#7 | Raheem Sterling - 2020/21 Performances

[ninjamonkey]

Funny you say that, his breakout season was him playing as a 10 with 2 strikers ahead of him, he had both the technical and tactical ability to play that role effectively and didn't look out of place. He would create chances, drive at the defence and was a great link between midfeield and attack. Of course it helped that he played with 2 of the deadliest strikers at the time which created space for him as well as a much different system. But I'd argue that was more of his natural game and he actually seems to be way less creative in his approach play now than he was at 19. So I tend to find a lot of these comments(not you particularly) that doubt his technical ability to play through the middle amusing but understandable.

I say understandable because since pep came, he seems to have adapted his game to be a more effective wide forward in the vain of a ronaldo than a creative one like hazard which he operated more of at liverpool. His intelligence, movement and tactical awareness without the ball has gone up from an already high level since then resulting in the huge upturn in his goal productivity. He can now operate as a left or right sided winger at a high level and his effectiveness or goal threat won't suffer. But subsequently, he seems to have lost a lot of his creative instincts meaning he has less confidence on the ball especially when operated in the middle and often looks ineffective.

Doesn't mean he's any less of a player like some of the comments here make him out to be. He's become a much more productive player and in a team that had the likes of silva and de-bruyne to feed him it's actually been for the better. He's still a very good technical player and actually more suited to a possession-based team like pep's than a player like sane despite sane having better technique than him especially when striking a ball. The 18/19 season was proof enough of that especially towards the end where he operated mainly from the left and the team had to grind out many 1-0 wins. The fact that there are some that still doubt his ability just a couple pages back on this thread is even baffling after everything he's done but I'm not that surprised anymore
The video I've linked below was of him at just 19 in his breakthrough season

You make numerous valid points. My comment on him imitating a creative midfielder is more in response to him coming a lot deeper for the ball to feet as opposed to playing higher up on the line making runs behind rather than his ability to actually be creative. This isn’t his fault but he’s the only one in the team with any pace upfront, and as such he needs to be a threat in behind and on the shoulder otherwise our entire game gets condensed, played infront of the defence and it becomes very easy to play against us. Even if he’s not getting involved much doing that the very threat of it happening makes so much more space for the rest of the team to play and as such we become a much more dangerous side. Torres could potentially offer this and lessen the burden on sterling to do it as shown for his goal which was pretty much the first time all game anybody ran in behind and look what happened but he’s still got a long way to go before he’s upto speed with our game.

 

[Josh_D]

Funny you say that, his breakout season was him playing as a 10 with 2 strikers ahead of him, he had both the technical and tactical ability to play that role effectively and didn't look out of place. He would create chances, drive at the defence and was a great link between midfeield and attack. Of course it helped that he played with 2 of the deadliest strikers at the time which created space for him as well as a much different system. But I'd argue that was more of his natural game and he actually seems to be way less creative in his approach play now than he was at 19. So I tend to find a lot of these comments(not you particularly) that doubt his technical ability to play through the middle amusing but understandable.

I say understandable because since pep came, he seems to have adapted his game to be a more effective wide forward in the vain of a ronaldo than a creative one like hazard which he operated more of at liverpool. His intelligence, movement and tactical awareness without the ball has gone up from an already high level since then resulting in the huge upturn in his goal productivity. He can now operate as a left or right sided winger at a high level and his effectiveness or goal threat won't suffer. But subsequently, he seems to have lost a lot of his creative instincts meaning he has less confidence on the ball especially when operated in the middle and often looks ineffective.

Doesn't mean he's any less of a player like some of the comments here make him out to be. He's become a much more productive player and in a team that had the likes of silva and de-bruyne to feed him it's actually been for the better. He's still a very good technical player and actually more suited to a possession-based team like pep's than a player like sane despite sane having better technique than him especially when striking a ball. The 18/19 season was proof enough of that especially towards the end where he operated mainly from the left and the team had to grind out many 1-0 wins. The fact that there are some that still doubt his ability just a couple pages back on this thread is even baffling after everything he's done but I'm not that surprised anymore
The video I've linked below was of him at just 19 in his breakthrough season

I know it’s only YouTube but doesn’t it seem like a was ‘faster’ and quicker with his decision making. Some of his passes were sublime.

 

[Callum Ramsey]

I know it’s only YouTube but doesn’t it seem like a was ‘faster’ and quicker with his decision making. Some of his passes were sublime.

Trust me that compilation doesn't do him justice, he was genuinely incredible that season so much so Rooney had to be moved to the wing to make way for him as a 10 for England in the world cup that year. He also won the european golden boy award for best youngster. Laporte, Marquinous, kovacic, Coman and Saul were other notable names on the list that year.

He played more on instinct then than he does now probably due to age and maturity which contributed with him doing things 'quicker' then as you say. He plays in a team and system now that has more of a method and a set pattern of attacking play which relies less on instinct compared to the more counter, all-attacking one at liverpool then. His game like I said has also adapted to be more effective without the ball than with it which has resulted in him losing that bit of creative instinct he used to have.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Played well last night,he was leading/defending from the front and he was a menace whenever on the ball.I think the armband has lifted him.

 

[Craig]

Played well last night,he was leading/defending from the front and he was a menace whenever on the ball.I think the armband has lifted him.

He did absolutely fuck all apart from out pace a 37 year old a couple of times towards the end when they went gung ho. The sort of performance we’ve become accustomed to over the last 18 months apart from tonight he didn’t bag a couple of tap ins to gloss over yet another very average performance. World class Raz. Great stats

 

[lmhblue1]

He did absolutely fuck all apart from out pace a 37 year old a couple of times towards the end when they went gung ho. The sort of performance we’ve become accustomed to over the last 18 months apart from tonight he didn’t bag a couple of tap ins to gloss over yet another very average performance. World class Raz. Great stats

Don't think you'll be getting a response to this comment from @FantasyIreland if his "location" is anything to go by

 

[Tugay One Cup]

Why on earth is he Captain? Never in a million years is he Captain material . Bizarre. Leave him wide right Pep. At least get that much right.

Quick, someone tell the players and Pep that B/connellblue thinks Sterling shouldn't be captain. It's really important that they know and definitely based on something more substantial than his gut feeling.

Some of you are proper whinging tossers who will take issue with absolutely anything.

 

[Trojan1962]

Had a decent 1st half last night,but spent most of the second half on his arse

 

[Josh_D]

Trust me that compilation doesn't do him justice, he was genuinely incredible that season so much so Rooney had to be moved to the wing to make way for him as a 10 for England in the world cup that year. He also won the european golden boy award for best youngster. Laporte, Marquinous, kovacic, Coman and Saul were other notable names on the list that year.

He played more on instinct then than he does now probably due to age and maturity which contributed with him doing things 'quicker' then as you say. He plays in a team and system now that has more of a method and a set pattern of attacking play which relies less on instinct compared to the more counter, all-attacking one at liverpool then. His game like I said has also adapted to be more effective without the ball than with it which has resulted in him losing that bit of creative instinct he used to have.

I get what you mean. I think it’s a bit of a shame. Wish he kept it all. Nonetheless, I want him on the right, and Ferran on the left. He’s livelier on that wing.

Hopefully, Torres does better in train to force Sterling to play on the right.

 

[Craig]

Don't think you'll be getting a response to this comment from @FantasyIreland if his "location" is anything to go by

Ha, great comment but what part of mine was wrong? His all round play is virtually nonexistent in most games. His movement is superb but apart from goals most of which are simple finishes but fair play his pace gets him in there he contributes next to nothing.