Shanks Would Have Had A Put-Down For Selfish Sturridge

DISTANTLY related that I am to the late Wullie Shankly, I have a soft spot for Liverpool. So I was an interested television spectator, via BT Sport, to Tuesday night's Merseyside Derby.

 

I was mightily impressed by the Reds' win; they were far sharper near goal that Everton, whilst defensively, they reduced the Toffees to playing passes around some 30-yards from goal, and seldom let them get closer than that.

 

However, I suggest Wullie Shankly would not have been too-impressed by Daniel Sturridge, the Liverpool player to whom Michael Owen gave the Man of the Match call, in respect of his two goals.

 

Far be it from me to differe from Owen, but, he got it wrong. I felt either the sublime Suarez, of the new Brazilian, Couthino, were more-deserving of the MOM call that stroppy Sturridge, who came across, to me, as just another over-hyped Englishman with an over-inflated idea of his own talent.

 

Let me say, immediately, his second goal, the one where he took a "Route One" pass and, from the edge of the box, lifted it over Tim Howard into the net, was a sublime finish. However, the way he milked the (justified) applause and, more-importantly, the way he blazed the penalty over the bar, indicates to me - this one hasn't got IT.

 

It cannot be easy being Liverpool's main striker. Look at the back numbers - the guys whose boots you are (metaphorically) filling: Ian St John, Roger Hunt, John Toshack, Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen - not easy acts to follow.

 

I would suggest, however, every one of the above, handed the opportunity to score a Merseyside Derby hat-trick by the simple matter of scoring a penalty, would have nailed it. Sturridge didn't, then, he confounded the folly with that self-indulgest shot, with Suarez unmarked at the back post.

 

Naw son - right now, you haven't got it - back to school.

 

Just a word on Everton. I thought Naisy did well, when he first came on; however, after a while, when his team mates shown a disinclination to pass to him, he stopped making telling runs and, like the rest, his head went down.

I expect more of Scottish internationalists.

 

 

 

TWENTY-FOUR hours later, it was Manchester City carving Spurs apart. It is a strange state of affairs when the blue half of Manchester is playing the surging, entertaining football which gets the fans going - that's supposed to be the red half's remit; but, right now, City are playing some marvellous stuff.

 

Mind you, we have a team up here in Scotland who are scoring for fun, but, getting little or no credit for it. I just feel, City have every bit as big a fiscal advantage over the teams they face in their domestic league than does Celtic up here.

 

By the way, on the basis of the English Premiership games I have seen lately, can we please stop this nonsense about English referees being better than Scottish ones.

 

Our top guys are every bit as good as the best on the other side of the Solway.

 

 

 

I JUST wish, our game, for all its perceived failings, had even half the media exposure the English Premiershp gets.