#7 | Raheem Sterling - 2020/21 Performances

[Rascal]

His pace and skill will always be an asset, unfortunately a lot of the end product that he had added to his game appears to have stalled again. There are flashes now and then, hopefully it will come back.

Yet he has as many goals and assists combined as Mahrez, who is widely said to have had a great season. He has more than Grealish who is touted as the next big thing.

He wasn't as brilliant as that season where he scored for fun, but nor was he as poor as some on here say.

He has a shot accuracy rate just shy of Kane, a conversion rate better than Rashford.

Has anybody considered the correlation between Sterling not hitting the heights and Mahrez smashing the ceiling. Teams double up on Raheem, it leaves space for false nines and leaves Mahrez one on one.

Yes Raheem has to improve because teams are frightened off him, but his presence alone has defenders on the back foot as they now he can beat them for pace, that forces them deeper and creates space for false nines to play. Teams cannot play a high line against Raheem's pace, because there is always the danger of the ball over the top from Eddy to start with and the space it allows Kev means he can create even more danger.

I don't think he will start the CL Final, not because he has been poor but because Foden has been brilliant, eventually though Foden will play more inside as a 10 an Raheem will then have a starting place to play for. At the moment Phil holds that shirt for me.

 

[wolviedinho]

Something is defo going on with Raz. He looks uncomfortable on the pitch. I am sure we will probably find out after Sat.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Just as the case with Bernardo, the most likely thing to happen is that Sterling will regain form at some point next season and will start most big games again. He's only 26.

Both Mane and Sterling were the most used forwards over the previous two seasons by Klopp and Pep respectively and both lost form virtually at the same time. When players are used a bit too much, they lose form, shock horror!

Remember that Bernardo lost form and some on here were predicting that we would sell him. It was wrong. Same with Sterling: we won't sell him, unless he wants to leave.

It was different with Bernardo,his form was patchy and inconsistent,but it never fully deserted him,that was mostly due to the fact Pep was flitting him in and out of the side to accommodate others and he was unable to get a run of games,despite many fans wishing otherwise.The other difference was that Bernardo always looked like a cohesive cog in our system where as Sterling looks awkward and on another wavelength.

As stated previously.....I would love for him to rediscover the form of 2018/19 and before,but it seems to have abandoned him and he now looks like a player who is dispensable.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Facts say different.

Do you believe the facts are wrong?

Eyesight says different too

Do you need glasses?

 

[Pablo ZZZ Peroni]

It was different with Bernardo,his form was patchy and inconsistent,but it never fully deserted him,that was mostly due to the fact Pep was flitting him in and out of the side to accommodate others and he was unable to get a run of games,despite many fans wishing otherwise.The other difference was that Bernardo always looked like a cohesive cog in our system where as Sterling looks awkward and on another wavelength.

As stated previously.....I would love for him to rediscover the form of 2018/19 and before,but it seems to have abandoned him and he now looks like a player who is dispensable.

Sterling had most minutes in the team last season with 52 appearances and 44 starts
Bernardo made 52 appearances and 37 starts.

That would suggest Bernardo had run of games. Facts and eyesight.

 

[feedmpenzaandhewillscore]

Theory on Sterling, is playing with no striker effecting his game? If you look at how we play with a false 9 you don’t see a forward sat on the last man occupying the centre halves which Aguero normally would do. They can adjust to our wide players and move slightly out a bit giving the likes of Sterling less room to play in. He isn’t like Mahrez or Foden who can operate in confined spaces and is at his best when he is running into it.

If we get someone like Kane you have two centre halves shitting themselves marking him. He bullied Laporte and Diaz early on in the season, signing someone of his ilk might give Sterling that extra room to operate out wide. It doesn’t seem like Pep wants to give up on him just yet, a Euros and a summer break might get him back to how he was.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Sterling had most minutes in the team last season with 52 appearances and 44 starts
Bernardo made 52 appearances and 37 starts.

That would suggest Bernardo had run of games. Facts and eyesight.

And never did his technique desert him,or his form fall to a standard where fans were questioning his ability to regain it.
I remember plenty of games where i and others were crying out for Bernardo to start games ahead of others......thankfully the penny dropped with the boss and now he is integral.

 

[alexmcity]

It was different with Bernardo,his form was patchy and inconsistent,but it never fully deserted him,that was mostly due to the fact Pep was flitting him in and out of the side to accommodate others and he was unable to get a run of games,despite many fans wishing otherwise.The other difference was that Bernardo always looked like a cohesive cog in our system where as Sterling looks awkward and on another wavelength.

As stated previously.....I would love for him to rediscover the form of 2018/19 and before,but it seems to have abandoned him and he now looks like a player who is dispensable.

Think you conveniently forget that Bernardo had to start a lot of games in 18/19 due to injury problems with Kevin and David. And after that season he had to play international games. No wonder his form was a bit off in 19/20, and for the same reasons like Sterling and Mane and Firmino: when you start many, many games, you get tired (mentally) and lose form.

Due to Sane's injury and Mahrez' poor form, Sterling played too much football in 19/20. Then, in the first half of 20/21, Sane left, Mahrez was still off form, Aguero and Jesus suffered from injuries and covid, and Sterling had to start many games without being properly rested. It's hardly surprising he has gone off the boil.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Think you conveniently forget that Bernardo had to start a lot of games in 18/19 due to injury problems with Kevin and David. And after that season he had to play international games. No wonder his form was a bit off in 19/20, and for the same reasons like Sterling and Mane and Firmino: when you start many, many games, you get tired (mentally) and lose form.

Due to Sane's injury and Mahrez' poor form, Sterling played too much football in 19/20. Then, in the first half of 20/21, Sane left, Mahrez was still off form, Aguero and Jesus suffered from injuries and covid, and Sterling had to start many games without being propetly rested. It's hardly surprising he has gone off the boil.

I havent conveniently forgotten anything,my memory might not be the best,and nether do i go stat searching.....but i do remember wanting him to be involved in our crucial games when Pep decided otherwise.
I understand your point about tiredness,and while i hope its that simplistic......i cant help watching his contributions and thinking its deeper than that with Sterling.

I genuinely believe a fresh start elsewhere would be the best thing for him.

 

[K-Bo]

I don't think sterling will renew this summer, based on losing his place and the rise of foden. Doesn't mean he'll leave but I definitely think he'll want to see how it goes/assess options if he can't get back into the team. If City want maximum value for raheem, they would have to sell this summer rather than next. where the price might drop from 80-100 we could get this year to 50-70 the year after. Difficult decision for city if he doesn't sign. He might also opt to run deal to get preferable terms on his next contract the way Sane did which would not allow us to sell.