‘Studger’ England’s saviour
Daniel Surridge brought England’s Euro 2016 hopes back to life. Matt Dickinson reports.
Faith is so important to Daniel Sturridge that he even thanked God for the assist after his dramatic winner against Wales. England’s football followers are just glad that, when others questioned Sturridge, Roy Hodgson did not lose his belief.
To think there were some people wondering whether the striker should even be included in England’s travelling party for Euro 2016. Too injured, too fragile, too selfish. Physically not in a condition to start and, mentally, not a man to warm the bench.
It was a view not entirely without foundation given that the Liverpool forward can sometimes appear as robust as balsa. His last goal for England had come against Italy in the 2014 World Cup.
Since then? Two years, three caps, no goals. Plenty of talent but even more questions and frustration, like that quote from Jurgen Klopp about Sturridge needing to learn ‘‘what is serious pain or what is only pain’’. Toughen up, in other words.
The debate about Sturridge’s inclusion for Euro 2016 revolved around two images. One had Sturridge sitting glumly behind the bench at the Stadium of Light when England played Australia, looking on as Marcus Rashford grabbed the headlines, texting on his phone, a man seemingly distracted.
But there was another vivid image too of his finish against Seville in the Europa League final, a masterpiece of invention and technique, one of the very best of goals that have come to count for nothing.
The idea that his place had ever been in question seemed crackers as Sturridge kept a ballet dancer’s poise, and a surgeon’s cool, to flick in that dramatic winner in Lens, holding off Ben Davies, sliding the ball past Wayne Hennessey to finish off a move he had initiated.
For too much of this game, England had been all smoke, no fire. Sturridge had sparks coming off his boots with his sharp running, his change of pace. The question now is not whether Sturridge starts against Slovakia on Tuesday morning (7am NZ time) but where? There are times when he can overdo the individuality.
In a band, he could only ever be the lead guitarist, always itching to burst into a slightly self-indulgent solo.
‘‘He had a couple of sighters and sometimes you think we could be more patient and play the extra pass,’’ Adam Lallana, his teammate with club and country, noted after the Wales victory.
‘‘But he doesn’t need too many chances before he gets his name on the scoresheet and he showed what a vital player he is for us.’’
He has a very un-English touch of arrogance on the ball which can, occasionally, be infuriating but which his team needed.
He dares to be different, which was exactly what England lacked against Russia and in a formulaic first half against Wales.
‘‘He has got so much talent Studger,’’ Lallana continued. ‘‘He’s a big player, always involved in big moments and that summed him up against Wales.
‘‘It’s difficult for anyone when you have faced a lot of injuries but that was the fittest I have seen him for a while – that’s even including towards the back end of the season for Liverpool. He just seems to be getting fitter and fitter and he was looking very dangerous.’’
A moping Sturridge can be difficult to manage despite his occasional work with Steve Peters, the sports psychologist who makes intermittent trips to the England camp. There were a few wry smiles when, talking to the media a couple of weeks ago, Sturridge commented: ‘‘We can’t win this thing if there are egos or problems in the camp’’. stuff.co.nz TIMES Croatia fans who caused trouble during their team’s Euro 16 match against the Czech Republic are ‘‘sports terrorists’’ and have no place in football stadiums, the Balkan nation’s coach said after yesterday’s 2-2 draw.
The supporters threw flares on to the pitch and fought among themselves in one section of StEtienne’s Stade Geoffroy Guichard, forcing the Group D game to be interrupted for several minutes while officials and players appealed for calm.
‘‘We were exposed to the terror of hooligans who have no place in sports arenas and I sincerely hope they will be identified and brought to justice,’’ coach Ante Cacic said.
‘‘They are terrorists, sports terrorists, a specific group. Unfortunately they still exist and even enjoy some kind of support at home.’’
Uefa said disciplinary proceedings would be opened once they had received official reports from the match delegate and referee Mark Clattenburg.
Cacic blamed the Croatian government for being too lenient with soccer-related offenders and not doing enough to crush hooliganism, which has been rife in the former Yugoslav republic over the past decade.
‘‘What hurts me is that the (Croatian) authorities will not deal with the problem,’’ he said.
‘‘The government has not done enough to eradicate them while the Croatian Football Association just doesn’t have the repressive tools to do it on its own.
‘‘This is just a handful of thugs, maybe a dozen, but many Croatian patriots, including the players who wear the shirt with so much pride and passion, are now ashamed in