yes he is a good player, he has already made some pretty obvious indications that he plays well up front with suarez, just because he didn't start often for chelsea doesn't mean he isn't a decent player, it just means that other players within the team worked better with the formation and style of play that the managers were trying to play and that they had a £50mi striker they were obliged to play because of their owner, £12 million is not a cheap signing! he doesn't need to be a reliable scorer eiher, they already have suarez, they just need someone firstly as a back up in case suarez gets injured and someone with pace, vision, and passing ability (it is just bonus that he can finish).
sparknotes: why do they need a reliable goal scorer when they have one of the top three strikers in the prem? that is not why they bought sturridge