#7 | Raheem Sterling - 2020/21 Performances

[Bluefen]

We were too slow all through the game imo but this is the way we have been playing and being succesful .

We as a team are not clinical but Sterling was just very poor.

Totally agree.. our only real outlets today were stones and zinchenko who both were our best players but relying on them for creativity to unlock a packed defence is a bit much... clearly an eye on Dortmund

 

[FantasyIreland]

I'm very surprised by the enormous outpouring of negativity towards the lad. He's world class, but just needs to get his angles back. Too much pessimism in the world as it is..

He's not world class,when at his best (18/24 months ago) he is brilliant but that form has long gone.He is a very average Prem winger these days,and subsequently one we could replace with far better quality without a great deal of difficulty.

The problem arises with getting rid.

 

[FJRMCFC]

This thread couldn’t wait to get going.

 

[Robanompivenov]

I'm one of his biggest defenders but fuck me that was bad today. Really really bad.

No chance he plays in the big games coming up on recent showings.

 

[kaz7]

It's the difference between a world class match winner who wins you big trophies and a guy who pads his own stats and we drop from centurions and a quad to finishing miles behind the dippers.

Without his goals we would not even be second

Look , he is not playing well, this season, to say he was shit last season is stupid and getting rid is just as , he will be staying

Whatever the reason people dont like or accept him says more about them

Nobody played well but the pile on was here from half time and notthe others who were equally as poor

Says a lot

 

[Robanompivenov]

This thread couldn’t wait to get going.

Same old names saying the same old things. He was bad today but like you said, the eagerness to put the lad down by some is staggering and sad in equal measure.

 

[sky_blue]

Thirty goals last season , just saying

Sterling scored 20 goals in the league last season. He scored 5 goals in the first 3 matches (1.6 pG), then 6 goals in the next 21 matches (0.28 pG) and finally 9 goals in 9 games (1 pG) after restart.

His goal drought in the middle of the season where he just scored 6 goals encompassed gameweeks 4 through 29. City dropped 25 points in this period.

I don't need to say this, but all goals are not created equal. Scoring the 3rd goal in a 3-0 rout is different from banging in a 90th minute match winner. Calvert-Lewin has scored 14 goals this season, Lacazette has scored 11. If the only things that matters is the absolute number, then would you say that they have had an equivalent season?

To be honest, I don't even need to compare Sterling with other players, I'll compare him with himself. He scored 17 league goals in 18/19 and 18 goals in 17/18. Would you agree that he was more influential in those two former seasons, even though he scored less compared to the 19/20 season?

I find this gotcha argument of "he scored 20 goals last season" really grating. As if football doesn't need context, goals scored is the only thing that matters, not when and how. It's even funnier because when people criticise Sterling for last season, they say 20 goals, and then when people point out the pitiful 9 league goals that he has scored this season, they say "look at other things that Sterling does, not just goals". Well which one is it? Does context matter along with goals, or is it whichever fits the narrative better?

 

[DAGW]

It seems to me that without the "opposite" winger getting to the by line and laying across for him then he becomes quite ineffective and tries to chase the game. It would be good to see just how many of his goals have been tap ins where the above happens. Unfortunately defenders seem to have got the measure of him when he tries to come inside onto his right foot and so even that source of goal has gone away as well.

Sterling thrived in a very particular setup in 2 very productive seasons. It isn’t just the opposite winger, it’s having a world class striker on the pitch too.

With Sane and Aguero on the pitch he had all the room in the world to float about, in behind, arrive at the back post. Our current system relies on our front 5 working patiently, technically and fluidly to create chances for one another.

When sterling has space to run into, either in possession running into space with time to dither all he wants, or space to get on the end of a ball, he’s effective. Right now our set up is shining spotlights on his deficiencies left right and centre.

KDB, Bernardo, Mahrez, Foden, Gundogan, Rodri to an extent (though less relied upon) all have great close control, can read the game, can spot a pass or shooting opportunity in a split second and have great touch/can strike or pass a ball cleanly.

Raz’s skill set is pace, movement and directness. He doesn’t have the best touch, he needs more time to recognise windows and opportunities than the rest and he doesn’t have the best close control.

At the scousers he had Suarez in the middle and prime Courinho on fire on the other wing.

For us to get the best out of him again, I believe we’d have to change our style of play. I think he’d respond well to Haaland coming in and dragging defences about.

 

[sir baconface]

Tbh I can't see Sterling moving on, so the real issue is how does Pep get him playing to something like his best that we have witnessed, or what else do we do with the issue ?

Is his confidence so fucked that it can't be sorted ? I presume not because Pep would surely protect him in that case.

Pep sees him every day in training and must see a different character than his matchday performances because he would surely be nowhere near the team. Or does Pep believe that he has to " play through " this shit patch ( yes for some period I understand that ) and keep encouraging him ?

A fucking quandry that is for sure.

I believe Pep attempted to “play him through”earlier in the season. For a long time, that was at the expense of Foden getting PL starts, to such an extent that Sterling looked like teacher’s pet. Now it seems that Pep is confronting the reality that Sterling is on a seriously prolonged dogshit run. Phil and Mahrez now appear to have (rightly) moved above him in the pecking order.

Sterling took full advantage of his ascendancy at the last contract negotiation. In today’s circumstances - COVID fallout and appalling form - the boot is on the other foot.

 

[kaz7]

Sterling scored 20 goals in the league last season. He scored 5 goals in the first 3 matches (1.6 pG), then 6 goals in the next 21 matches (0.28 pG) and finally 9 goals in 9 games (1 pG) after restart.

His goal drought in the middle of the season where he just scored 6 goals encompassed gameweeks 4 through 29. City dropped 25 points in this period.

I don't need to say this, but all goals are not created equal. Scoring the 3rd goal in a 3-0 rout is different from banging in a 90th minute match winner. Calvert-Lewin has scored 14 goals this season, Lacazette has scored 11. If the only things that matters is the absolute number, then would you say that they have had an equivalent season?

To be honest, I don't even need to compare Sterling with other players, I'll compare him with himself. He scored 17 league goals in 18/19 and 18 goals in 17/18. Would you agree that he was more influential in those two former seasons, even though he scored less compared to the 19/20 season?

I find this gotcha argument of "he scored 20 goals last season" really grating. As if football doesn't need context, goals scored is the only thing that matters, not when and how. It's even funnier because when people criticise Sterling for last season, they say 20 goals, and then when people point out the pitiful 9 league goals that he has scored this season, they say "look at other things that Sterling does, not just goals". Well which one is it? Does context matter along with goals, or is it whichever fits the narrative better?

Christ