Brendan Rodgers Hails SAS Partnership After Liverpool Hit 5 Against Stoke City

Welcome back SAS

Liverpool may need a quality signing or two if they want to really boost their chances of sealing a Champions League place for the first time since the 2008/2009 season, but having Daniel Sturridge come back into the side today allowed pundits everywhere to engage in the well worn cliche of a saying a returning player is just as good as a new signing; except this time, it’s not just hot air.

Although he was on the field for less than a half hour, the return of Sturridge — and with him, the SAS partnership — yielded a goal and an assist for both him and Luis Suarez as the Reds scored five at the Britannia Stadium. It’s safe to say that Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is happy to see the two reunited.

“Both of them combined really well,” enthused the Northern Irishman. “They’re both outstanding players and outstanding talents.” You have to wonder what the Reds point haul would have been like over the festive period had Sturridge not been injured. Suarez is good on his own, but he’s even better with the 24-year old beside him.

“You could see from their link-up for Luis’ goal, where Dan has slid it round the corner to him and Luis has finished it really well” said Rodgers. “Then there’s Dan’s movement for Luis to play him in [for the fifth], which was exceptional. It was such a short space and he’s taken a defender in, put it back over his shoulder and scored. Butland has made a great save – I thought it was in the first time.”

The pair of them have combined for an astounding 32 goals this season, and with Sturridge back in the line-up with the business end of the season on the horizon, Rodgers, and Reds fans everywhere, are looking forward to so many more.

9 thoughts on “Brendan Rodgers Hails SAS Partnership After Liverpool Hit 5 Against Stoke City

  • January 13, 2014 at 1:37 am
    Permalink

    Sturridge loves playing old clubs too. I think we would’ve beaten City and got a point against Chelsea has SAS been playing together. On the upside of the Sturridge injury, Sterling has grown fast in that short period of time and looks fantastic again. I think Rodgers will always want 3 central midfielders so If any of the attackers had to be dropped it would have to be Coutinho who isn’t playing particularly bad but the other 3 look more dangerous and are on better form. But at least we’ll always have decent player on the bench to come on.

  • January 13, 2014 at 1:55 am
    Permalink

    I really wonder how Rodgers is going to line the boys up next weekend against Villa now that Sturridge is fully fit. Think we might see Coutinho shifted back into the middle in a free role and Sterling dropped from the starting eleven — shame since he’s starting to put in the kind of performances that made him look like such a promising talent in the first place.

  • January 13, 2014 at 4:58 am
    Permalink

    Dropping Gerrard, who was awful vs Stoke, would be the correct decision but it would take lots of guts from Rodgers to do that.

  • January 13, 2014 at 6:55 am
    Permalink

    Great attacking intent but must defend better…………………………great to watch this Liverpool team.

  • January 13, 2014 at 12:50 pm
    Permalink

    Gerrard made a mistake or two but hell he hasn’t played in weeks. Overall, I think he’s a better DM than Lucas and with his passing range, it might be a good position for him. His defensive work is often overlooked.

  • January 13, 2014 at 1:30 pm
    Permalink

    He was bad, but he was also sitting deep in a kinda unfamiliar role — if Rodgers is going to keep him there, I don’t have any doubt that he’ll improve.

    That being said, I’ve no doubt that we’d rather strengthen that position with a signing.

  • January 13, 2014 at 1:31 pm
    Permalink

    It is overlooked quite regularly. It’s a shame really cause the man knows how to put in a decent tackle.

  • January 13, 2014 at 1:32 pm
    Permalink

    Agreed 100%. A better team would have punished us each and every time — no way we would have had 3 points if we were playing a more clinical side.

  • January 14, 2014 at 4:23 am
    Permalink

    Yes that is correct Gerrard is the weak link as he was responsible for 2 of Stoke goals and he nearly headed an own goal.Also Henderson is playing badly since his arrival

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *