#7 | Raheem Sterling - 2020/21 Performances

[alexmcity]

For sure he can contribute a lot as already shown this season, but his weaknesses are being absorbed by the team on a winning run.
Is that acceptable? some appear to be ok with that as they clearly think this is a drop in form

Think there are more reasons to think that it is a drop in form than that it is a tendency of declining. Sterling turned 26 two months ago. Same as Bernardo. Bernardo had a longish dip in form and many on here were writing him off. He had 0 goals and 0 assists 3 months ago. Sure, techically he has been better and more reliable than Sterling but he was utterly unproductive. And look at him now. How can one be firmly convinced that Sterling has peaked when Bernardo was in a worse situation and has turned it around to the extent that he may be more important to the team than Kevin?

 

[sir baconface]

For sure he can contribute a lot as already shown this season, but his weaknesses are being absorbed by the team on a winning run.
Is that acceptable? some appear to be ok with that as they clearly think this is a drop in form

Tricky one. If you think it’s an ability issue, not just form, then no. But is it?

He’s clearly a guy with some outstanding talents and some glaring weaknesses. Plus some excellent stats. An unusual confection. When off form, as he has been for a considerable time, it’s the negatives that shout out.

Bernardo was allowed to play his way back into form and that’s finally paying off. His stats were a lot worse than Sterling’s during that period.

I’d take the middle ground and just rotate Sterling a little more.

That said, I would‘t give him the armband or offer mega bucks for a contract extension.

 

[mosssideblue]

Tricky one. If you think it’s an ability issue, not just form, then no. But is it?

He’s clearly a guy with some outstanding talents and some glaring weaknesses. Plus some excellent stats. An unusual confection. When off form, as he has been for a considerable time, it’s the negatives that shout out.

Bernardo was allowed to play his way back into form and that’s finally paying off. His stats were a lot worse than Sterling’s during that period.

I’d take the middle ground and just rotate Sterling a little more.

That said, I would‘t give him the armband or offer mega bucks for a contract extension.

Some valid points. I would say though that Bernardo is a much more technically competent player than Sterling, so allowing him to regain that form (or not), we knew what we could expect

I'd be interested to hear views on what does "in form" look like for Sterling

 

[BillyShears]

I know I’m a bit late to the conversation mate, but I think you are being far too entrenched in your views. He’s a top player, no doubt, but so horribly out of form it’s pretty frightening. He’s back at being the level he was a few years ago when a lot were doubting why we’d spent the money on him.

Of course, everyone was delighted to then see how amazingly he performed for the next couple of years, but he’s back to stinking the place out.

I then think it’s harsh to have a pop at anyone on here bemoaning his form after watching the game the other night, where my dead granny would have had a better game. He was truly awful to the point where he was incapable of the most basic elements of football. I was shaking my head in bewilderment at his performance the other night, it really was that bad.

Quite what the answer is, I have absolutely no idea, as I’ve never known a player like him - capable of 30 goals a year and brilliant awareness of where to be at the right time, yet also can look like someone who has never kicked a ball in his life. It’s bizarre.

I couldn't disagree more. As I said earlier, I think too many people seem to micro analyse Raz in a way that other players just don't get. I have absolutely no problem with him being the first name on the team sheet because I think what he gives the team nobody else can, and his contributions whilst not to everyone's taste, are more than good enough for me.

Sterling has his limitations don't get me wrong, but I don't expect him to be a player he's not. He doesn't have the technical quality of Mahrez or some of the others in our squad, but what he doesn't have in technique he makes up for in many other facets of his game.

 

[mosssideblue]

Think there are more reasons to think that it is a drop in form than that it is a tendency of declining. Sterling turned 26 two months ago. Same as Bernardo. Bernardo had a longish dip in form and many on here were writing him off. He had 0 goals and 0 assists 3 months ago. Sure, techically he has been better and more reliable than Sterling but he was utterly unproductive. And look at him now. How can one be firmly convinced that Sterling has peaked when Bernardo was in a worse situation and has turned it around to the extent that he may be more important to the team than Kevin?

At 26 years old and a seasoned International and PL player, the flaws are still there imo

 

[FantasyIreland]

Think there are more reasons to think that it is a drop in form than that it is a tendency of declining. Sterling turned 26 two months ago. Same as Bernardo. Bernardo had a longish dip in form and many on here were writing him off. He had 0 goals and 0 assists 3 months ago. Sure, techically he has been better and more reliable than Sterling but he was utterly unproductive. And look at him now. How can one be firmly convinced that Sterling has peaked when Bernardo was in a worse situation and has turned it around to the extent that he may be more important to the team than Kevin?

Bernardo wasn't consistently picked,he was flitted in and out of the side,his form and confidence was inevitably going to dip.When he did get an opportunity and showed his importance,he was usually dropped for the next game.He also has the problem of finding similar space to KDB and Gundogan,i think he may well be our best no.10 and ive always wanted him to assume that mantel.

The situations are very different......Sterling has had the privilege of never being dropped,and yet he has struggled to justify that thinking.

 

[alexmcity]

Bernardo wasn't consistently picked,he was flitted in and out of the side,his form and confidence was inevitably going to dip.When he did get an opportunity and showed his importance,he was usually dropped for the next game.He also has the problem of finding similar space to KDB and Gundogan,i think he may well be our best no.10 and ive always wanted him to assume that mantel.

The situations are very different......Sterling has had the privilege of never being dropped,and yet he has struggled to justify that thinking.

Pep wouldn't pick him if he was such a liability. The situatioin with Bernardo is different indeed in that his dip in form was longer and deeper.

 

[kaz7]

Round and round we go with the same detractors hammering home the same points till someone agrees

 

[Kippax77]

Lots of people on here seem to think his work rate is anything from good to phenomenal.
I disagree.
The amount of times i see us play down the opposite flank from which he is on is quite remarkable.
Either our players are now used to him hardly going by defenders anymore, or maybe it's because our play breaks down with him much more than other players that we inevitably attack more on the opposite flank.
But either way it means he is having less of the ball to run with.
Work rate off the ball..., when the opposition is playing out from the back, they always seem to get out easier on his side. He sees where the ball is going to go but is always 20 yrds away then makes a token gesture run to the player who as just received the ball for them to play it around him.
The amount of times team plays out from the back on his side is big this season.
OT derby was the first game i started picking up how easy wan bissaka and Mctomminay played around him to set utd off again and again.

Maybe i'm missing the point about his work rate cos i know i will see Raz having surging runs back towards his own goal to help out but that is usually after HE as lost possession and it would be criminal for any player not to try and retrieve the ball in that situation.

Listen i want this bad form of his to end and see him blazing again, the smiling speed merchant we know he is/can be.
He just seems weighed down at the moment, probably with his own personal performances of late, but there is only 1 person who can change this.....Raz himself.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Pep wouldn't pick him if he was such a liability. The situatioin with Bernardo is different indeed in that his dip in form was longer and deeper.

Pep picks him because he knows he has the ability to do something special and our lack of goals doesn't need to be any more of a problem.The issue is he rarely does that something special,and despite the impressive numbers in front of goal they should be so much better,along with his overall contribution.

Bernardo was in no way more out of form,he just wasnt given an opportunity to prove it.