#7 | Raheem Sterling - 2020/21 Performances

[Tugay One Cup]

Played exactly how I expected him to but the bottom line is that he shouldn't have been playing.

 

[jimmygrimblesboots]

He did Ok and thats all , but Foden playing on the left would have been far more effective and he would have had James on toast , a very out of form Sterling was one of our better players , which says it all really a diabolical team performance.

 

[DATOIA]

Can somebody with a bit more football knowledge then myself please explain to me why the fuck Sterling started this game ?

I have been scratching my head for the last hour and i am struggling to find a logical answer!

It was the most illogical thing I have experienced in my whole life..

He could have played Aguero - that I can understand or Torres or even Jesus, but Sterling... player who is in his worst form for a fucking three months and can't do a shit ? How you can trust such a player in a final..

 

[LongsightM13]

Thanks for the memories Raz. Think it might be time to say goodbye now, though

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Can somebody with a bit more football knowledge then myself please explain to me why the fuck Sterling started this game ?

I watched one analysis pre-match that predicted he would play because Chelsea press high and squeeze the pitch, so Sterling gives us an option over the top to keep them guessing and create space for the midfield to play (although you could argue on form, Torres should have taken that role). But yeah, I don't understand why you go into the CL final with all of your players fit and don't play your best eleven. Impose out game on them ffs. Pep is always far to reactive against teams that we're better than. I feel like he shows the opposition too much respect if anything.

 

[bobom]

Felt a bit sorry for him. Low on confidence, shouldn't have been in the team. Did ok, but not the player he can be when he's really on song.

 

[eastmanc]

He did ok, but that’s all. Too many changes to accommodate one player. Fucked us up really.

 

[JoeD]

He played okay and certainly didn't deserve the vitriol I've seen in the match thread. The problem is that he should've never ever started, even more so when Fernandinho was sacrificed in order to achieve this.

Pep is a genius, that's why I can't think of a logical reason to weaken your midfield (and your team) entirely on the wild bet that an out of form Sterling would wreck Reece James.

If it ain't broke don't fix it. Can't for the life of me understand why Pep chose to tinker precisely in his first CL final in 10 years.

 

[13/05/12]

He didn't pick himself. He knows he has not been in good form for a while and it probably eats away at him more and as a consequence causes more nervous play rather than let it come naturally. He is a confidence player. When he is on a roll he can look unplayable. He's a long way from that player this season. Tonight he was not bad. No worse than anyone else. Just wasn't right to start the game in his state.

Some of the comments are on the cusp of abuse however and it's worth reminding ourselves this is a lad who has been one of the ever-present players for us this past half decade.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Lets give it a day off

After today, it’s going to start in earnest tomorrow! Stinker!