Sturdee's tactical strength and strategic limits

Would Sturdee have been the right British admiral for the operation?

No; he was a capable fighter but a weak strategist whose force-distribution decisions helped create the conditions for the Coronel disaster.

Tactical fighting ability did not give Sturdee the strategic judgment required of the most senior admirals. He could fight effectively once the enemy was found and the balance of forces favored him. His Falklands victory was difficult to lose, while his earlier decisions contributed to dispersing British forces in penny packets before Coronel. That record makes him a poor choice for broader strategic authority despite his success in battle.