"Wasting so much" - West Brom criticised for Daniel Sturridge developments post-signing | OneFootball

The striker had an ill-fated spell at the Hawthorns as the Baggies suffered relegation from the Premier League in 2017/18

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For the majority of the last decade, West Bromwich Albion managed to put their reputation as a yo-yo club behind them, as they competed in the Premier League for eight straight seasons.

Three top-half finishes during that time proved that Albion were more than just surviving in the top flight, with the Black Country outfit more than holding their own against the best that the country had to offer for a period close to a decade.

But that all came tumbling down in the 2017/18 season, as a goal-shy side failed to find the back of the net on a regular basis, before dropping back in to the EFL with just six wins to their name all season.

Hopes were high after signing Daniel Sturridge on loan from Liverpool in January, but as Football League World’s Albion fan pundit Callum Burgess recalls, things didn’t quite go as planned for the striker at the Hawthorns.

Daniel Sturridge fails to shine for West Bromwich Albion

Injuries had plagued Sturridge for much of his career before moving to the Black Country, with his lack of fitness seeing him turn out just nine times for the Reds before the turn of the calendar year that season.

With the likes of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mo Salah firing up top, game time was proving hard to come by for the frontman, with a move to an Albion side that needed goals looking like a good move for all involved as 2018 began.

But things didn’t go to plan for either Sturridge or Albion boss Alan Pardew, with the attacker featuring in just three matches for his new side before being ruled out for two months.

Defeats to Manchester City and Southampton were followed by a trip to previous side Chelsea, although his return to Stamford Bridge only lasted four minutes, before a hamstring injury forced him off.

With the man touted to score the goals to keep Albion up already on the sidelines, those at the Hawthorns couldn’t believe their luck, which prompted Burgess to name the striker when asked which player came to the club full of hype but failed to deliver.

The Albion fan said: “Back in the 2017/18 season, where Albion were on the back of eight consecutive seasons in the Premier League, and they were facing relegation trouble in January under Alan Pardew.

“Albion went into the transfer market thinking a striker would be able to solve their problems, and after competition between us and Newcastle United, Albion managed to secure the services of Daniel Sturridge, and get him on loan for the rest of the season from Liverpool.

“He made an alright contribution in his first game against Southampton in a 3-2 defeat where he came off after an hour or so, but it was his second appearance away at Chelsea where his injury problems came back to bite him.

“That meant that Albion were paying his reported £120,000 a week wages while Sturridge spent the rest of the season on the sidelines.

“Ultimately, Albion of course fell to relegation, while Sturridge didn’t make another appearance for Albion until they were already confirmed to be relegated against Crystal Palace.”

Daniel Sturridge transfer costs West Bromwich Albion dearly

The fact that the Baggies picked up just one point from the 18 available while Sturridge was unavailable for selection speaks volumes about how tough the season was at the Hawthorns in 2017/18, with Pardew’s tenure falling into disarray.

Darren Moore was the man in charge by the time the striker was ready to take back to the field against Manchester United in April, with a return to the Football League very much on the cards after a turgid run of results.

For Albion fans, there will always be a case of what might have been regarding Sturridge, or what may have happened if the club had spent that money elsewhere, on a player who could be available for selection week in, week out, and give the boss another option in the final third.

As it was, relegation was confirmed, leaving the Baggies picking up the pieces as their temporary striker returned to Anfield, with Burgess still ruing the expenditure on a player who hardly played for the club.

The Albion fan continued: “It really was a case of wasting so much money and to top off a really challenging season for Albion, where they ended up finishing bottom of the table.