership once other players were available.
Given the tie counts as a European away leg for United, it would not be a shock to see Marouane Fellaini thrown back in the mix, such are Van Gaal's defensive tendencies these days. That would offer an opportunity for Jordan Henderson and the attacking midfielders ahead of him to cause United considerable damage.
With Roberto Firmino and Phillipe Coutinho forming an understanding, United's defence and midfield will have to be in sync. If they are not, then Sturridge will be able to exploit the space they create.
United have attacking threat of their own, of course. While Lusby predicted a battle between Martial on the left and Clyne on the right, the Frenchman may play centrally, with Marcus Rashford on the right and Memphis Depay on the left.
If that is the case, then Liverpool's centre-backs will have to deal with a great deal of movement, and three players who are comfortable running with the ball at their feet. The counter-attacking that comes with an away game could suit a United lineup with those three spearheading the attack.
Blind is playing where he is in the side partly in order to start those counter-attacks.
The Watford game was an anomaly, his general use of the ball is excellent, and he is able to quickly move the ball from defence to attack. Liverpool will have to be wary of overcommitting in support of Sturridge—if they do, United have the tools to hurt them.
And Sturridge most certainly possesses the tools to hurt United. Blind—with assistance from Smalling—will have to be at his best to stop him.
