#7 | Raheem Sterling - 2020/21 Performances

[OrigamiNinja]

I've said it before but most of the people who want to sell him off and get someone else in don't have a clue who they'd bring in.

It's always a flavour of the month suggestion. People were genuinely saying at one point last season that they'd trade Sterling for Adama Traore. Adama fucking Traore.

I guarantee you those same people would be wanting them binned off within six months and saying they want the younger, shinier, newer toy who has been tearing it up for a few weeks in the Bundesliga.

To be fair it is almost impossible to state who you would replace him with because we are a team like no other. There are plenty of players out there who look poor/decent/great playing for their current side, but could they come to City and do it in a Pep team?

Look at the meltdown on here when we signed Dias. "Hes not as good as Koulibaly", "Hes too slow", "blah, blah, blah". Now he looks like the best CB in the world and plenty fast enough. Same could apply to plenty of wingers out there.

You've mentioned Traore, why couldn't he come here and be an improvement on Sterling? I am not for one minute saying he would be but, hes quicker than Sterling, more powerful, and beats men a lot easier than Sterling does. Theres a lack of end product from Traore but no less than the Sterling we saw before 17/18 and again this season.

The Sterling of 17/18 and 18/19 would be very difficult to improve on, so much so, we probably wouldn't even bother to try, when there are other positions that are in need of an upgrade more. The current Sterling could potentially be upgraded by any number of wingers we would be willing to take a chance on.

 

[EdersonsSmiley]

Theres a lack of end product from Traore but no less than the Sterling we saw before 17/18 and again this season

Traore has zero goals and assists this season so that is false. Sterling had 10 combined this season and got 13 in 2016/17.

Traore is shit, he should be a sprinter not a footballer and it's honestly embarrassing for the people who think he can play at City.

 

[Tugay One Cup]

You've mentioned Traore, why couldn't he come here and be an improvement on Sterling?

Because he's fucking shit, that's why. He is literally just a big ball of muscle who can run incredibly fast. People who think Sterling is inconsistent and doesn't have enough end product/ composure would be topping themselves before Christmas. Traore has scored five league goals in his entire Wolves career. Sterling, providing he gets one more this term, has scored more than that in each of his seasons here. Keep in mind that we've been told that he's been shit for 3 out of the 6 he's spent with us. You could make the argument that we are a better side so our attackers will always score more but just talk to any Wolves supporter about him. No end product whatsoever.

What happens is that Traore has a decent month or two and probably score against us again and certain city supporters will think that's the level he's at.

That's the point, I think. Some people on here really underrate our own players and completely and utterly overrate those at other clubs. It's just not realistic at all.

Same thing goes for Bernardo. A couple of weeks ago there were a shit load of people calling for him to be sold. Not one decent alternative suggested, just "he's not scoring enough, let's get rid."

 

[Airbags Optional]

Just watch a bit more football.

Mate don’t bother wasting your breath! Stats are useful but IMO they can be very misleading. I, like you, rely on my eyes and like you, I think Raz has been pretty terrible this season. I think it’s confidence after the big miss versus Lyon. He is over thinking and making things more complex than they need to be. If you go on stats alone Penandes will be player of the year but if you watch him he is a level below players such as KDB, Gundo, Son etc..
Stats are loved by Americans and the FIFA generation

 

[Clercqs]

As someone that analysises football as a profession, what's your opinion on Sterling's current indecisiveness in the box?

I'm not just Raheem bashing, and I'm generally interested. He improved massively when Pep arrived. There was even the odd suggestion he could be a future Ballon d'or winner if he continued improving. Now, however, he appears to have gone backwards. Yesterday there was 2 clear examples of him being indecisive in front of goal, but were seeing it every game at the moment. What's going on with him?

It's definitely a problem and its impossible to know the reason(s) without having full knowledge what's going on behind the scenes and at the training pitch. One thing I assume Pep has said to him is that he needs to learn to take his time in the box. Not hit it first time if he has time and space to take another touch, remain cool and use all the time hes got. He doesn't really have the shooting power nor the technique to hit it while in motion (in the box) so he has to focus on placement which is much easier if youre not at full speed or rushing the shot.

This works really fine when he's confident because he hits it first time when he should and manages to get a shot away even when taking his time. The problem is when he's on a draught or like the miss he had against Lyon (when hitting it first time). I imagine that troubled him a lot and he's scared for something similar to happen again. He's very reluctant to shoot in the box unless he has everything under control which in the end leads to him overdoing (looking for the perfect shooting opportunity) things and ends up with him looking silly. He's showed great mental strength before and has always started the new season on fire. With Covid prolonging the season and us being eliminated from CL in the middle of August meant he barely had a break to rest and clear his thoughts from the Lyon game. I still don't think he's over that miss and he might need a huge moment (for him) this season or a long break to actually recover from it.

All this are just my speculations and I might be very wrong but that's what I'm seeing right now. He's on 6+4 so far in the league which isn't terrible in any way and he's scored some decisive goals for us already this season.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

>> Stats are loved by Americans
Most Americans have no clue whatsoever about football - but it's improving. It doesn't help that Fox Sports intentionally serves up low-brow commentary of the worst sort.

Back on topic.

I like Sterling in our side. He's struggling a bit now - but all players have rough patches. Against WBA he seemed to be a positive influence - beating one (or two?) defenders when out far to the right and then delivering a delicious cross inches away from the WB goal. That would have been an assist had any attacker anticipated the cross.

There were frustrating moments as well - at one point he got the ball from Mahrez, drove into the box as Mahrez moved right to draw defenders away. Sterling took one too many touches, the ball got a bit too far forward and their keeper was able to scoop up the ball.

Anyhow, count me as a Sterling fan. He'll get out of his scoring slump IMO.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

He's playing poorly but he is still causing problems, running at people, "arriving" as Pep calls it. He's always been a form/confidence player. He has these spells. Pep is trying to get him to play his way back into form and he will like he has done on numerous occasions before. When that happens his instinctive decision making and finishing will improve.

Some of you need to look at the emergence of players like Stones, Gungohan, Rodri and Cancelo. Form is temporary, class is permanent.

 

[OrigamiNinja]

Traore has zero goals and assists this season so that is false. Sterling had 10 combined this season and got 13 in 2016/17.

Traore is shit, he should be a sprinter not a footballer and it's honestly embarrassing for the people who think he can play at City.

But you dont know he would have zero goals and assists at City. Sterling has 10 G/A in a much better team, he might have much less at Wolves, no? Bamford has more G/A than Sterling, is he a better player than Sterling?

I also stated that I wasn't saying that we should replace Sterling with Traore.

 

[OrigamiNinja]

Because he's fucking shit, that's why. He is literally just a big ball of muscle who can run incredibly fast. People who think Sterling is inconsistent and doesn't have enough end product/ composure would be topping themselves before Christmas. Traore has scored five league goals in his entire Wolves career. Sterling, providing he gets one more this term, has scored more than that in each of his seasons here. Keep in mind that we've been told that he's been shit for 3 out of the 6 he's spent with us. You could make the argument that we are a better side so our attackers will always score more but just talk to any Wolves supporter about him. No end product whatsoever.

What happens is that Traore has a decent month or two and probably score against us again and certain city supporters will think that's the level he's at.

That's the point, I think. Some people on here really underrate our own players and completely and utterly overrate those at other clubs. It's just not realistic at all.

Same thing goes for Bernardo. A couple of weeks ago there were a shit load of people calling for him to be sold. Not one decent alternative suggested, just "he's not scoring enough, let's get rid."

You're focussing too much on the Traore comment. I only mentioned him because you did.

Nobody with an ounce of football knowledge can suggest Sterling is having a good season. On his form this season, you could replace him with practically any half decent winger in Europe and he would do no worse.

Sterling at the top of his game is as effective, if not more so than any winger out there, but he is nowhere near the top of his game. Anyone can see that.

 

[nellyonthewing]

He was dire in the Season before Pep came ,it took a while for him to come into form under Pep ,then he peaked now he's back to where I started.