Liverpool battle for Bundesliga star with 12 goals and 8 assists in 22 games - Player Report














England boss Roy Hodgson says he has World Cup selection "headaches" after positive performances from his young players in his side’s 1-0 victory over Denmark. This fixture provided Hodgson with his final opportunity to assess his options before selecting a 30-man preliminary squad for the summer’s tournament in Brazil.
Liverpool continued their winning ways at the weekend, beating Southampton 3-0, with goals from Luis Suarez, Raheem Sterling, and Steven Gerrard. The three points were important for the Reds, sending them into 2nd place in the Premier League table, behind only Chelsea, who are four points clear.
Mouth wide open and shaking my head in disbelief - those have been my reactions lately while I’m watching Liverpool matches. Not because of how they’ve been playing as a team, they have quite a bit of talent on their squad, I know that. No, it’s just one man that drives me crazy each week, Daniel Sturridge.
It is regrettable that I will never know the feeling of true elation that comes from scoring an important goal in a professional football game.
How about that Luis Suarez, eh? His eyes must light up when Norwich crop up on the fixture list as it seems to be a guaranteed hat-trick every time he plays them.
England were already through to the World Cup next year and were playing a friendly against Germany. Why, then, did Roy Hodgson think it was okay to play Daniel Sturridge - who had been struggling ith injury before the game - for the entire 90 minutes? Now, ahead of one of the biggest games of the season for Liverpool, the Meseyside derby, Sturridge looks as though he will struggle to start the game, judging by reports from the Guardian.
Liverpool currently sit second in the Premier League after 11 games and are looking as though they are in with a shout for silverware. However, this weekend they are up against their local rivals Everton in what could be the defining fixture in the schedule. Everton are flying high themselves this season, losing just once in their opening 11 games under Roberto Martinez and could climb above Brendan Rodgers' men at the weekend - although they would have to overturn a significant goal difference.
After 11 Premier League games and going into their local derby with Everton, here are five things we have learned about Liverpool this season.
Undoubtedly, this has been Liverpool's most impressive start to a season since their last league championship success back in 1990 and there are many Liverpool fans out there who truly believe that they can end their 24 year wait for a league title next May. However, there have been some false dawns in the past and only as recently as two seasons ago did Liverpool's title ambitions fade fast in the final 10 games.
This is a list that basically just evaluates which players have particularly stood out when we as fans didn't think they would. It's perhaps too early to talk of player of the season nominations, but it's a headline that people would be more attracted to than '5 players I feel are doing well so far'. Anyway, that's not important. What is important is the players I feel deserve to go on this list. Obviously there are players that will be nominated that won't make this list, the likes of Robin van Persie, Sergio Aguero and Luis Suarez, but I'm confident that if these players maintain their current form then they will be in with a chance.
A few months ago if I was asked to choose a few words to describe Luis Suarez, I guarantee that a majority of them would be quite vulgar. I was already was on the fence about him prior to the day of his afternoon Branislav Ivanovic snack, and that proved the final straw. I could not take his negative attitude any longer and I jumped on the bandwagon of Suarez-haters. However, once upon a time, I didn’t hate him, and slowly he’s starting to make his way back into my good graces.
With England’s qualification for Brazil complete and Daniel Sturridge in the form of his life, could the perfect strike partner already be within Roy Hodgson's squad?
“This is our year” is a phrase often associated with Liverpool fans and their dreams of winning the Premier League title. Although it is early days, the Reds have made their most convincing start to a season in years, sitting top of the table as the only team to win all three of their games. The Anfield club, however, are not the only ones in need of a convincing campaign…
Well, the football transfer window has ended and the talk of the town is Manchester United's new signing Marouane Fellaini. But will he cut the mustard at the Red Devils?