Why Daniel Sturridge Should & Will Stay At Chelsea

Daniel Sturridge is a name that evokes mixed reactions from Chelsea fans. It's not hard to understand why. Sturridge has all the tools required to be one of the best: pace, dribbling ability, a powerful left foot & skills that can bamboozle most defenders. However, many Chelsea fans constantly berate him for his attitude & supposed selfishness.

Mind you, some of that criticism is well-deserved. He has a powerful shot, but has often resorted to shoot-at-sight tactics (some of those shots coming from hopeless angles) when he could have played in a team-mate with a simple pass . At Chelsea, he has been used almost regularly on the right wing, but has stated that he would be best suited to playing as a striker. While I agree that he's a natural striker, it's not uncommon for strikers with his ability to be used on the wings. Thierry Henry played as a winger on a regular basis, as did Nicolas Anelka when he was at Chelsea.
Nevertheless, I believe Daniel Sturridge will be an integral part of Chelsea come next season. Here are 3 reasons why:-


1) Will play as a striker- Last season, Sturridge was often deployed on the right wing due to a lack of better alternatives. I can't honestly say he played badly, but his frustration at not being played as a striker often reflected in his performances. This led to him being frequently benched under Roberto Di Matteo, with the interim manager preferring Salomon Kalou on the right wing. This season, Chelsea will have both Hazard & Marin to call upon as quality wingers, meaning Sturridge will almost certainly be deployed in his preferred position. He may not be Chelsea's No. 1 striker at the moment (Fernando Torres is expected to lead Chelsea's attack next season), but I certainly look forward to seeing him play as a striker.

2) Lack of better clubs willing to buy him- This may seem like a bold statement, considering both Liverpool & Manchester City have expressed a desire in signing him. But I don't see him going to either club. He was an integral part of our Champions League-winning squad, so if he does leave, he will sign for a club who are can offer him 2 things: Regular play time & Champions League football. Neither Liverpool nor Manchester City can offer him both. At Liverpool, he will start almost regularly (considering how poor their strikers were last season), but they aren't part of the Champions League, and don't look like top 4 contenders. Manchester City can offer him Champions League football, but regular play time will be hard to come by. He'll have a hard time making the bench at City. Only Chelsea can offer him regular play-time, Champions League football & of course decent wages.

3) England snub hurt him- When Roy Hodgson announced his squad for Euro 2012, many people were surprised that Daniel Sturridge wasn't included in the final 23-man squad. Danny himself admitted that he was disappointed at not making the final squad, while I was amazed that players like Stewart Downing & Andy Carroll made the squad ahead of him. However, this could prove to be a blessing in disguise for him, as it will spur him on next season & ensure that he takes advantage of every chance handed to him by Di Matteo.

Sturridge will be a key player next season

There are many Chelsea fans who would be happy to see the back of Daniel Sturridge. I'm not one of them. I believe he has the potential to become one of the best strikers in the world. He has age on his side (he will turn 23 this year), so one can expect him to work hard on developing those aspects of his game that aren't his strengths i.e. his passing, consistency, attitude etc. Throw in the fact that he will play in his preferred position, & I'm sure we can expect better things from Daniel Sturridge in 2012-13.