#7 | Raheem Sterling - 2019/20 Performances

[BringBackSwales]

Where was all the uk media outrage when Raheem was being booed every week by every set of fans in the Premier League for at least two seasons?

 

[WallyA]

I prefer him on the right as I think he offers more of a threat - he moves more centrally without the ball and gets into more goal scoring positions and with the ball, he can take it to the byline more often.

On a more general point though, and I’ve thought this from his first couple of seasons with us, I’ve never wanted a player to succeed more than I do Sterling. To deal with what he’s had to deal with and not just come through it but thrive and become the role model he has both on and off the pitch just fills me with complete admiration for him.

But those are all things he CAN do on the left as well, the position isn't a magical position that all of a sudden allows Sterling to play a certain way, its simply the difference for how he plays with England and City.

Everything he did today could be done if he was on the left as well, he needs to be given freedom to go central.

 

[domalino]

Where was all the uk media outrage when Raheem was being booed every week by every set of fans in the Premier League for at least two seasons?

You can't see the difference between booing and chants of "you let your country down" and monkey chants?

You can (and I have) make arguments that latent racism was part of the motivation behind the treatment Sterling got, but he wasn't being booed because he was black, it wasn't racist chanting.

 

[meltonblue]

But those are all things he CAN do on the left as well, the position isn't a magical position that all of a sudden allows Sterling to play a certain way, its simply the difference for how he plays with England and City.

Everything he did today could be done if he was on the left as well, he needs to be given freedom to go central.

They aren’t though because he is so much better on his right foot. You even saw it tonight, any time he can allow the ball to across him to his right foot rather than his left he looks far more comfortable and that is more likely when he is playing on the right. Hr also always cuts in when on the right, which can congest the space for the attacker.

I’ve always preferred him for us on the right too, think Aguero looks far better when he’s there as a consequence as well.

 

[WallyA]

They aren’t though because he is so much better on his right foot. You even saw it tonight, any time he can allow the ball to across him to his right foot rather than his left he looks far more comfortable and that is more likely when he is playing on the right. Hr also always cuts in when on the right, which can congest the space for the attacker.

I’ve always preferred him for us on the right too, think Aguero looks far better when he’s there as a consequence as well.

I'll give you that, he is more comfortable on his right and can cross more naturally like that... but from this game I think the main reason why people liked Sterling was his contributions when he drifted centrally.

The simple difference for me is that on the left, if Sterling runs through behind he is a better goal scorer. When he runs through on the right he is a better creator (as you pointed out).

When you allow him to play centrally the majority of the game (this game) then you have a monster, he likes to have that freedom to drive at players, stop, pass to either wing, go center and score. This is what I think most people like about his game today, he can do that on either wing.

 

[meltonblue]

I'll give you that, he is more comfortable on his right and can cross more naturally like that... but from this game I think the main reason why people liked Sterling was his contributions when he drifted centrally.

The simple difference for me is that on the left, if Sterling runs through behind he is a better goal scorer. When he runs through on the right he is a better creator (as you pointed out).

When you allow him to play centrally the majority of the game (this game) then you have a monster, he likes to have that freedom to drive at players, stop, pass to either wing, go center and score. This is what I think most people like about his game today, he can do that on either wing.

I do agree with you that anything that allows him to move centrally whenever possible is the
best regardless of his starting position. Personally, I just prefer him on the right though because he can be a better creator as well and also I think it suits our other players more.

I dislike him on the left and Mahrez or Bernardo on the right for example as both sides are looking to cut in. Him on the left when De Bruyne is putting his crosses in from the right, then definitely!

For England, the one thing I would say is that Southgate has rarely played to Sterling’s strengths, particularly at the World Cup. Now he’s recently started realising he’s one of the few world class players we’ve got and started to do that, it’s like a different player. Sterling on the right also suits Kane more (who was the most selfless I’ve seen him tonight)

 

[BringBackSwales]

You can't see the difference between booing and chants of "you let your country down" and monkey chants?

You can (and I have) make arguments that latent racism was part of the motivation behind the treatment Sterling got, but he wasn't being booed because he was black, it wasn't racist chanting.

You tell me what he was being booed for, for 2 years minimum playing for City? Booing by dippers I just about get, but the motive for all the other fuckers?

Unlike you, I don’t know why a large slice of the fans of every team we played, booed Raheem Sterling, I don’t know. I also don’t know why large sectors of the written press wrote consistently negative, and often horrible, articles about Raheem. I don’t know, but every time it happened it was ignored by the tv companies. I can’t say or prove what makes thousands of cunnts boo Raheem Sterling, but might racism be part of it, of course it fucking could. There is a lot of it about

 

[domalino]

You tell me what he was being booed for, for 2 years minimum playing for City? Booing by dippers I just about get, but the motive for all the other fuckers?

Unlike you, I don’t know why a large slice of the fans of every team we played, booed Raheem Sterling, I don’t know. I also don’t know why large sectors of the written press wrote consistently negative, and often horrible, articles about Raheem. I don’t know, but every time it happened it was ignored by the tv companies. I can’t say or prove what makes thousands of cunnts boo Raheem Sterling, but might racism be part of it, of course it fucking could. There is a lot of it about

Instead of getting incredibly defensive and abusive when someone replies to your comment, perhaps you should slow down and read the reply first.

I did say, quite clearly that I believe that latent racism was part of the anti-Sterling sentiment drummed up by the tabloid press that resulted in him getting booed, but there is a massive difference between that and monkey chanting that we saw yesterday. Conflating the two doesn't do anything to help either of the two very different problems of explicit, overt racism in football, and the lingering malicious undercurrent in the treatment of a successful black immigrant by the tabloid press.

 

[BringBackSwales]

Instead of getting incredibly defensive and abusive when someone replies to your comment, perhaps you should slow down and read the reply first.

I did say, quite clearly that I believe that latent racism was part of the anti-Sterling sentiment drummed up by the tabloid press that resulted in him getting booed, but there is a massive difference between that and monkey chanting that we saw yesterday. Conflating the two doesn't do anything to help either of the two very different problems of explicit, overt racism in football, and the lingering malicious undercurrent in the treatment of a successful black immigrant by the tabloid press.

I disagree. Racism is racism, there is no excuse, it’s all as bad as each other. What is a differentiating factor is that the abuse of Sterling in City games and generally in the UK was it was, as you say, actually fuelled by large sections of the written media. Utterly fucking abhorrent, and just as fucking horrible as the shit last night

 

[Marvin]

You tell me what he was being booed for, for 2 years minimum playing for City? Booing by dippers I just about get, but the motive for all the other fuckers?

Unlike you, I don’t know why a large slice of the fans of every team we played, booed Raheem Sterling, I don’t know. I also don’t know why large sectors of the written press wrote consistently negative, and often horrible, articles about Raheem. I don’t know, but every time it happened it was ignored by the tv companies. I can’t say or prove what makes thousands of cunnts boo Raheem Sterling, but might racism be part of it, of course it fucking could. There is a lot of it about

It maybe good in some ways that racists keep quiet over here but it does not reflect the defeat of racism, it just reflects the extent of social control. Sterling was in my opinion being targeted because he was young and black but his critics would never admit it.

It's true at football you don't hear monkey chants any more, but I think that's just because the people who might do it, just know that they will get caught if they do so.

It's a bit like football hooliganism. That didn't stop because fans got bored and got won over by the Farm and Gazza's tears, it was because the club knew your seat number, address, and had CCTV, and firms got raided and locked up.