Life without Sturridge and Gerrard for Liverpool

Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard along with Suarez has been the focal point of everything for Liverpool this season, reigniting the hopes of the Anfield faithful that the club can finally get back into the UEFA Champions League. But with the duo out of action atleast till the end of 2013 and difficult matches away to Manchester City and at home against Chelsea in the busy Christmas period will truly define their season.
The tantalizing form of Suarez has ensured that Liverpool do not miss Sturridge to that extent but Gerrard’s absence and experience would be truly missed against City and Chelsea. These two fixtures probably could not have had come at a worse time than this even though Liverpool have thrashed Spurs at their home without their star duo.
But now is the time for Brendan Rodgers to mould his entire team, mould new champions in the likes of Henderson and show to the rest of the league that Liverpool are not dependant on individuals but they must be feared as a team. It is also a great chance for the players in the bench to step up and grab the opportunity more so this being the World Cup year-a good performance against City and Chelsea will not only help them get regular starts for Liverpool but also confirm their tickets for Brazil 2014.
Liverpools 5-0 demolition of Totenham at White Hart Lane was arguably their finest performance of the season, when we finally got to see Henderson coming out of the shadows of Gerrard to prove his worth. In fact, this turned out to be quite a fine demonstration of promising young home grown stars as Henderson, Jon Flanagan and Raheem Sterling all excelled and piled up the misery for Villas-Boas finally leading to his exit as Spurs Head Coach.
With Suarez’s agent now in contract talks with Ian Ayre, positivity around Anfield is on the surge. Suarez’s goal return has been nothing short of incredible. There are few players in world football who can match his performance levels which was reflected this week when he picked up the FSF Footballer of the Year award in London. That 5-0 demolition of Spurs and the crushing home victories that preceded it have given the Christmas period a completely different outlook for Liverpool. Rather than worrying about how the team would cope without Sturridge, Gerrard and Enrique, fans can now look forward to watching emerging stars stake a claim for regular involvement.