Scout Scribbles – Sturridge Set for Central Role

The arrival of Daniel Sturridge could force a change of role for Luis Suarez as Brendan Rodgers plots to use the £12 million man as a central figure. Papiss Cisse is another player due for a role change, as Alan Pardew looks to spark his goalscoring form, while the Magpies edge closer to snapping up Mathieu Debuchy. Benoit Assou-Ekotto returns to the Tottenham squad this weekend, though doubts remains as to whether Emmanuel Adebayor is set to depart for the African Cup of Nations. Elsewhere, Stoke’s Marc Wilson is a fortnight away from returning to training, while Nicky Shorey looks to be over the virus that kept him out of Reading’s festive fixtures…

Brendan Rodgers has revealed he plans to change Luis Suarez’s role at Liverpool in order to accommodate new signing Daniel Sturridge into the Reds’ first XI. While many had expected the former Chelsea man to take up a flanking role, with Suarez continuing in the central berth that has already harvested 15 league goals this term, it appears the Liverpool boss may have other plans:

“I don’t see Luis staying in the middle. His strength is on the move, but if you do that you need someone in the box. He’s so creative, but there’s no one to pull the ball back to. Daniel’s best position is as a central striker. I have said 4-3-3 will become richer because of the type of players. There is not one way to play 4-3-3. You can play one up, a floating No 9 like Luis Suárez and two wingers. You can play one like Daniel Sturridge central, two in and around him narrow, with full backs bombing on. I think for Daniel, his best position will be straight through the middle with his pace. I spoke with Luis at length about this a number of times. This has been in the plan for a few months. When he played at Ajax he played in behind as a No 10 in between the lines, and he played as a reverse winger from the left side so he wasn’t quite out wide, he was tucked in round the corner.”

From a Fantasy perspective, the news is a significant boost to Sturridge’s potential. Clearly, Rodgers is convinced the new boy is capable of leading the line and, having splashed out a substantial outlay for his services, it’s fairly certain he’ll afford Sturridge the opportunity to prove himself as a central striker – a role he craved whilst at Stamford Bridge. Suarez will either be handed a spot out wide along with Raheem Sterling or moving to the role in “the hole”, with Rodgers utilising the Uruguayan’s creativity and goal threat in a similar way to Gylfi Sigurdsson at Swansea in the latter half of last season. With the winter wildcards now available, Sturridge’s 7.3 price tag has suddenly become very enticing, though Liverpool’s upcoming schedule (mun, NOR, ars, mcy) is likely to deter many from initially taking the plunge.

Brendan Rodgers sounded confident that the arrival of Sturridge and a change in position for Suarez will not hinder his progress but the impact of this proposed change in role will be a concern for those pondering investment in the Uruguayan.

“Wherever he [Suarez] plays, he will make the same movements, and he will find the space, because he is a world-class player.”

There’s little doubt that Suarez is not a conventional central striker and that he could adapt to a change of role, however, we have to question just how he will compare to Sturridge in terms of output once they begin to work in tandem and whether he will justify the extra outlay. Having become established as a leading Fantasy target, suddenly the Suarez situation requires monitoring in the light of Sturridge’s arrival.

Spurs assistant coach Stephan Freund admitted the club are still uncertain over the availability of Emmanuel Adebayor ahead of this month’s African Cup of Nations. Talking to the press yesterday, Freund revealed:

“We would love him in the squad, and that he would not go to the African Cup of Nations, but it’s a massive tournament and we respect his decision. It’s difficult to say anything now. For us it’s important that he’s playing with us, but if he’s involved and he goes then we respect that. Let’s wait for Ade’s decision. We have been successful with and without him in the team. He was injured for eight games and we had a really good run without him.”

Adebayor has been at odds with the Togo management in recent months and the issue looks like dragging out in the meantime, though the final squad is announced on January 9. If he decides to depart, the club can apply for special dispensation to allow him to play in the Gameweek 22 trip to QPR, if Andre Villas-Boas chooses to do so. Having started the last eight matches when available, Adebayor has nailed down a regular role at the Lane, following a difficult first few months in his second spell at the club and grabbed a goal in the 3-1 win over Reading last weekend. He could, potentially, be absent up until Gameweek 27, affording the likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson or Clint Dempsey the chance to tuck in behind Jermain Defoe in a 4-2-3-1, though Villas-Boas could also splash the cash to bolster his attacking options over the winter window.

At the back, the London outfit were handed good and bad news yesterday. Freund revealed Benoit Assou-Ekotto is available to feature in the weekend FA Cup clash with Coventry after a long-term knee problem kept his sidelined since Gameweek 3. Younes Kaboul, however, is not expected back until “the middle or end of February” as he continues to recover from a knee injury.

Alan Pardew has revealed he plans to deploy Papiss Cisse in his favoured central position for the remainder of the season, as Demba Ba edges ever-closer to the Newcastle exit door. Cisse was expected to be moved centrally for the Magpies’ midweek game with Everton after Ba held transfer talks with Chelsea but Pardew revealed he’d spent the previous few days training with Cisse on the right and decided not to disrupt his game plan. The Newcastle boss went on to explain:

“We know he’s a natural goalscorer at this football club. We’d set the team up for him to play on the side last night but he’ll go through the middle from now on and hopefully we can create a team that’s going to create chances for him.”

Cisse has suffered severely this season from Pardew’s decision to play Ba centrally, either in a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3, and looks a shadow of the player that took the Premier League by storm in the second half of the previous campaign. Cisse had scored 13 times in 14 appearances through the middle in a 4-3-3 last term – this season, he has netted four times in 19 appearances and has played second fiddle to Ba’s exploits. Pardew’s decision is set to bolster Cisse’s Fantasy potential considerably, with the Magpies looking to the Senegal frontman to replicate his 2011/12 form and hopefully make light of his compatriot’s departure.

While Cisse will get his opportunity, Pardew has also made it clear that the club will look to replace Demba Ba. Talking of chairman Mike Ashely, the Newcastle boss made a plea for funds that would allow him to fill the void…

“Mike has been supportive, and he has to be even more supportive now. He has to find the extra money for a striker, as we’re not going to get one in for the Ba money. There’s always a player who can enhance a team and we wouldn’t be competent if we didn’t look to replace him, which we have. Hopefully we can get that one in.”

It’s widely reported that Marseille’s Loic Remy is the prime target for the Magpies.

Pardew has also admitted that Newcastle are on the verge of finally signing Mathieu Debuchy. The Magpies failed to land the Frenchman in the summer but have now upped their interest after an injury-hit first few months of the season – Danny Simpson is currently out of action with a broken foot but his game time at right-back looks set to significantly diminish; Debuchy was at St James’ Park to watch the 2-1 defeat to Everton and has now undergone a medical ahead of his move to Tyneside.

Tony Pulis rolled out an injury update ahead of Stoke’s FA Cup clash with Crystal Palace. From a Fantasy perspective, the main news from the Britannia is that Marc Wilson is now only “a couple of weeks” away from a return to training as he continues his recovery from a broken leg. Wilson was nailed-on at left-back until sustaining the injury in the Gameweek 9 clash with Sunderland and his absence has afforded Andy Wilkinson the chance to rack up some game time but the latter is expected to drop back to the bench upon the Republic of Ireland international’s return. Now down to just 4.0 in FPL, many will be earmarking Wilson for a place in their five-man defences – at that cost, he represents a real bargain route into the tightest backline in the league to this point.

Reading received an injury boost with the news that Jason Roberts and Nicky Shorey have returned to training ahead of the FA Cup game with Crawley Town. While Roberts’ comeback is unlikely to cause ripples amongst the Fantasy fraternity, Shorey’s return could pique the interest of many. The left-back missed the club’s recent festive schedule due to a virus, with Ian Harte providing two clean sheets and an assist in his four-game absence. A recent move to 4-4-1-1 has bolstered the Royals’ defensive resilience in recent matches and if, as expected, Shorey can oust Harte from the first-team reckoning once again, the share of set-pieces and creativity from the flank that has already delivered four assists is likely to see the 4.0 priced defender back on Fantasy radars.

Mario Balotelli’s much publicised training ground bust up with Roberto Mancini could impact on Fantasy managers with the Italian now a doubt for City’s FA Cup tie with Watford. The Italian was expected to be handed a recall to first team duties having missed the Christmas programme through illness. Should Balotelli be out of the equation, Mancini may be forced to field the likes of Carlos Tevez, Edin Dzeko or even Sergio Aguero against the Championship side. Tevez has been on the bench for City’s last two matches and has looked on while Dzeko and Aguero have scored five goals between them. Should both Dzeko and Aguero be preserved this weekend, it would seem likely that they will again start in tandem for the Gameweek 22 trip to Arsenal.