04 May 2017 15:01:39
I really hope we keep sturridge this summer. I know his injuries are an issue but he still is one of the best strikers in the world never mind the league when fit. He came off the bench against watford and nearly scored minutes after coming on only for a great save from gomes. Give him one more season with a full pre season and I am sure he can be firing again. He went to the euros last year and impressed and came back injured. Should consider international retirement I think.
04 May 2017 16:02:44
You have to put sentiment aside and look at it objectively
If we keep him it may mean no replacement will arrive and if (as is highly likely due to his recent injury record) Sturridge misses half the season or more then we will be short upfront
I do feel for the lad but footballers must be able to play.
04 May 2017 18:11:01
Looking highly unlikely. Excellent player and one of my fav at the club. We are hard core runners and our trainings are highly intense. Sturridge wouldn't survive!
04 May 2017 19:39:20
I agree it's time to put sentiment aside in regards of Sturridge. If we want to take that next step forward we need to be a bit more cut throat and get rid of unreliable players. I like Sturridge, I think he would propel us to the next level if he was fit at least half of a season but he's not. And the only reason he has stayed fit for several months this season is because he never plays. We need another forward. A forward that can cover out wide and up front. In order to get a top player we need to move players like studge on. I think ings should probably go out on loan too. That would leave us with origi and firmino as our central strikers. We would need one more that can play that role, and it has to be a player better than what we have already. I just think it's best for both parties if Sturridge searched for pastures new, I hope Klopp agrees.
04 May 2017 20:42:02
I think that Sturridge will stay and I think he has a huge role to play next year.
He'd be mad to go as he is on great money at us.
He has champions league football to look forward to.
He's great with the younger lads comeing through.
04 May 2017 23:04:14
Nothing would make me happier than to see Sturridge have an injury free season. Even without the pace of previous years he'd still get at least 20 goals a season if he stayed injury free. But it won't happen, we need a top class striker that won't be injured for half the season. Genuinely feel for the lad though. Top bloke as well according to the eds.
05 May 2017 08:21:30
You only have to look at how many games he's missed in the past two years. I love Sturidge as much as the next guy but if west ham are willing to pay 30-40 million for someone who is injured 80% of the season i would take that and invest in someone who is some more reliable.
05 May 2017 11:12:32
Spot on, Kman92. It is high time people stop talking about a player that no longer exists. The Studge that was tearing it up 3-4 years ago is nothing but a distant memory. The one we have now unfortunately will never be the one we knew and loved before.
Time to put sentiment to the side and cut our losses for the sake of the player and the club. Talent is worth nothing if you cannot be on the pitch to show it on a consistent basis. Sad but true.
We need a forward who can paly week in, week out and contribute, not one who could get injured after running laps on the training pitch. He imply cannot be relied on to stay fit hence, you can't built a team or prepare for a game with him in mind as you don't know what will happen with him in training the day before the game. Studge won't be here next season and I have been at peace with that since last year. Time for everyone to move on.
05 May 2017 11:18:28
best ability is availability. and unfortunately Sturridge has not been consistently available for a long period of time.
I think that most of us would love a fit and firing Sturridge. That goal in the Europa League final is evidence of what he can do for us. So I, like I am sure many of us, hope like hell he can get his body right and stay with us.
It may be something that he needs a year or two to sort out. But like a 20 yr old academy grad, can we hang around that long to wait and see?
05 May 2017 19:56:06
Sturridge needs a new challenge and we need a 20 goal striker who is not injured for half the games in a season. He will be fondly remembered but its time to cut our losses which let's be fair have been considerable when taking account of the games he has missed over the years.
I really don't know who we will target but i hope he will not be a second tier or promising player but someone that adds instant quality to our front line. We will have ings as back up next season, but he will need time to regain fitness and form and origi needs time to fully learn his trade so should not have the pressure of leading the line all season.
05 May 2017 19:57:22
So what happens to Firmino if a new CF is brought in? Should we persist with Bobby next season as our main striker. We also have Ings and Origi.
05 May 2017 20:02:25
No we can't, Faith. We've been doing this for over two seasons now and nothing has changed. Like you said, Best ability is availability. His inability to be fit, makes him unavailable and hence, of no use to us. We have no time to waist so I guess we have to let him go and wish him luck.
05 May 2017 23:29:48
I agree best ability is availability, but unless we are bringing in a top quality striker this summer, he needs to stay, he has a quality that Firmino and Origi simply don't have. He scores goals, end of, simple and is a hell of an option currently of the Ben Chaplin. Personally of he's ready I'd start him against Southampton. Maybe Ings can come in next year (hope so) but you just never know with these injuries, Ings may not come back the same player as he was.