Jurgen Klopp's Decisions over Forwards Make Sense, Sturridge Will Get Chances

Liverpool left White Hart Lane on Saturday with a point following a 1-1 draw against fellow top-four contenders Tottenham Hotspur—which is either a point gained or two points dropped depending on your perspective.

The result means Jurgen Klopp's side have left north London twice in their opening three games of the season with points in the bag, having beaten Arsenal in their opening fixture.

Those two results point to a solid start, but unfortunately for Liverpool, they sandwich a desperately disappointing 2-0 defeat at relegation-contenders Burnley.

Is the glass half full or is the glass half empty? In the modern era, football fans are often quick to see the latter but struggle to see the former.

Four points from nine available, taken in isolation, isn't what Klopp would have dreamed of. Indeed, the German admitted as much on Saturday, telling reporters in his post-match press conference: "Four points from three games is not what I wanted."

But looking at the bigger picture—an increasingly difficult thing for football fans wanting instant success—it isn't all that bad, and actually, the signs are mostly positive.

Liverpool have played at two top-four rivals, at the Emirates Stadium and White Hart Lane, and visited Turf Moor—the Reds won't be the last team to get a difficult game at Burnley. Three away games in a row to start a season was never going to be easy.

Klopp and Liverpool supporters can look forward to the returns from injury of Loris Karius and Emre Can after the international break—two players who will have a huge say in the development of the Reds' XI and ultimately how the season progresses.

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Can's role as the holding player in the midfield three is key for Liverpool this season, while Karius could well depose Simon Mignolet in goal and therefore offer something different at the back. With the two Germans in the side, Liverpool will have greater defensive stability and overall balance.

Jordan Henderson performed much better in the holding role than in the two previous league matches, but his game will be better suited to one of the box-to-box roles, likely at the expense of Georginio Wijnaldum—who on Saturday was again a rather anonymous presence.

There's plenty to be positive about after the international break, when Liverpool finally have a home game to contend—albeit against champions Leicester City and followed up by a trip to Chelsea. But there's still plenty of time for more overreaction from fans and media yet.

The season, though, is a marathon, not a sprint.

And that brings us nicely on to Klopp's use, or non-use, of Daniel Sturridge.

The England forward was introduced in the 89th minute at White Hart Lane, with Roberto Firmino again preferred from the start and Divock Origi used as the first substitute in attack.

Such decisions left some supporters and media personalities confused, most notably Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, who tweeted to compare Sturridge's scoring record to that of Firmino and Origi.

"

Don't know what's going on with @DanielSturridge at Liverpool, but I do know, when fit he'll score a lot more goals than Firmino or Origi.

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) August 27, 2016"

"

Approx' career goal scoring ratios: Origi 1in 5. Firmino 1 in 4. Sturridge 1 in 2.5. 🙄 https://t.co/SSLQOWllYY

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) August 27, 2016"

Comparing the goalscoring ratio of Firmino, an attacking-midfielder who has been converted to a forward and plays a completely different role; 21-year-old Origi, who has 16 starts to his name at Liverpool; and Sturridge, a striker with 167 Premier League appearances; there's only ever going to be one winner. 

For Klopp, the goalscoring ratio of his three main strikers means nothing. Instead, the Liverpool manager picks the best team available for the next match, which is quite a straightforward way for a manager to work. 

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There have been suggestions that Klopp was punishing Sturridge after the striker had given an honest answer when asked if he preferred playing in a central role rather than on the right of the front three.

"I don't want to play Daniel as a wide player," said Klopp when asked about the comments before the Spurs match, per Dominic King of the Daily Mail. "Of course he can start there, of course he can play there, but in the decisive moments, he needs to be involved in all the finishing situations. Both goals he scored [against Burton Albion] from inside the box, so he was not on the wing in this moment."

It's ridiculous to suggest that Klopp would make an example of Sturridge for simply answering a question honestly. The England international did not complain about his role, with most of the media forgetting that he said in the same interview, per Stuart James of the Guardian: "I have to do a job for the team. That’s not saying I am happy to do it. That’s saying I have got to do a job for the team. It’s a team game."

The admission of "I’m a centre-forward” from centre-forward Sturridge is hardly a revelation. 

“In the modern-day game you have to try and be flexible, but everyone knows my best position," the 26-year-old continued.

Not many would disagree with that sentence. Everybody does know Sturridge's best position, including Klopp.

Again, Sturridge's substitute role at Tottenham was purely because Klopp saw Firmino, and then Origi, as better options to win that particular match.

ESPN pundit Stewart Robson recently spoke of how a Liverpool club analyst told him why Klopp opts for Firmino in certain contests, with the Brazilian's pressing game far superior to that of Sturridge, per This is Anfield's Jack Lusby.

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This was evidenced in wins at Chelsea and Manchester City last season and the victory at Arsenal this term. It was also evident at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Firmino created five chances from open play, just one fewer than the whole Spurs team, per FourFourTwo Statszone (h/t Liverpool statistician Andrew Beasley). The Brazilian also won the penalty for Liverpool's goal and set Philippe Coutinho up for an easy chance that his compatriot failed to convert.

That's without mentioning Firmino's intelligent movements up front, preventing Spurs from finding any rhythm to play from the back, and his work rate that created the space for Sadio Mane to shine.

Meanwhile, the decision to bring on Origi before Sturridge raised some eyebrows, but the score was 1-0 at the time. Surely the decision to bring on the Belgium international, who is far better at holding up play and providing a physical presence, was pretty logical at that stage.

This is all without mentioning Sturridge's well-documented injury record, which has seen Klopp take a patient approach to bringing the player back to fitness.

Sturridge had a small injury issue in the week before the season and wasn't even fit for the bench at Arsenal. He then started at Burnley, and Klopp was wise not to start a player of such fragility twice within four days for the match against Burton Albion in the EFL Cup.

So injury-plagued Sturridge was not fully fit for one game, was in the starting XI for one match and came on as a substitute in the other two. Any negative reaction is simply an overreaction.

Klopp's decision to deploy Firmino up front and use 4-3-3 does create more of a problem going forward, though. Last season the Brazilian was predominantly used in the No. 10 role, which doesn't exist in this new formation.

But the manager will be more tactically flexible in home games or against different opposition. We're three league games into the season, and there's absolutely no reason to think Sturridge is being cast aside by Klopp. He isn't.

There's a pretty good chance Sturridge, should he not pick up an injury on international duty, will start the home game against Leicester. Firmino would be a wise bet for the game at Chelsea.

Sturridge would be a good selection for the games against Derby County and Hull City. The following month, games against Swansea City, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace look ideal opportunities for the former Chelsea man, too.

There's no reason Klopp couldn't opt for two up front, as he did on occasion at the end of last season, and partner Sturridge and Origi up front.

He could also switch back to 4-2-3-1, meaning Firmino can work behind Sturridge.

There are plenty of options and plenty of opportunity for Sturridge. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Having three very good options up front is healthy for a club wanting to compete at the top end of the table. There is no problem.