At the final whistle, Daniel Sturridge headed straight for the tunnel. He had played 90 minutes but probably knew that he had not won over those who query whether he works hard enough for the demanding Jürgen Klopp.
The Liverpool manager was at pains to defend Sturridge’s failure to walk over to the travelling fans, saying that as he too had left the pitch immediately, he could hardly castigate his striker.
“He was not ignoring the fans,” Klopp said. “I went in immediately also. I hope our fans know how close we are to them. You want to go home, rest and recover after a game like that. My fault if someone does not say thank you — it is down to me.”
However, the timing of Sturridge’s act is interesting. Having suffered rumour and innuendo about his fitness, Sturridge is now the subject of speculation that he lacks the intensity Klopp likes in his players.
This was magnified when Klopp omitted the former Chelsea striker from the starting line up against Villarreal in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.
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It became a real issue when Klopp proceeded to ignore Sturridge as an option from the bench. Roberto Firmino started against the Spanish side, according to Klopp, for tactical reasons.
Sturridge defended his own attitude and approach in an interview yesterday for the Mail on Sunday.
“I’m here to work,” he said. “I’m not here to have fun. I’m not here for a jolly-up. Liverpool, for me, is work. It’s a job. It’s something I take seriously and for anyone to question my integrity, it’s disrespectful.”
Having faced up to his critics, he needed to illustrate exactly what he meant with a gutsy, grafting and intelligent performance rather than being limited to a bit-part contribution. Klopp allowed him the full game to sharpen up but the 26-year-old became increasingly peripheral.
His most inspired moment came when he tried, astutely, to chip Lukasz Fabianski, but the ball drifted wide. He later took a free kick but lacked confidence judging by the execution and his body language.
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On another day, Sturridge lasting the 90 minutes may have implied that Klopp was preparing him to start against Villarreal in the second leg of the Europa League semi-final at Anfield. Now though, it could be interpreted as Klopp being prepared to sacrifice the striker knowing that he will not start with him on Thursday.
“I do not know who will play against Villarreal,” Klopp said when asked if conclusions could be drawn and he emphasised that Sturridge was keen to last the whole of the game against Swansea.
“I spoke to him at half-time,” Klopp said. “He said he wanted to play and it was no problem. We have a few days. I am happy.”
“I’m so relaxed in my life right now,” Sturridge recently insisted but at the Liberty Stadium he seemed a player with the world on his shoulders.
