It's the fact we played a lot slower this season and pressed a lot less. Whenever Sterling gets the ball he's all the way on the wing with defenders all where they need to be to stop him. There's no room for him to run. Sané would have struggled too.I’ve been putting a lot of his form down to not playing with a striker ,and still do, but just watching the bit with Shaw in the Spain ,Italy half tome talk about his understanding with Sterling. Maybe he also misses that conventional left back providing options and space for him. Think adding a centre forward will help, as would a Grealish in midfield behind him, but an overlapping left back would be even better for him.
Spot on.It's the fact we played a lot slower this season and pressed a lot less. Whenever Sterling gets the ball he's all the way on the wing with defenders all where they need to be to stop him. There's no room for him to run. Sané would have struggled too.
We play slowly enough that our wingers are essentially wide midfielders. So it's benefitted us to use players who are tough to dispossess and comfortable with a slower passing game, like Mahrez and Foden.
FWIW, at the very beginning of the season in our opening 3 league games we pressed really aggressively for the opening 30 minutes or so, and in the two games Sterling started on the wing (Wolves and Leeds) he looked devastating during those spells.
He'd be better in a slower tempo if he wasn't forced to stay so wide, which is what suits him for England.
Spot on.
As i said a couple of pages back,while he is looking good playing to his strengths for England.....he'll come back here and have the same issues.
I am sure we want to, but does he?He's back to his best this summer and showing everyone what a top class player he is, and silencing his critics along the way.
Time to tie him down to a new contract.
And who's going to buy him this summer?I am sure we want to, but does he?
If England and him are winners on Sunday, his stock will be sky high.
That's the problem for him and us.And who's going to buy him this summer?
I'm not trying to convince anyone,i'm pointing out what i see on the pitch and balancing out some of the hyperbole spouted by fan boys like you.Sterling isn't shit,his technical ability is limited,and he is struggling in a possession based team - all fact.The only reason he'd struggle here is if we persist on playing 460 without a striker.
Given the entire summer is geared towards buying a striker, and Khaldoon himself said replacing Aguero is the most important task of the last 5 years, there's absolutely no reason to think we are going to continue playing the way we were forced to without a fit striker.
Unless of course you'd spent the last year trying to convince everyone Sterling was completely shit, had no technical ability or the mentality to be a top professional and now he's stealing the show on a global stage you're grasping at straws to pretend you were right all along and spouting nonsense like Harry Maguie has had a better tournament.
Then I could see why you'd pretend we are going to play the way we did last season and not in the 4 previous under Pep.
he is struggling in a possession based team - all fact
He cant control a ball and his first touch is often a shit pass.Then there's the amount of times he surrenders possession and/or falls over.This is fairly typical of your attacks on Sterling. He's played in a side averaging between 63 and 70% possession for the last 4 years. So obviously possession has nothing to do with his ability to play well or not.
And yet you continually try to push this idea he's incompatible with high possession football.
Manchester City possession by season.
17/18 - 70.0%
18/19 - 67.2%
19/20 - 65.9%
20/21 - 63.3%
He cant control a ball and his first touch is often a shit pass.
Don't forget Luke Shaw too, yes that really did get typed and posted.The only reason he'd struggle here is if we persist on playing 460 without a striker.
Given the entire summer is geared towards buying a striker, and Khaldoon himself said replacing Aguero is the most important task of the last 5 years, there's absolutely no reason to think we are going to continue playing the way we were forced to without a fit striker.
Unless of course you'd spent the last year trying to convince everyone Sterling was completely shit, had no technical ability or the mentality to be a top professional and now he's stealing the show on a global stage you're grasping at straws to pretend you were right all along and spouting nonsense like Harry Maguie has had a better tournament.
Then I could see why you'd pretend we are going to play the way we did last season and not in the 4 previous under Pep.
He cant control a ball and his first touch is often a shit pass.Then there's the amount of times he surrenders possession and/or falls over.
We can do better,hopefully thats Grealish.
Playing against open teams in a knockout format provides (more often than not), the space for Sterling to be effective. Sadly, the vast majority of PL sides know that if they try to play in that way, they would get seriously exposed, so we generally face packed defenses, where room has to be made. I think the point being made, is Sterling isn't that good at opening up defenses with the ball at his feet.I am happy to see he is proving you completely wrong this tournament. Two more good performances and he’s an absolute shoe-in for player of the tournament. Ragardless of this he’ll easily be one of the top 5 players.
Over the past 5 years City have been one of, if not the best club side in the world and he’s been one of our best performers baring an off season last campaign.
All this and the guy is only just approaching his prime years and you want rid? And replace him with Grealish??
I love Grealish but not as a Sterling replacement. It would need to be as an “addition” not “instead of”. Whilst Grealish offers something different he will never put numbers up like Sterling does, as he simply doesn’t have the movement or speed to get into those positions that cause pandemonium. Good player though.
Imo, as long as he avoids a serious injury, Sterling will also have a very prolonged career as he’s very, very fit and athletic, almost never injured and can play an obscene amount of football without getting jaded.
I appreciate you don’t like Sterling for whatever reason but you are completely wrong and would be proved so if he moved on to whatever team he picked this summer (as nearly every team would want him for said reasons).
sorry, end of rant.
Sadly, the vast majority of PL sides know that if they try to play in that way, they would get seriously exposed, so we generally face packed defenses, where room has to be made.
Playing against open teams in a knockout format
I would say first couple of seasons teams played relatively open and it has just got progressively worse. As we strengthen further, parked buses will be the norm against us, particularly at home.Some of you act like we haven't been facing that kind of opposition every season since Guardiola to the reigns.
If only we'd recently seen him take 5 players (defending their own 18 yard box) out of the game with 1 pass...I think the point being made, is Sterling isn't that good at opening up defenses with the ball at his feet.
No I haven't. Don't pay much attention to International games tbh, but my point was generic, not just recent internationalsYou really haven't been watching much football if you think Croatia, Czech Republic, Scotland or Ukraine played openly.
There’s plenty on here who just can’t admit he’s an excellent player.You really haven't been watching much football if you think Croatia, Czech Republic, Scotland or Ukraine played openly.