THE RETURN OF Daniel Sturridge could make all the difference for Liverpool’s top four challenge this season, says Phil Thompson.
England striker Sturridge spent the past five months on the sidelines recovering from thigh and calf injuries but scored 12 minutes into his first team comeback in the 2-0 win over West Ham on Saturday.
The Reds have sorely missed a quality centre forward this season with Brendan Rodgers preferring Raheem Sterling up front over the misfiring Mario Balotelli and Fabio Borini.
Currently four points adrift of the Champions League places in seventh, Liverpool turn their attentions to an FA Cup fifth round replay with Bolton Wanderers tonight before this weekend’s Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
And, according to former assistant manager Thompson, Sturridge’s return is just the type of boost they need.
“The goal that he scored last weekend was a proper striker’s goal,” Thompson said. “In that one moment, he encapsulated everything that Liverpool have been missing. His movement, taking it at an angle even on his weaker foot and putting it into the back of the net.
“If you had asked me two and a half months ago, I would have said it (top four) is going to be very difficult. But with Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham and all those teams vying for third and fourth spot, I don’t think there will be a lot between them.
“The emergence of Sturridge could be the difference.”
Despite featuring in 14 games more than his fellow front man, Balotelli has only managed the same amount of goals (2) as Sturridge this season.
His summer move from AC Milan has proved a flop thus far but Thompson is hopeful the pair can rekindle the understanding they showed in their only game together — a 3-0 win away to Tottenham back in August.
“I can’t sit here and say he has been a success or he has been the best he can,” Thompson admitted. “The best game he has ever played was his very first game, and that was as a two playing up front. We had a back four, with a diamond shape up front and we had Balotelli and Sturridge up front.
“It looked like this could be going somewhere. He had three great chances, he created a couple of others and you went: ‘Oof!’. Obviously Sturridge never played after that. In fairness to Balotelli, I think Brendan never played two up front after that. He always seem to go with one.”
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