#7 | Raheem Sterling - 2020/21 Performances

[mccity]

Smashing, so we just need to find the position that unlocks Raz’s potential then.

No-one ever questioned Gundogan’s technical ability (as far as I’m aware) - just his efficacy in a defensive/holding role. Granted, I personally never thought moving him further forward would produce quite the returns it has, but anyone with eyes could see that Gundogan’s technical ability, with the ball at his feet, was brilliant.

Very different situation with Sterling.

There seem to be two very distinct groups on these threads - fans and supporters.
Fans will critique and try to work out where weaknesses are and how the team could improve. Supporters will often blindly clap and cheer, come rain or shine. In the stadium that has its merits, in a discussion it just seems inflammatory.

That's the kind of post we used to get in the Gundogan thread, particularly the hyper arrogant closing paragraph.

 

[DAGW]

That's the kind of post we used to get in the Gundogan thread, particularly the hyper arrogant closing paragraph.

Rings true then - a positional change/change in deployment was made re Gundogan, and we’re reaping the benefits. Not sure the same change can be made with Raz. I hope Pep can find a way.

*Insert arrogant closing paragraph*

 

[mccity]

Rings true then - a positional change/change in deployment was made re Gundogan, and we’re reaping the benefits. Not sure the same change can be made with Raz. I hope Pep can find a way.

*Insert arrogant closing paragraph*

Do you know why I made the comparison to the Gundogan thread in the first place?

 

[mcfc482]

The difference with Sterling and basically every other player in this team is he just can’t do the basics. He under or over hits passes more frequently than anyone, he can’t dribble past a guy and when he does he runs out of play or gets tackled when the hard work is done. He lacks a basic first touch at times. His finishing is so erratic at times. I think I would choose the majority of other attackers in the league when it came to a 1v1 through to the GK before him.
If people watch closely on a counter attack he can really slow the game down instead of driving forward and use his pace. He just walks with the ball.
He lacks ideas and imagination with the ball, he is clearly a level below everyone else in the team.

The truth is the system and clear instructions from pep has made him look amazing at times and when it hasn’t worked he is not the guy to rely on to dig you out of a hole.

In saying all that he does have world class movement and gets on the end of loads of chances. In his good seasons he has finished his tap ins because of that and scored the odd 1v1 which I am sure people are genuinely surprised when he does. You will never fully trust him in any scenario though, going through on goals or having to make a simple pass in a clutch moment, he may pull it off but just as likely he will mess it up. Is that good enough for a team who is looking to win it all? I guess we will find out in the next few months.

I actually want him to do well and prove me wrong but at the moment he does not deserve a new contract and sometimes you need to move on your big players and freshen things up. I feel like his time has come.

I am sure people will point to his stats but look at his overall play in the last 2 seasons and if you watch without bias it’s clear for all to see. A positional change is not going to fix that either.

 

[DAGW]

Do you know why I made the comparison to the Gundogan thread in the first place?

Of your posts that I’ve seen, you don’t seem to fall into either camp, but criticism of players does seem to get your back up a bit in general.

My guess was that you feel as though Sterling is undervalued and gets too much flack, whilst the great things he does go unnoticed in games - much like Gundogan’s ability was undervalued when he was being played as a holding midfielder.

If that’s the case, then I’d agree with you; I think Sterling is a tireless worker and has world class movement that drags opposition players out of position fantastically, however he has deficiencies in his game that are incredibly frustrating. Basic deficiencies that you wouldn’t expect from a footballer at this level, and could be hugely costly - Lyon being a case in point.

Maybe the internet and the written word strikes again, and I misunderstood your inference. If that’s the case, I’d be interested in your reasoning for drawing the comparison - some of your posts are genuinely insightful. Others do seem a intentionally a little flippant or sarcastic, so please forgive my ignorance if I’ve misunderstood.

 

[mccity]

Of your posts that I’ve seen, you don’t seem to fall into either camp, but criticism of players does seem to get your back up a bit in general.

My guess was that you feel as though Sterling is undervalued and gets too much flack, whilst the great things he does go unnoticed in games - much like Gundogan’s ability was undervalued when he was being played as a holding midfielder.

If that’s the case, then I’d agree with you; I think Sterling is a tireless worker and has world class movement that drags opposition players out of position fantastically, however he has deficiencies in his game that are incredibly frustrating. Basic deficiencies that you wouldn’t expect from a footballer at this level, and could be hugely costly - Lyon being a case in point.

Maybe the internet and the written word strikes again, and I misunderstood your inference. If that’s the case, I’d be interested in your reasoning for drawing the comparison - some of your posts are genuinely insightful. Others do seem a intentionally a little flippant or sarcastic, so please forgive my ignorance if I’ve misunderstood.

You've actually summed it up really, really well. Nice post. I appreciate that. I'd just kindly ask that in future you think about my (or whoever your replying to) perspective just like this before you make initial reply. Because you're clearly an intelligent person and we could have had a slightly less confrontational discussion.

Tbh, threads like these can get a bit heated rather easily, so I'm going to bow out before I accidentally get dragged into a debate with some other poster about some arbitrary thing that's never going to resolve anything. I can be as problematic as any poster given the chance and so I try to avoid it if I can.

Thanks for the kind words too.


FWIW, the comparison was more the threads than the players. Constant back and forth discussions about whether a player is actually any good or not, whether the fact Pep rates them is a worthy factor or not, what's their best position (RW-LW Sterling, #8 or #6 Gundogan), consistent nit-picking at good traits on one side, general ignoring of weaknesses on the other, whether we should sell them or not, which players from other clubs would be an upgrade, Sterling less obvious off-the-ball stuff is discussed similarly (or dismissed similarly) to Gundogan's less obvious possession controlling aspects. And probably more. There used to be a 'Gundogan blindspot' thread acting like Pep was bonkers for picking Gundogan. There are factors in this thread that are suggesting certain posters attitudes are heading the same way for Sterling.

 

[DAGW]

You've actually summed it up really, really well. Nice post. I appreciate that. I'd just kindly ask that in future you think about my (or whoever your replying to) perspective just like this before you make initial reply. Because you're clearly an intelligent person and we could have had a slightly less confrontational discussion.

Tbh, threads like these can get a bit heated rather easily, so I'm going to bow out before I accidentally get dragged into a debate with some other poster about some arbitrary thing that's never going to resolve anything. I can be as problematic as any poster given the chance and so I try to avoid it if I can.

Thanks for the kind words too.


FWIW, the comparison was more the threads than the players. Constant back and forth discussions about whether a player is actually any good or not, whether the fact Pep rates them is a worthy factor or not, what's their best position (RW-LW Sterling, #8 or #6 Gundogan), consistent nit-picking at good traits on one side, general ignoring of weaknesses on the other, whether we should sell them or not, which players from other clubs would be an upgrade, Sterling less obvious off-the-ball stuff is similar to Gundogan's less obvious possession controlling aspects. And probably more.

I really am sorry if I offended anyone there - I wasn’t intentionally trying to be inflammatory with the fans/supporters comparison - it was something that struck me while I read the back and forth. I just missed the mark trying to offer my view on the two camps - probably down to not considering it for long enough and tempering my language accordingly.

I read and contribute to these discussions looking for genuinely insightful opinions (your more in depth inputs, I count amongst them). I do so hoping that my views and ideas will be challenged reasonably, in order to cement them or allow me to change my mind for the better. I think that’s what everyone should be using these discussions for - but far too often there’s too many simple “he’s just shit” or “people need to get off his back” posts.

For what it’s worth, a player like Sterling wouldn’t have been getting the criticism he gets (rightly or wrongly) before Pep. I genuinely think Pep’s almost worked the typical City tag out of this club - I for one probably hold our players to far higher standards than I might’ve otherwise, considering our league position, and I put that down to us all following Pep’s lead and expecting perfection. It’s hard not to now.

 

[lasereyes]

Smashing, so we just need to find the position that unlocks Raz’s potential then.

No-one ever questioned Gundogan’s technical ability (as far as I’m aware) - just his efficacy in a defensive/holding role. Granted, I personally never thought moving him further forward would produce quite the returns it has, but anyone with eyes could see that Gundogan’s technical ability, with the ball at his feet, was brilliant.

Very different situation with Sterling.

There seem to be two very distinct groups on these threads - fans and supporters.
Fans will critique and try to work out where weaknesses are and how the team could improve. Supporters will often blindly clap and cheer, come rain or shine. In the stadium that has its merits, in a discussion it just seems inflammatory.

The reality is Gundogan was criticized as being slow and ponderous and so bad that his selection was due to his naked pictures of Pep. Also much-stated was that Gundogan was serviceable as a #6 holding midfielder but should never ever be played as an 8.

 

[Josh_D]

Raheem Sterling...

Great off the ball movement, tracks back, puts a shift in even when it’s not going well, and has the pace to cause havoc.

Not the most technically gifted, not a lethal finisher, and sometimes overthinks on his decisions.

The team create a shedload of chances. Couple this with his off the ball movement, and he’ll have many chances to score. He’ll miss two 1v1 in a match, and I’ll say wtf many times but it’s part of the enjoyment of the game. Not great for the heart but I enjoy it.

He’s held to a high standard by many and sometimes falls and will fall short. Nonetheless, he keeps at it. No clue what his trajectory will look like in the future but I’m here for the ride. He wears sky blue and I’ll continue to wish the lad all the best even if I grumble and criticise him in the heat of the moment.

 

[Bpughh]

Didn’t bother to read much of the recent posts or thread, was actually just skimming through some of my past posts. He’s been One of the few players I like to criticize.

Unfortunately haven’t watched all of the games this year. Have seen some good and bad of raz. Still wanted to chime in and say I’ve seen massive improvement in some key moments. Don’t think he’ll ever be our pk taker but I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him this season. He’s getting really good, man. Best couple years are right around the corner.