#7 | Raheem Sterling - 2021/22 Performances

[BlueMedic]

Looked more like his usual self today - running at players causing havoc, good movement, instinctive tough finish ends up in the net, easy finish with time to overthink it ends up with him losing the ball.

I also prefer him on the right FWIW - he had a run on the left of cutting in and curling them in, but mid-long range finishes and clean striking aren't what makes him an effective player; bursts of acceleration, intelligent movement and instinctive close range finishing is when he's at his best for us, and he can do all that on the right.

 

[DAGW]

Run for the goal was a thing of beauty - scruffy contact on it as per but when it flies in who cares? If he’s getting into that position any firm contact should send it goal bound - we just have to accept, with Raz, it’s more likely than not going to be less than a crisp strike.

Looks to have been lively from the highlights, but Mr Hyde couldn’t be held back from making an appearance with that squandered chance.

Can only comment on what I’ve seen - and the sum of those parts is; a brighter performance, a goal and stepping up with Kev/Jack out, and Palmer on there - meaning Raz had to shoulder more responsibility. That last bit is the best bit for me.

 

[Keeper!]

Looked more like his usual self today - running at players causing havoc, good movement, instinctive tough finish ends up in the net, easy finish with time to overthink it ends up with him losing the ball.

I also prefer him on the right FWIW - he had a run on the left of cutting in and curling them in, but mid-long range finishes and clean striking aren't what makes him an effective player; bursts of acceleration, intelligent movement and instinctive close range finishing is when he's at his best for us, and he can do all that on the right.

Much better and if he had taken that chance at the end it would have capped off a great performance, maybe coming good just at the right time, although I still think it's 99% certain he will be off.

 

[Tourist since 1971]

Enjoyed his performance overall. Seemed to be enjoying it himself which hasn’t always been apparent this & last season.
Agree that he appears to have more success on RW, but still has the problem that he has issues with decision making when he has time to think. A brilliant instinctive footballer who has been a great player in some really big matches for us. Wish him well at City or wherever (with certain reservations) he feels he has to go.

 

[youngbob]

Think he would have scored that late chance had it been Cancelo crossing from left to right, rather than Walker from right to left. Pep identified back in 2017 that one of Sterling's biggest problems is his body shape when receiving the ball in attacking areas and it was exactly what caused him to fumble the ball yesterday and let Pickford gather. If that ball comes from the left wing to the far post, he slides in with his right foot and buries it. No question - even at his worst he's still done that so well. But yesterday, because the ball came to his left foot instead, he stopped to think and readjusted, so he got his shape all wrong and miscontrolled the ball.

 

[MarsLlama]

He’s bleating about he wants a move to Barca

He isn't. Just because you've seen the rumours and want them to be true doesn't mean they're true.

CITY won’t let him go on a loan move

'City' isn't an acronym. It doesn't stand for anything. If you put it in all caps it just sounds like you're shouting.

probably wouldn’t be worse than he is at present

He's our only forward who even looked like scoring yesterday, to the extent that it took a Rodri screamer and an incredibly lucky Bernardo goal to put the game out of reach.

 

[David Silva]

Aside from the customary missed sitter, he played well yesterday. Arguably the best we have seen from him in some time. Good defensive covering in the second half as well.

The contrast between playing him on the right than the left is stark though.

 

[MarsLlama]

Never has pal. Loses the ball and let's someone else clean up. Sitting in the SS gives you a good view of his faults

Almost like that's the defender's job.

We used to have a winger who always tracked back to clean up when he lost the ball. His name was Jesus Navas and you all hated him just as much.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

Thought he had a very good game except for trying to be too cute once when in on goal.

 

[Heidenreich]

These idiots at Barcelona not only want a loan deal but also wants that we pay part of his salary