#7 | Raheem Sterling - 2020/21 Performances

[kaz7]

I know which option I would take

You have been waiting a long time to pounce lol

 

[doobyedoobye]

He's not even in his prime yet

 

[FantasyIreland]

Let's pose a hypothetical (but maybe not that hypothetical) question. There's a meeting in the boardroom with Soriano, Begiristain, Guardiola, De Vries, Berrada, the CFG and City finance guys and they're planning out the summer transfer activity.

Txiki says "We've got a deal for Haaland pretty well hammered out but I need to know if we can afford it and meet FFP" The Finance guys say "Losing Aguero helps but it's not enough so we'd have to sell Sterling to be sure. He's only on the books at a nominal value so a fee over £65-70m will do it easily, which we believe we should easily be able to get."

Do they say "Nah, we'll keep Sterling and offer him more as he might come good again next season even though he hasn't really been on great form the last 2 seasons"? Or do they say "We're getting a proven top-class goal-scorer who fills Aguero's position and who we'll hopefully keep for 10 seasons as well. Let's do it"?

But what about his goals and assists......

 

[FantasyIreland]

This sums up the whole blind faith "I'm sure he'll come good again" defence of Sterling. What he did last season, or the seasons before, has little bearing on what he's doing now. Otherwise we'd still be playing Franny Lee.

He's the second highest paid player in the squad but he seemingly lacks or can't apply the technical skills that a 10 year old in the Academy is expected to possess and apply, such as controlling a ball when standing still and running. He struggles against the better teams and usually has, even in his better periods. His whole professional skill set is lacking at the moment.

He can't get a shot on target from more than 8 yards. He lacks the composure and confidence to take a shot quickly or on the run. You know that every time he carves out a chance for himself, he's going to stop and check back. Sometimes he gets away with it but more often he messes up. He can't do what Foden did on Tuesday, which is accelerate and beat two men.

And this has been going on all this season and most of last. Yes he got 20 goals but it should have been 30. We've known his weaknesses for a while but we've overlooked them because he's usually done enough to warrant that. But he's not doing enough now and hasn't been for a while. He had a semi-decent game in thr League Cup semi-final and that's about it. That might be OK if we were paying him £70k a week but he's a senior member of the squad and supposed to be a leader, yet he's serving up one utter dross performance after another. He's contributing zilch and we're playing with 10 men when he starts.

This situation reminds me of Negredo, who was on fire for half a season then had his injury, plus his alleged personal issues, and we never saw anything like that from him after.

He's simply a luxury we can't afford and if I was Txiki Begiristain I'd be looking to get better value for money. I've even said that I reckon his head is somewhere else, as this is far too like his final season at Liverpool. I reckon he's made up his mind to move on and I think a change of scenery might do him good.

Good post

 

[citizen_maine]

Let's pose a hypothetical (but maybe not that hypothetical) question. There's a meeting in the boardroom with Soriano, Begiristain, Guardiola, De Vries, Berrada, the CFG and City finance guys and they're planning out the summer transfer activity.

Txiki says "We've got a deal for Haaland pretty well hammered out but I need to know if we can afford it and meet FFP" The Finance guys say "Losing Aguero helps but it's not enough so we'd have to sell Sterling to be sure. He's only on the books at a nominal value so a fee over £65-70m will do it easily, which we believe we should easily be able to get."

Do they say "Nah, we'll keep Sterling and offer him more as he might come good again next season even though he hasn't really been on great form the last 2 seasons"? Or do they say "We're getting a proven top-class goal-scorer who fills Aguero's position and who we'll hopefully keep for 10 seasons as well. Let's do it"?

Hypothetically, what happens when Raz says no?

 

[meeesh]

You have been waiting a long time to pounce lol

Sat here nice and quiet me Kaz,but unfortunately the list of people wanting him gone is growing by the weeks,even the soothsayers will have to admit defeat sooner or later.

The club is more important,and we need the best to continue moving forward

 

[FantasyIreland]

Hypothetically, what happens when Raz says no?

Its a none starter for a few reasons,his wages being another.

We are just gonna have to hope he comes good again.

 

[mccity]

Yes because that’s how football works. Sterling is shit, can’t do the basics, is on a contract he’s not worth, but Madrid will swoop in and sign him for loads of money they don’t have.

Yeah this is the bit I don't get with some posts.
"He's crap. Sell him to Madrid!"
If he's so bad why the hell would they want him?


The reality is, either he is as bad as people are saying, in which case he's so unaffordable to other clubs that'd be his level that we're stuck with him. Or he isn't really that bad after all, and in that case he stays and gets a new contract anyhow.

Unless we actually win the quad, or at least come respectably close, then I predict the Sterling contract extension thread when it comes around to be a real mess.

 

[Gray]

Can’t we get him a psychiatrist?

 

[Phil1]

Can’t we get him a psychiatrist?

He’d fucking need one if he sat down and read this thread!! Haha!