Daniel Sturridge’s return to first-team action will be key for Liverpool when they travel to Queens Park Rangers this weekend, according to Premier League TV expert Matt Holland.
The 25-year-old striker, who hit 21 goals last season, has not featured in the Barclays Premier League since the end of August after picking up a thigh injury but is expected to return for the trip to Loftus Road on Sunday.
Liverpool have struggled to hit top form during his absence, winning one of their four league fixtures. Victory against QPR would give them back-to-back wins in the BPL for the first time this season and Holland believes Sturridge’s return could be key for Brendan Rodgers’ side.
“Liverpool haven’t hit the ground running yet,” Holland told premierleague.com. “Sturridge will make a big difference as he stretches defences, taking them back towards their own goal, which in turn gives Philippe Coutinho, Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana more space and room to work in.”
Liverpool are lying in ninth in the table, nine points behind league leaders Chelsea, with 10 points from their opening seven matches. They go into Sunday’s match on the back of a 2-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion on 4 October, ending a run of three matches without a win.
“That was a massive win for Liverpool in terms of their confidence,” Holland said. “You have to win games when you are not playing part well and that’s what they did. West Brom caused a few problems at times, Saido Berahino was excellent for West Brom with his movement, sharpness and awareness, but Liverpool got the job done.”
QPR, meanwhile, have struggled on their return to the top flight, winning only one of their seven fixtures to leave them bottom of the table with four points and Holland calls the match at Loftus Road “huge” for them.
“Harry Redknapp has alluded to the fact that this international break has perhaps come at a good time for him to evaluate where they are and also try to get players fit again, get them on the training ground so they are raring to go to face Liverpool,” he said. “He’s got to decide on whether he is going to continue with a four at the back or is he going to go back to a three.
“I worry about them up front as they lack goals. They lost Loic Remy close to the transfer deadline day and it didn’t give them as much time to replace him.”
Despite QPR’s travails so far this season, Holland believes that Redknapp, whom he worked with at West Ham United in the 1990s, is the man to lead the club to safety.
“I am a Harry Redknapp fan,” he said. “I can appreciate how good a coach he is. I really enjoyed working with him and he makes players feel 10ft tall when they walk out on the pitch. He’s probably in his office moaning and groaning but then he’ll go out and boost everyone. He is a good man manager. I certainly think he can get them out of trouble.”
QPR have a poor record against Liverpool in the BPL, winning just twice against the Reds in their 12 BPL meetings but both wins have come at Loftus Road. Liverpool, however, will be wary of a slip up as QPR’s memorable come-from-behind 3-2 victory at Loftus Road in March 2012 is still fresh in the memory.
“Loftus Road is a great ground for generating an atmosphere, it’s very tight to the pitch and if QPR can get a good start and get an early lead, it will be jumping,” said Holland. “That can play a part.
“Key for QPR will be to contain Sturridge and [Raheem] Sterling and to try to get at Liverpool’s full-backs. Javier Manquillo and Alberto Moreno both love to go forward so I wonder whether QPR might play 4-5-1, get two players wide and try to occupy them. We’ll try to exploit the areas that they have left if they go forward.”
source: premierleague.com
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 