Absolute shite for last few games but we know he can do it so it’s just a case of getting his confidence back
I definitely would not be wanting to get rid and can see the club extending his contract as nows the best time to agree terms
I think the club should be asking itself whether it wants to heavily re-invest in any player whose strengths are negated, and weaknesses accentuated, by the current playing methodology (false 9's, inverted full backs, emphasis on caution and control in tight areas and not turning the ball over), let alone one who is probably asking for £300k plus per week. That's £60m in wages over the next 4 years.
Unless we're going to revert to Plan A and buy both a centre forward and a new version of Spanish Dave, personally I don't see the point in keeping Raheem on the payroll, given what he's likely to be asking - or at least not based on how he's playing currently. He's done well for us, extremely well for us, and the way he is performing at the moment in no way reflects his overall contribution to the club, but his greatest strengths have (purely in my opinion) always been without the ball. Great movement, pace, timing of runs, a team ethic, always fit, always available. He has a great record of goals and assists as well, but the overwhelming majority of those were born of a different system and team mates whose attributes dovetailed beautifully with his.
Now that ball retention, patience, control are at a premium, a spotlight is being shone on some of his shortcomings. The endless, stumbling dribbles that end with him colliding with the nearest member of the opposition and losing possession, the simple overlapping passes that are either played directly under the feet of a team mate - with the opportunity for a quick cross lost - or clouted miles too hard out over the deadball line, the times he trips himself up, the dreadful penalties ballooned miles over the bar, the shots he mis-times out of his heel when crosses are played to him, the one on ones where he hesitates, cuts inside, goes outside, cuts inside again and ends up stumbling into the keeper or a (now) covering defender.
Part of the problem may well be rooted in the confirmation bias of supporters, ie. we're aware of what Raheem's shortcomings are and we're now looking for them, whilst forgetting that other players (even Kev and Kun) frequently fluff similar chances, but that he's been 'out of form' for a long time cannot be simply batted away either.
Lest we should be tempted to believe we're talking about a sub-standard player, we're not. We're talking about one who, as an overall package, is a very good footballer and who, at a particular price, could still be a valuable asset for us. I'm just not convinced that he merits the outlay at the moment, particularly given the way the team is now being asked to play
