So when the same argument was raised many months ago,regarding Joe Hart's contributions when here,it was shot down with it is a team game comments,even winning golden gloves was down to the defence,not down to his skill,so I'm afraid that those stats have to come under the TEAM GAME category I'm afraid
I believe in what I say,if you feel happy in dragging the subject back up then I'm happy to argue my points with you all day,as you are hopefully realising,a forum is for open debate,stats tell half of the story.
Let me make a point of the 2 assists recently v West Brom for example,which many are getting giddy (excited) about,the goal assist for KDB goal,well,watch it,he cuts the ball back and it could have easily been intercepted by a defender,it was a cut back that came off,so great,we scored,the Aguero assist was what we need to see Sterling doing,running fast at a tired West Brom defence,where nobody could touch him for the fear of a card,he managed to stay on his feet and prod the ball to Aguero,who finished,I'm glad it wasn't the other way round or the ball would have been in the stands.
Now let me explain the "fondly" comment which has been twisted,as per usual on here,my original comment was in 10 years time,when we look back at this recent and current crop,Sterling will not be one of the first names mentioned,nothing to do with fondness,just not mentioned as a great,there is a difference
Very few things mark out a complete idiot more convincingly than denouncing facts as "geeky stats".
He's our second highest scorer. He's scored half a dozen last minute goals to save us. These are not things you can pretend didn't happen, your opinion he's shit does not overrule those facts.
When this season, and any silverware alongside it is remembered, Raheem Sterling's last minute goals against Everton, Bournemouth, Southampton and Huddersfield, putting us 7 points ahead of where we'd be without them, will be remembered.
Then everything De Bruyne, Silva or Aguero does is also just part of a team game and they deserve no personal accolades, is that what you're saying?
I'll deal with one thing at a time,now you have had chance to edit this post to make it sound more thoughtful,read back,and trust me when I tell you this,I've never called him shit,never,I've used the word frustrating loads of times,and looking into the future for a sec,will I look back and think of him as a great/legend.....I very much doubt this will come to my thoughts,but there is still time for him to win me and many others over yet,I mean he might bobble one in to win the CL final with a bit of luck
So you are telling me that was an intended pass to KDB
who cares? really? Why can't being the best in the world at being able to put the ball in the back of the net in an awkward situation, or slightly clumsily, to gain points be something we celebrate rather than ridicule? Christ, Shaun Goater made legendary status out of managing it. Or do we have to play the odd Raz miss against every time Leroy lets the ball go out of play from a cross-field pass because he's having an off 10 minutes, or every time Silva gets a great shooting chance but will blaze it over the bar because he isn't playing for Spain. Or every time Kun has 1 great game followed by one where he will run down the blind alley instead of passing to the 3 team-mates in space and then he doesn't get in the right position for the cross? Or do we have to count to compare every time KDB misplaces an ambitious pass, or doesn't score a free-kick, or count the 4,000 corners between him, Sane and Dave that end up being completely pointless?
We can all hyper-analyse and criticise players, people just want to impart their negativity onto certain players because they don't glide or play as silkily as others, it's surprising that a fanbase from a historically working class club can have members who are so dismissive of those who reach the top by having to graft and work their arse off to match those with a superior natural born or trained talent. It's bizarre to pick on the one talent who should get the most admiration.
Oh, Meesh, how could I possibly tell you that!?! God forbid Sterling ever does anything he intended in the first place. Just like he didn't intend to score the goal at Burnley. And apparently has just happened to be in the right place for all the late goals he has scored. Those naughty balls have got to stop hitting Sterling on their way into the net.