I'm not entirely sure why Daniel Sturridge is talking about Chelsea right now -- last I checked we don't play against Liverpool until the end of next month -- but he's definitely talking and he's not pulling many punches either. First, we go to the tired old 'big club' argument, deployed by the nostalgic and insecure worldwide:
This club is more of a pressure cooker than Chelsea. [There] we were challenging for titles and the expectation from the fans and a lot of expensive players get bought and your fighting for your place. But I think as a club, [Liverpool] is bigger, the history of the club and the way the fans want success.
-Source: Mail.
So that's fun. I'm not entirely sure why there's more pressure on at Liverpool than Chelsea -- the Blues routinely sack managers who finish second, and Liverpool have only matched that lofty marker twice in Premier League history. It's a little bit weird talking about the greatness of a club who last won the league when one was eight months old.
But I digress. Next is an attack on the decision-making at Stamford Bridge -- and those who've called him selfish over the years:
The selfish thing - people at Chelsea have an opinion - and everyone's entitled to their opinion, but for me I was never given an opportunity there.
I'm only on for five minutes, I've got to try and do something. I've got to try and shoot.
People have an opinion of me, [saying] "Daniel Sturridge this, Daniel Sturridge" and that and I'm selfish and this and that, but for me I've always tried to help the team win games and here at Liverpool I always try and sit on my opponents and I'm not a selfish player. I'm not a selfish person. People who meet me here and management understand exactly where I'm coming from.
I didn't really get a chance to show people who I was as a person because once you have an opinion and I'm not doing interviews and I'm not playing and I'm on the bench - it's almost like you can't do anything to change anyone's opinion.
It's not a completely unreasonable quote, apart from the fact that he put justification for playing selfishly immediately before denial that he played selfishly. Chelsea have made some pretty bizarre decisions on the striker front, and so far it looks as though letting Sturridge go to Liverpool was a bit of an error. I'm sure anyone would feel pretty aggrieved at being behind Fernando Torres in the pecking order no matter whether or not Torres was on form, so Sturridge's anger is understandable.
I do wonder, however, how these comments will look at the end of the season, when in all likelihood 'big club' Liverpool are once again on the outside looking in. Until Sturridge contributes to his club winning a trophy or two, he might be better off saving his talking for the pitch. Good luck!