Treated like shit? He’s been treated extreme fairly; some might even say indulged.I wouldn't blame him for running his contract down at this point because he's being treated like shit. He hasn't started a game in his best position (wide right) for months. And before people come along to say that he's played brilliantly on the left before - yes, he has. But, bar the odd game, it only tended to be when he was in particularly great form and had real confidence in front of goal (18-19). Even then, some of his best performances came on the right wing, against Southampton and Liverpool at home that season. The following year, he was our only winger who could play on the left, due to Sane's injury, and while he scored a lot of goals, it wasn't without a long dry patch in the middle. Indeed, he scored several of his post lockdown goals playing from the right, with Phil on the left.
He's not being given a consistent run in the side to get his form back, and when he does start it's in a position which is completely alien to him, and only serves to make him the scapegoat for every game we don't win. Don't get me started on his treatment by our fans, online and in the ground.
A player of his stature and ability (see his performances in the Euros for proof he's still got it) deserves better. He's our best right winger for fucks sake, but he's forced to play elsewhere to accomodate Jesus and Mahrez? One of which was, until last season, considered a perfectly serviceable centre forward (but is now forbidden from playing there), and the other who has had about 6 good months in total in a City shirt.
I wrote on here a while ago that Pep's use of his forwards baffled me, and it's only gotten worse. Everything that people have praised Jesus for doing on the wing, Sterling has been doing for years. The only problem is, we only see it for England now. Meanwhile, instead of getting our only actual centre forward into goalscoring form, we're sticking him on the wing and playing Sterling up front.
Mind. Boggling.
Treated like shit? He’s been treated extreme fairly; some might even say indulged.
I was referring to how he‘s been treated by the club.Hes been abused on here from almost the day he got here. Hes received racist abuse in person from city fans during a match at least once and he gets racist abuse online from City fans regularly.
I guess we have different ideas of indulgence.
I was referring to how he‘s been treated by the club.
Nobody’s defending racist abuse from any quarter.
Instead of looking for an argument where none exists, do think he’s been treated fairly by the club?
I think that time has come. He's had a long time.I do feel a little sorry for him, he couldn't control a TV right now. Its not through any lack of effort, just cant get anything right for us recently. Opposite in an England shirt.
When do you stop giving him the opportunity to regain the form we all know he can have?
So? Not only has he not been as bad for as long as people pretend he has been, but there's an actual history of players City fans have given up on during Pep's tenure for being "out of form" for a long time who've eventually proven them wrong. Gundogan, Bernardo, Stones most notably, Mahrez, and possibly now Jesus too.I think that time has come. He's had a long time.
I think the fact he keeps getting picked despite the negativity from the fans is the only thing he’ll need to show the club support him. Fwiw I think he’s decided to move on and if that happens I will reflect fondly of him in general.Not particularly?
They certainly haven't felt the need to calm the waters over the new contract discussions, instead perfectly happy to let the fans imaginations run wild with demands of being the highest paid player and whatever other ill intentions they want invent to project onto him.
Given that he is getting regular abuse form fans, whether you try to ignore it or not, im not sure why they let that ferment instead of setting things straight or calming things down by telling the press no one is too worried.
They haven't bought a centre forward and instead forced him to play false 9 while trying to get back in form, which is a hard enough job to do at the best of times.
When he gets back in form it will be despite everything around him and not thanks to careful management and I think the same was true of Stones and Gundogan.
PS. I think its disingenuous to pretend that treatment from the fans is supposed to be removed from a discussion about how a player is treated at a club.
Fair comment but it's easy when you're working with someone else's money... do you think Raheem has done anything over the past 18 months or so to justify a new improved contract?So? Not only has he not been as bad for as long as people pretend he has been, but there's an actual history of players City fans have given up on during Pep's tenure for being "out of form" for a long time who've eventually proven them wrong. Gundogan, Bernardo, Stones most notably, Mahrez, and possibly now Jesus too.
We should be grateful to have a manager that actually puts his faith in players when "all hope is lost", because without those players we would never have achieved what we've achieved with this manager.