#7 | Raheem Sterling - 2019/20 Performances

[FJRMCFC]

You can’t rely on him to convert simple chances. It’s always been said in the big moments in a European cup final or whatever (obviously we have a manager who can’t get us that far) would you back him to finish for you? The answer is a pretty clear no.

All everyone ever says is that he scores “simple” chances. Only other players I would rather have that chance fall to are Kun and Kev.

 

[Craig]

All everyone ever says is that he scores “simple” chances. Only other players I would rather have that chance fall to are Kun and Kev.

Maybe that says more about the finishing of the rest of them. Never seen anyone miss so many absolute sitters when it really matters. Yes I know his movement to get there is great. Yet people still think we don’t need a top class finisher or striker. Break the fucking bank for Kane.

 

[Bellamy's Caddy]

On a personal level I'm gutted for Sterling about the miss and the stick he is going to take for it. Up until that point it was a really mature performance from him. In the first half when we were far from our best, he was the one showing for the ball and trying to make things happen. Brilliant assist for our goal as well.

Unfortunately his technique in striking a ball is poor. It looks like he's worked on it and it has improved, but I'm not sure he'll ever remove it completely from his game.

In the days when we were able to go to football matches I used to watch the warm up and Sterling's finishing was erratic, often blazing the ball high or wide. Unsurprisingly, Aguero and KDB are really impressive in these drills. Unfortunately he's still got work to do. Hugely frustrating all round that a player with such quality misses such easy chances!

 

[Withnail]

I thought Sterling had a good game last night apart from the horrible miss. I genuinely thought these misses were a thing of the past, obviously not.

 

[DAGW]

An interesting comparison is how de Bruyne struck his goal first time with no need for a touch. In the first half, de Bruyne set Sterling up with a chance that had to be struck first time; he took a touch which made the chance harder and it was blocked. Sterling almost always needs to take a touch, which can often be poor in itself, and that’s one of the reasons he cannot be considered an instinctive striker.

Agree with your overall message about De Bruyne’s ability to finish accurately first time; Sterling far too often tries to fashion a high percentage opportunity, where it’s never going to materialise.

He needs to take a shot rather than trying to work a tap in, which he’s quite staggeringly proven he isn’t completely adept at converting. He does so much good work beating a man and working space and just doesn’t take it when he finds it. Needs to work on his decision making, composure and contact.

The example of finishing off DeBruyne’s outside of the foot ball (I think that’s the example you mean but could be wrong); I thought the exact same at first, and I think he would have hit it first time, had the defender not got a touch. Tad harsh in my book.

 

[Phil1]

Hope he gets that miss out of his head and doesn't let it weigh him down. We need to back him now more than ever because he's still one of the best players in Europe and we are lucky to have him.

 

[purplenose]

Bit of a myth that Sergio scores every chance he gets. He misses his fair share of sitters.

Yes he does, and he is a menace from the penalty spot. However what he does do is scores in big matches, when you need it, not always and the problem being he is past his best and increasingly injury prone and can no longer carry Sterling and Jesus.

I am afraid Raheem has missed too many costly sitters. After all the ridiculous punt just before half time which would have killed off the Rags and won the title and that last night really kill stone dead any hope of him becoming an all time great. They all miss them but great players have a habit of burying the ones that really count.

 

[Gabriel]

Agree with your overall message about De Bruyne’s ability to finish accurately first time; Sterling far too often tries to fashion a high percentage opportunity, where it’s never going to materialise.

He needs to take a shot rather than trying to work a tap in, which he’s quite staggeringly proven he isn’t completely adept at converting. He does so much good work beating a man and working space and just doesn’t take it when he finds it. Needs to work on his decision making, composure and contact.

The example of finishing off DeBruyne’s outside of the foot ball (I think that’s the example you mean but could be wrong); I thought the exact same at first, and I think he would have hit it first time, had the defender not got a touch. Tad harsh in my book.

Didn’t realise that the defender had touched it, but my point stands. He wants to take a touch and shapes his body to do so when an instinctive striker would go for goal.

 

[ScottSinclair]

I don't worry about him bouncing back from this. His mentality to come back from being a laughing stock is second to none and a real credit to him.

I do worry about that his mentality in intense on-the-pitch moments though. He misses more sitters that simply has to go in than any player I can remember.

I think we have to surround him with game-winners and let him add the flavor rather that expect him to be the big-game mentality monster he probably won't ever be. Aguero and Sane was perfect for him in that regard, in a Sterling-Jesus-FFS/A young and learning Torres triangle I really don't see anyone grabbing a game by the scruff of its neck and dragging us to victory kicking and screaming

 

[somethingelse]

Its a simple left foot tap in,but hes twisted his body so he can take it with his right foot thats given him the angle to get underneath it,same as the early chance first half when he should of crossed with his left ,but underhit it with his right