Do a Google search for ‘Daniel Sturridge Bad Attitude’ and you’ll find over 13,000 search results.  Ever since Sturridge signed with Manchester City as a reserve he somehow was labeled as having a poor attitude.

In 2009 Sturridge left City after some reportedly very high wage demands.  At the time the young striker had made just 3 league starts and was demanding wages making him the highest paid teen in the Premier League.

Such lofty wage demands may seem unreasonable on the surface, but Sturridge had just led City to the FA Youth Cup Final while scoring in the first leg and leading all scorers in the competition.  Sturridge is still the only player to score in the FA Youth Cup, FA Cup, and Premier League in the same season.  Despite his promise and goal production when used, his appearances remained limited.

Was Sturridge thinking too highly of himself at City or did he simply want out?

A move to Chelsea was arranged the following summer after a disputed transfer process between the two clubs.  A small fee was agreed upon and further payments to City would be based on first team appearances.  With a reported £500k paid to City for every 10 appearances, could Sturridge’s struggles for first team action have financial roots?

The following season Sturridge struggled for first team appearances behind Didier Drogba who started the season off in with unstoppable form.  Despite scoring 4 goals in 7 non-Premier League games, he couldn’t get a league start and change was on the way.  January 2011 saw the arrival of Fernando Torres in a record breaking deal and the departure of Sturridge to Bolton on loan for the remainder of the season.

Most casual fans will probably mark the Bolton loan spell as the moment Sturridge really burst on to the scene.  Despite playing for much weaker side Sturridge was able to net 8 goals in 12 appearances.  I recall being absolutely stunned Chelsea has just spent £50m for Torres while loaning out such a talent.  Disregarding sub appearances for Chelsea, the striker had a fine record of 12 goals in 20 appearances all season.

Questions of attitude and commitment persisted about a player that seemingly did nothing but score goals.  Daniel chased down balls, ran himself into the ground, and finished in a clinical manner.  The goal celebrations were positive and uplifting, and his teammates appeared to enjoy his presence.

Despite such an impressive loan, spell his place at Chelsea was still questioned and many considered him the third option after Didier Drogba and Torres.  The year 2012 saw appearances increase and  goals continued with 11 in 28 league starts.  Though Torres publicly struggled, he was constantly chosen ahead of Sturridge for the big games like the FA Cup final and Champions League run. Puzzling.

Coming into 2013 the future was again uncertain for the Chelsea striker.  Despite Drogba’s absence and Torres’ continued inconsistency, his rightful place in the starting XI was far from certain when returning from an early season injury.

To this point Sturridge had seemed to score at will, yet he was shunned again.  Attitude alone could not be holding him back.  One needs to look no further than his former club Manchester City for examples of talent overcoming attitude on a daily basis.  Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli, despite major controversies, played regularly while making Daniel Sturridge appear saint-like.

Impressive form and lack of personal distractions being rewarded with a semi-permanent place on the bench would surely spark an ‘attitude’ in the best of us.  Could the young striker, who has performed admirably for club(s) and country, be perfectly justified in being unsettled when completely underappreciated?  I’m willing to bet Owen Coyle didn’t find evidence of an attitude problem when Sturridge was guiding Bolton well clear of relegation.

The most recent move to date involved Chelsea buying the uninsurable Demba Ba and his wrapped-in-cotton knees, while selling Sturridge to Liverpool.  At 23, Brendan Rodgers and Steven Gerrard have already warned the youngster that his spell at LFC could be his final chance at a big club.  One could argue it’s his first true chance.  Chelsea’s loss already appears to be Liverpool’s gain.

In three appearances, Sturridge already has three goals.  He appears to be the goal poacher and the in-the-box presence Liverpool have needed ever since Torres started pouting his way out the door under Roy Hodgson.  His on field demeanor and body language with his new teammates is excellent.  His goal celebrations are modest by many standards and when scoring against United there was appropriately no celebration at all.  Sturridge is a team player.

Is it possible Liverpool are the first club to truly appreciate, and need, his immense talent and this is the turning point for the striker?  Was Sturridge simply this unfortunate victim of club politics and manager turnover at City and Chelsea?

Little real evidence exists of the supposed attitude problem.  Where are the drunken brawls, unapproved trips away from the team, and touch line flair ups with managers?

I suspect the young Englishmen will continue to excel for Liverpool and England, and he will make at least two clubs wonder how he got away.

Follow me on Twitter @kkjellquist

Today Southampton has a new manager.  The owners of the club, for whatever reason, recently decided that Nigel Adkins is not the man to lead the Saints any further in their Premier League campaign despite the club sitting sixth from bottom.  The club announced the decision with nothing more than “Southampton Football Club has this morning appointed Mauricio Pochettino as First Team Manager, having relieved Nigel Adkins of his managerial duties.”

Where does the managerial merry-go-round end?  When must owners re-take the ‘fit and proper’ test?  Is there anything to be done about the sheer insanity of some recent managerial sackings?

The average reader might not be too familiar with the plight of Southampton Football Club.  The Saints were a founding member of the Premier League after decades in the top flight.  After fighting the good fight for years, including some solid upper half finishes, the club was finally relegated from the top level in 2005.  After several seasons involving further relegation, administration and managerial changes the team found themselves in League One, the third level of English football.

In 2009, current Newcastle manager Alan Pardew was appointed to lead the club, and the rebuilding began under the new owner, Markus Liebherr.   Pardew signed several key players still with the club like Rickie Lambert, Jason Puncheon, and Jose Fonte.  All of Pardew’s signings totaled only £3 million, but this was far more than any other League One club.  The owner’s support and intentions were clear.

In 2010 even more pain was inflicted on the club when Liebherr passed away and Pardew was sacked for various reasons.  Luckily, Liebherr left the club with a solid financial footing.

In September 2010, Nigel Adkins was announced as the new manager of Southampton and the stunning climb through the tables of English football began.

In Adkins’ first season in charge, he guided the club to 92 points, second place in League One and earned an automatic promotion to the Championship.  The most optimistic supporters wouldn’t know Premier League football was just over a year away.  One season in the 2^nd tier is all the Saints needed as they stormed through the Championship maintaining a high spot in the table all season.  Two seasons, two automatic promotions.

After an undeniably impressive 28 months in charge we arrive at present day and the sacking of Adkins after 22 games in the Premier League.  Madness.

After £20m in record signings, Southampton’s season still started off with a bumpy ride.  Adkins was clearly finding his footing in the world’s most competitive league, and a sacking would have seemed more appropriate in Oct when they battled QPR for the bottom spot.

The Saints now sit in 15th, 3 pts clear of relegation, and look to have established themselves for a strong push in the final 16 games. Forty points and survival looked likely with some very favorable home fixtures upcoming.  Adkins has guided the team on a run of 5 games unbeaten, including draws against Arsenal and Chelsea.  The latter seemingly proving the players where still inspired to fight for their manager to come back from 2-0 at the half.  In the last 12 games the club has only lost twice, with both being hard fought 1-0 games.

The sacking of Adkins in mind-boggling.  Supporters have every right to question this decision and should feel entitled to an explanation.  Other managers will and should speak out in support.  The press will surely hold the owners accountable for this decision should the worst happen.  It would be a shame to see Southampton relegated and the fans punished for this move, but equally so it would be unfortunate to see the owners excel and profit from this short sighted and rash decision.

Mad sackings apart, if you’re interested in doing some football betting on any upcoming games or maybe you want to stick a bet on how long Pochettino will last at Southampton? Check out https://www.bwin.com today for the latest odds.

What is the Premier League’s Worst XI based on highest transfer fees and worst performances? If you could pick a starting eleven, what would it look like?

In my opinion, here are my picks of the current Premier League footballers who deserve to be in my What A Waste Of Money XI:

Goalkeeper

David De Gea (£18m) – Manchester United – He’s probably going to raise at least one trophy this year, but the wins seem to happen despite his presence, rather than because of his play.  Goalkeepers need to be the vocal captain of the defense and one must wonder who is listening when De Gea is barking.  The Spaniard is lucky to be playing for a United team that scores at will to cover for their poor defending.

Defense

David Luiz (£25m) – Chelsea – Luiz’s days of being “controlled by a 10-year-old in the crowd on a Playstation” may be waning, but he’s still a liability on defense.  The Brazilian is regularly caught out of position and has a knack for giving up penalties.  Certainly Luiz is far from worst defender in the league but the price doesn’t match the return.  Maybe his recent move to the midfield can justify his high price tag.

Ivan Ramis (£4m) – Wigan – While his price tag is low, the value in the purchase is even lower.  A smaller club like Wigan cannot afford such mistakes.  Ivan conceded a penalty on his debut and his team has conceded the second most goals in the league.  Wigan now have a 28 year old defender facing a long recovery from a serious knee injury, and it appears they may have to spend in January for a replacement.

Kolo Toure (£16m) – Manchester City – We all know Kolo is kept around to keep his brother happy.  Yaya’s amazing strength and midfield domination almost justifies £16m for his older brother, but not quite.  Kolo has become a very expensive squad player struggling to get on the pitch.  Off field issues, including a 6 month drug ban, help earn his spot on the list.

Midfield

Stewart Downing (£20m) – Liverpool – Poor Stewart was cursed from the minute fans saw the price tag and his age. At 27, Downing was doing well at Aston Villa, but it was tough for most fans to justify such a massive fee. The first season at Liverpool could not have been worse for him with zero league goals or assists. King Kenny’s insistence of playing him week after week only seemed to highlight his inability to adapt to the pressures of a bigger club. Downing has finally started to show some form in lesser competitions such as the domestic cups and Europa League, but his league form simply doesn’t justify his price tag.

Esteban Granero (£9m) – QPR – Mark Hughes and QPR thought they could buy their way to Premier League survival.  The price tag doesn’t seem too massive for a midfielder from Real Madrid, but it’s a big bill for small club who ended up with a bust of a player.  Granero’s youthful promise has never materialized into a solid senior career in Spain or so far in England.  QPRs early season form has been woeful and one has to wonder whether Harry Redknapp can get the best out of him.

Gaston Ramirez (£12m) – Southampton – Southampton’s record signing has impressed to date, but rumors are already surfacing regarding a move out of England.  At 22, the young Uruguayan has time on his side, but relegation would surely mean the end of his stay on the south coast and millions wasted for the Saints.  The jury is still deliberating but this could be a costly return ticket to the Championship.

Joe Allen (£15m) – Liverpool – Seems Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers can’t do anything right in the transfer market.  While Joe Allen showed early flashes of brilliance, his form of late has been underwhelming. Reds fans are hoping this dip is temporary and he returns to the level where £15m seemed almost reasonable.  Until this happens anyone has to concede Rodgers paid too much too soon for the young Welsh international.

Strikers

Fernando Torres (£50m) – Chelsea – Number one on everyone’s list of transfer busts.  A last minute request and massive offer from Chelsea forced his transfer from Liverpool in 2011.  Since the move, Torres has struggled in a very public manner to find the form he displayed on Merseyside.  Torres was forced to suffer through three managers that could not find a place for his skills.  Finally he has been reunited with Rafa Benitez only to be pushed aside with the purchase of Demba Ba.

Andy Carroll (£35m) – West Ham (loan from Liverpool) – Few people seem to remember the world beating form Carroll displayed in the first half of 2011.  The youngster delivered eleven goals early in the season when he was barely old enough to drink (by US laws).  Liverpool had £50m burning a hole in their pocket and desperate need for attacking power.  Unfortunately Newcastle was fully aware of this desperate situation and took £35m for a striker who has scored only 7 league goals since the transfer and suffered through multiple injuries. Carroll hasn’t done any better during his loan spell at West Ham where he has scored once and been sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Mario Balotelli (£24m) – Manchester City –  If entertainment value was the barometer, Super Mario would be worth twice the fee City paid Inter for his services.  However, the charismatic striker has never started more than half of City’s league games in any given season and scored only once this year.  His propensity for violence on the pitch, off the pitch distractions, and near constant flair ups with manager Roberto Mancini are not justified by his increasingly rare flashes of athletic brilliance.

What are your opinions about who should play in the What A Load Of Rubbish XI? Would you like to nominate someone who wasn’t selected? Let us know in the comments section below.

If Brendan Rodgers’ dreams were to come true overnight, Liverpool would pass and move like Barcelona. His squad would most likely be small in stature and pass the ball around endlessly. Player movement off the ball would be automatic, and eventually the “striker” would be alone in front of goal for the easy tap-in.

Liverpool is not even close to this dream, but they are nearer and playing better than nine months ago. In case you forgot, and many supporters have, Rodgers has been in charge for less than nine months. That span of time in modern football can be an eternity. Just ask Roman Abromovich. For Rodgers, the owners and the supporters, this blip in the club’s great history has to be seen as a pre-season. Wins are nice and losses hurt, but it’s just the beginning.

The Liverpool team that lost 1-0 to Swansea on the last day of last season were close to the opposite of the current side. Last season’s LFC was aging, bloated, and being choked with it’s own wages. Youngsters could hardly get a sniff of the pitch and players were being paid to play for teams in other countries.

Older players with massive contracts like Maxi Rodriguez, Dirk Kuyt, Craig Bellamy, Charlie Adam and Joe Cole are gone. Other younger players like Jay Spearing, Andy Carroll, Danny Wilson and Adam Morgan have been loaned out. Joe Allen and Daniel Sturridge were not bargain buys, but compared to some other recent acquisitions their transfer fees are refreshing to say the least. Finally, young players like Raheem Sterling, Andre Wisdom, Martin Kelly, Jonjo Shelvey and Suso have bolstered the squad the cheapest way. Mistakes have been made — however, missing out on Clint Dempsey and the misfire loan spell of Nuri Sahin are far easier to digest than £55m for Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing.

Liverpool have played well against top sides such as Manchester City and Everton. The team has played some beautiful football against Sunderland, QPR, Wigan and Norwich. Despite those performances, embarrassing losses to Aston Villa, Arsenal, and Stoke pepper the results. Hiccups aside, improvements over last season’s late relegation form cannot be denied.

With limited funds and some shrewd dealings, the foundation of the squad is being constructed. Brendan Rodgers knows what he wants Liverpool Football Club to look like and how he wants them to play the game. The owners and supporters need the patience and vision to allow his plan to take hold.

For better or worse, the days of afternoon NBA Finals are over. Long gone are the afternoons where I would rush home after school to catch Major League Baseball playoff games. The vast majority of important matches in the traditional US leagues are scheduled for 8pm “starts” with actual game play beginning up to an hour later. Add in additional commercials, ever increasing timeouts and delays, and you have later starting games testing even the longest attention spans. One league, the NFL, seems to be the exception and despite recent hiccups, its popularity has never been bigger.

Anecdotal evidence would seem to suggest fewer people are watching these late starting games, but the ratings say otherwise. It would seem more young people are attracted to the star power of leagues like the NBA, but at the same time the English game of soccer has never been more popular. What gives?

The answer is simply increased access to all sports via the Internet and expanding television offerings. Fans today simply have it all. Fans can watch anything and everything via the magic of streaming video and DVR. The Premier League fan in the United States, with the right cable and Internet packages, can watch every single game and most domestic cup matches. This is a privilege English fans could only dream of. The concept of even your local team’s matches on free broadcast TV in England is non-existent. Any team’s Internet message board on match day surely has a thread to track legal and illegal Internet streams. European fans of even the biggest clubs are forced to hunt for dodgy streams seemingly in every language but English.

For US readers, who hasn’t stumbled out of bed, poured some coffee, and enjoyed waking up to their favorite English footballers on live TV and then gone on to enjoy the day? Or maybe your most hated footballers ruined your day. Either way it’s just about the best way to start your weekend. Morning and early afternoon starts are a genius idea that was no idea at all. We can thank the rotation of the earth and geography. Americans have stumbled into goldmine of daytime action that happens to be the beautiful game.

So what does this mean for the future? Well the future is now. The future is NBC and their initial promise to air or stream every EPL match live. The marketing power and commitment from NBC, who have relatively few major sports obligations, can only help the league grow in the United States. A major broadcast network showing every match live and inevitably showing replays in prime time or late afternoons will grow soccer’s fan base.

Hopefully, NBC will guide us into the true golden age of the Premier League. They have a great deal of work to do, but for this writer the future is bright.