the slippery slope of new arrivals

Just turned nineteen this past fall, Daniel Sturridge is one of the emerging young talents in Football today. His growth has never been in doubt and whether given an opportunity to shine for Man City or Englands U-17 and U-19 sides, he has always proven capable of shouldering the weight.

Yet something is off because whilst young Mr. Sturridge grows and develops, his time on the pitch is sorely lacking. Peers such as West Ham's Freddie Sears, Everton's Jack Rodwell and of course Arsenal's Theo Walcott have benefited from baptism under fire approach and as time prevails they have seen their levels of performance catapult higher.

At present he has been out with ankle injury but in a very up-front way, Mark Hughes is more than aware the young sharpshooter is debating his future with Man City.

Per the club web-site Mark Hughes commented:

"He should be joining in training today actually. He hasn’t trained with the group since he got the injury to his ankle. We’ll look to integrate him with just small number and hopefully he’ll not have a reaction. He’s been training with the physio’s and come through that so hopefully he’ll be an option at the weekend.”

Responding directly to his future at the club the Man City manager noted:

"We’d like to keep Daniel, he’s a good young player and we’ll obviously do our best to keep him."

Like other top flight younger players at Man City, such as Ched Evans and lessor-known Ben Mee and Vladimir Weiss, time on the pitch at this stage of their development is crucial and it is very questionable whether opportunities will be present themselves. Given Daniel's contract expires at the end of next June, Man City must convince him that an opportunity to be in the starting grid is the horizon and to sign him to a contract extension or he will move elsewhere. Most likely with the upcoming transfer window opening, the clubs actions will easily dictate his answer.

Louis Saha puts on a one-man show

As Everton supporters started to make their way out of Upton Park with ten minutes remaining in the match, Louis Saha turned the match upside down with a stunning five minutes as the Toffees beat West Ham 3-1. Gianfranco Zola's club out-played Everton throughout the majority of the match with twenty year-old Wales international Jack Collison striking a beautiful goal three minutes past the hour mark. Three minutes later David Moyes brought in the attacking minded James Vaughan for young Jack Rodwell who had played a splendid match and slowly the match opened-up. Still a goal behind, Louis Saha took it upon himself with eight minutes remaining crossing perfectly to Joleon Lescott who nodded the ball in and then notched two goals of his own at the eighty-fifth and eighty-seventh minute. While the thirty-year old was the story of the match, surely the continued brilliance of Freddie Sears is deserving note. The eighteen year-old striker who figures in England U-21 lineup is pure magic and should be rubber-stamped in Gianfranco Zola's lineup.