#7 | Raheem Sterling - 2021/22 Performances

[Phil1]

Well, with people like you around it's up to honest folk like me to tell the truth on here. You come in and support me every time by making a nonsense argument and trying to goad and showing everyone the validity of the original point so thank you.

The problem with you is you're just fucking negative about everything. After the Chelsea game I think I saw you post in the post match thread "good result" and that was it. No praise offered at all but fuck me, we draw or lose, or even win but don't play well you're all over the forum like a rash, which coincidentally suits you down to a tee.

On subject though, Sterling's time with us is up. A move will suit both parties because it'll get toxic for him as the season progresses with an already agitated fanbase willing to throw him to the wolves.
Thanks for the trophies.

 

[Sibierskii]

What's the latest on the contract situation?

 

[SWP's back]

Not a dig, but can anyone remember when he last had a good game for us? One where you've come away and said Raheem was excellent today.

Liverpool away last season?

He really hasn't been the same since the miss against Lyon in the CL for me

I think that’s probably a fair post and assessment.

 

[Heart.net]

What's the latest on the contract situation?

I hope we tear it up and tell him to do one.

The guy is a luxury player at this club at best where his strong points are neutralized by all of his weaknesses.

 

[itisrising]

Not a dig, but can anyone remember when he last had a good game for us? One where you've come away and said Raheem was excellent today.

Liverpool away last season?

He really hasn't been the same since the miss against Lyon in the CL for me

Pretty much this. We're at a situation where virtually every time he starts for us in a semi important game, we drop points. He's had so many opportunities to deliver *something* but it just never happens.

 

[yerwot?]

Classic case of "performance anxiety", the more you try not to fail, the worse it gets. No coincidence Raz earning the "if he has time to think, he'll miss "epithet.
He is not the only footballer with it, perhaps the only one permanently under the microscope of a vicious msm, and an increasingly impatient home crowd.
Imo, he has never stopped trying, never hidden on the pitch, or given less than his best; sadly, we as a team need more than that (which should be a given anyway) . One on one, a situation which he has faced many times, is a signal for fans despair almost always. By now it is obvious, with this manager and our fans, he never will be a striker, which we clearly need. His critics go over the top, as ever, neutrals like myself are just left perplexed, i feel sometimes he is being punished by continually being selected, daft i know but what else to explain it. His frequent loss of possession is now more serious as counter-attacking teams outnumber all others, they wait for such opportunities and he is a likely source, we have qualty players for wide roles, better mid-fielders, which seems to make him a sub at best, but fuck, what do i know?

 

[decmancity]

What's the latest on the contract situation?

No other explanation from me other than we are shoe horning him into the team to try and see where he is.

City will want to try and protect the investment but hes paid back his fee, done a good job overall but hes fallen off a cliff now and doesn't deserve to be playing. Simple.

 

[akrh215]

I don't think anybody else playing in that position tonight does any better than Sterling. That's not to say I think he should be playing, but he's not the reason why we lost tonight.

They would have done better, and we would have been better off if the ball hadn't bounced away from them as it did from him (which is how we conceded)

 

[FromPollockToSilva]

They would have done better, and we would have been better off if the ball hadn't bounced away from them as it did from him (which is how we conceded)

A lot of shit still had to happen for them to score and nobody else covered themselves in glory. Massive stretch to blame him for their goal

 

[Bombo]

Not sure it’s been mentioned as I’ve not read the whole thread. But the first goal against PSG came directly from his poor first touch. Sure we could have done more afterwards to stop it, but he failed to control a simple pass, bounced off him, straight down the other end 1-0

 

[FromPollockToSilva]

Not sure it’s been mentioned as I’ve not read the whole thread. But the first goal against PSG came directly from his poor first touch. Sure we could have done more afterwards to stop it, but he failed to control a simple pass, bounced off him, straight down the other end 1-0

If it's a criticism of Sterling, you can be pretty sure it's been mentioned

 

[Craig]

Not sure it’s been mentioned as I’ve not read the whole thread. But the first goal against PSG came directly from his poor first touch. Sure we could have done more afterwards to stop it, but he failed to control a simple pass, bounced off him, straight down the other end 1-0

So unlike him too

 

[Bombo]

If it's a criticism of Sterling, you can be pretty sure it's been mentioned

Shame was amazing 2 years ago gone backwards

 

[TheRubberRing]

cash + sterling for chiesa from juve! get it done

 

[mancityscot]

actually get pissed off seeing his name on the team sheet these days.

 

[mosssideblue]

actually get pissed off seeing his name on the team sheet these days.

Totally agree for important games, particularly as we have Phil and Grealish better than him.

 

[balotelli's back pocket]

I wouldn't blame him for running his contract down at this point because he's being treated like shit. He hasn't started a game in his best position (wide right) for months. And before people come along to say that he's played brilliantly on the left before - yes, he has. But, bar the odd game, it only tended to be when he was in particularly great form and had real confidence in front of goal (18-19). Even then, some of his best performances came on the right wing, against Southampton and Liverpool at home that season. The following year, he was our only winger who could play on the left, due to Sane's injury, and while he scored a lot of goals, it wasn't without a long dry patch in the middle. Indeed, he scored several of his post lockdown goals playing from the right, with Phil on the left.

He's not being given a consistent run in the side to get his form back, and when he does start it's in a position which is completely alien to him, and only serves to make him the scapegoat for every game we don't win. Don't get me started on his treatment by our fans, online and in the ground.

A player of his stature and ability (see his performances in the Euros for proof he's still got it) deserves better. He's our best right winger for fucks sake, but he's forced to play elsewhere to accomodate Jesus and Mahrez? One of which was, until last season, considered a perfectly serviceable centre forward (but is now forbidden from playing there), and the other who has had about 6 good months in total in a City shirt.

I wrote on here a while ago that Pep's use of his forwards baffled me, and it's only gotten worse. Everything that people have praised Jesus for doing on the wing, Sterling has been doing for years. The only problem is, we only see it for England now. Meanwhile, instead of getting our only actual centre forward into goalscoring form, we're sticking him on the wing and playing Sterling up front.

Mind. Boggling.

 

[cityboy1]

I wouldn't blame him for running his contract down at this point because he's being treated like shit. He hasn't started a game in his best position (wide right) for months. And before people come along to say that he's played brilliantly on the left before - yes, he has. But, bar the odd game, it only tended to be when he was in particularly great form and had real confidence in front of goal (18-19). Even then, some of his best performances came on the right wing, against Southampton and Liverpool at home that season. The following year, he was our only winger who could play on the left, due to Sane's injury, and while he scored a lot of goals, it wasn't without a long dry patch in the middle. Indeed, he scored several of his post lockdown goals playing from the right, with Phil on the left.

He's not being given a consistent run in the side to get his form back, and when he does start it's in a position which is completely alien to him, and only serves to make him the scapegoat for every game we don't win. Don't get me started on his treatment by our fans, online and in the ground.

A player of his stature and ability (see his performances in the Euros for proof he's still got it) deserves better. He's our best right winger for fucks sake, but he's forced to play elsewhere to accomodate Jesus and Mahrez? One of which was, until last season, considered a perfectly serviceable centre forward (but is now forbidden from playing there), and the other who has had about 6 good months in total in a City shirt.

I wrote on here a while ago that Pep's use of his forwards baffled me, and it's only gotten worse. Everything that people have praised Jesus for doing on the wing, Sterling has been doing for years. The only problem is, we only see it for England now. Meanwhile, instead of getting our only actual centre forward into goalscoring form, we're sticking him on the wing and playing Sterling up front.

Mind. Boggling.

jesus has never really been good enough in the middle to our main number 9 and is much better on out wide. Sterling just hasn't been playing well for a while now hes had opportunities last season to play well and it never really happened. ill always prefer him on the right just like you do but in this new system im not even sure he does well there any more. I have no clue what we should do with him now if hes third choice on both wings and looks pretty bad in the middle.

 

[hammocity]

I don't think he fits our style anymore. For England he's playing up front in an orthodox set up, with us he now seems lost and unable to adapt to our style. As others have said his ball control is lacking and he's trying to take every defender on in front of him before he inevitably loses the ball.

I'm gutted for the lad, he's come through a lot and although he's not on form I'll still support him. His smile was a mile wide when he was warming up at Chelsea on Saturday when we scored, he celebrated like he had netted. It's bad enough other fans slagging him off, I hope we don't do the same at the match.

 

[Phil1]

I wouldn't blame him for running his contract down at this point because he's being treated like shit. He hasn't started a game in his best position (wide right) for months. And before people come along to say that he's played brilliantly on the left before - yes, he has. But, bar the odd game, it only tended to be when he was in particularly great form and had real confidence in front of goal (18-19). Even then, some of his best performances came on the right wing, against Southampton and Liverpool at home that season. The following year, he was our only winger who could play on the left, due to Sane's injury, and while he scored a lot of goals, it wasn't without a long dry patch in the middle. Indeed, he scored several of his post lockdown goals playing from the right, with Phil on the left.

He's not being given a consistent run in the side to get his form back, and when he does start it's in a position which is completely alien to him, and only serves to make him the scapegoat for every game we don't win. Don't get me started on his treatment by our fans, online and in the ground.

A player of his stature and ability (see his performances in the Euros for proof he's still got it) deserves better. He's our best right winger for fucks sake, but he's forced to play elsewhere to accomodate Jesus and Mahrez? One of which was, until last season, considered a perfectly serviceable centre forward (but is now forbidden from playing there), and the other who has had about 6 good months in total in a City shirt.

I wrote on here a while ago that Pep's use of his forwards baffled me, and it's only gotten worse. Everything that people have praised Jesus for doing on the wing, Sterling has been doing for years. The only problem is, we only see it for England now. Meanwhile, instead of getting our only actual centre forward into goalscoring form, we're sticking him on the wing and playing Sterling up front.

Mind. Boggling.

He doesn’t fit this current side regardless of his position. That’s the long and short of it for me and it’s taken well over a year for me to accept that.
The fundamentals of playing in a Pep side, ie first class control, sharp passing and quick decision making are probably three of his biggest flaws and we are now seeing it week in week out.
I’ve made all the excuses I can for him. I won’t ever slag him off and treat him with the disrespect many on here do because he’s been a tremendous signing. His time here is up though unless we completely change the way we play. Which we won’t.