#7 | Raheem Sterling - 2020/21 Performances

[FantasyIreland]

When he isn't scoring himself he is still contributing to the team. His work rate rarely dips and his pace and dribbling are a constant threat to defenders and his movement creates space for other players around him. He does miss chances but he is always a threat and does get his share.

I genuinely don't think he's doing anything special,and nothing half the right wingers in the league couldn't do.

 

[Clercqs]

I genuinely don't think he's doing anything special,and nothing half the right wingers in the league couldn't do.

That's borderline wumming.

 

[EdersonsSmiley]

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.

I don't think he would do better at City; Wolves system suits him pretty perfectly as he can use his pace and dribbling on the counter.

As we have seen with Sane, players like this often struggle against the parked buses we come up against as they rarely get put through 1v1 against the full back and there is little space in behind.

I wasn't implying you did want to replace him, I only replied to the bit I quoted. My last comment was aimed at other people on the transfer forum who actually think we should go for him.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

1) Some players never regain their best form but that's almost always down to age, physical injury, poor management or mental issues.
2) There's no such thing as a "class scale" but on form he is easily good enough to be in our team as he proved over the last three season.

On point 1), I’ve noticed by watching a few different sports over the years that some sportsmens’ peak years are just a small window of an overall career, while others sustain it for their whole career.

Their physical peak of cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, endurance, and improvements in skill and getting the best of their ability; and their mental peak of reaction times, concentration and focus; and all of them coming together at the same time, will allow them to perform at the highest level they can reach for a varied amount of time from sportsmen to sportsmen, as they are all different physical specimens.

Some can stay at their very highest level for 8-9 years, some can stay at a consistent level for 15; others may only reach the very top of their game for a couple of years in their career and all those physical and mental factors that came together for those two years are all of a sudden out-of-sync for the rest of their careers because some or all of them drop.

Doesn’t have to be about age that does that neither. I’ve seen a lot of rugby league players be one of the top few players in their position in the NRL at 23 years’ old, get selected for State Of Origin, then for Australia, then three years later they’re playing in this country in Super League and everyone asks, “What happened to him? He’s never had a bad injury or off the field problems. He used to be one of the best!”.

I’m not saying this is the case with Raheem, of course. It might very well not be!

It could be a case of what we were doing as a team with Silva deBruyne Walker Agüero Jesus and Fernandinho all playing really well around him, suiting his best attributes at that time a few years ago, and that this set of players isn’t suiting his attributes quite as well.

It could be a relaxation after winning a load of trophies and getting a few new contracts, which subconsciously has lead to a decrease in the drive to need to achieve. Sometimes it’s difficult to get back up to that level of hunger once it’s dipped.

It could be confidence. He might still have those peak physical and mental attributes that he had previously but he’s just a bit low on confidence and is finding it hard to get back to that confidence level he’s had before which is making him overthink situations so he’s not getting the most out of his attributes.

It could be that Agüero makes him look better than he is.

It could be something as small as him getting into the bad habit of not raising his head when he’s got the ball at the right times, or not at all, therefore he misses the right time to make the right choice because he’s not seen the opportunity.

It could be none of these things... it could be anything!

One thing is for sure, though, is that his general play needs improving, something needs to click with the lad because he’s frustrating to watch.

 

[EdersonsSmiley]

So, on point 1, there is no guarantee Sterling will regain his best form.

Point 2, I would agree with, but when was he last on form, and assuming you agree he currently isn't, how long do you persevere before concluding he has fallen into the "he will never regain" his form?

This has to be wumming?

There was a stat they showed in one of our games at the start of the season where over the last 12 months (or whatever the period was) he was the top scorer in England, above Harry Kane, Salah, Vardy etc

Why do people have to make out he has been a passenger for 2 years? It's just not true.

Yes he is not in good form at the moment but he has been our best attacker over the last 3 years so some of us are willing to give him time to sort it out.

 

[mosssideblue]

This has to be wumming?

There was a stat they showed in one of our games at the start of the season where over the last 12 months (or whatever the period was) he was the top scorer in England, above Harry Kane, Salah, Vardy etc

Why do people have to make out he has been a passenger for 2 years? It's just not true.

Yes he is not in good form at the moment but he has been our best attacker over the last 3 years so some of us are willing to give him time to sort it out.

How on earth was my post wumming?

 

[BlueTG]

This has to be wumming?

There was a stat they showed in one of our games at the start of the season where over the last 12 months (or whatever the period was) he was the top scorer in England, above Harry Kane, Salah, Vardy etc

Why do people have to make out he has been a passenger for 2 years? It's just not true.

Yes he is not in good form at the moment but he has been our best attacker over the last 3 years so some of us are willing to give him time to sort it out.

Over 150 goals and assists for us but he’s just a player anybody can replace, apparently.

He was our best goal scorer once the season restarted last campaign, and in all competitions.

Only scores tap ins, except for when he bends a free kick into the top corner, for example.

Has been almost ever present in our most successful side ever.

He can’t take a penalty, and he’s not playing to his capabilities this season absolutely. But people are starting to rewrite history that he’s been utter shite for 2 years. People will always have it in for Sterling, as they have proven consistently for the last 6 years.

It’s like the “he’s my little brother so you can’t pick on him but I can” mentality.

 

[Fiftyyearsandcounting]

I really want Sterling to do well, I remember all the abuse he was getting when playing for England. He turned it around brilliantly with that hat-trick.
At City, he can be really frustrating; a break is on, he gallops way, beats one, two defenders, great skill, surely a goal...no. He's fallen over, missed the target, failed to spot an assist or simply ran into another defender.
We know he can score goals, an average of 18+ over the past 3 seasons. Surely it can't all have gone?
I have no idea, as a manager, do you rest him or keep hoping next game he be back to his best?

 

[FantasyIreland]

That's borderline wumming.

No its an opinion based on watching many games over the past 12 months.Take the blinkers off,it makes for better debate.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

This has to be wumming?

There was a stat they showed in one of our games at the start of the season where over the last 12 months (or whatever the period was) he was the top scorer in England, above Harry Kane, Salah, Vardy etc

Why do people have to make out he has been a passenger for 2 years? It's just not true.

Yes he is not in good form at the moment but he has been our best attacker over the last 3 years so some of us are willing to give him time to sort it out.

Read back over this thread over the months. Nobody is talking about his goal scoring. Whether he’s banging them in or not scoring at all, that’s not the issue. It’s every other aspect of his game that everyone is talking about.