#7 | Raheem Sterling - 2021/22 Performances

[domalino]

We've become so accustomed to perfection that we seem to forget that a football team requires more than just technically the very best of the best.

In fact I'd argue that as important as technique in our squad is mentality. It's the mentality that gets you the volume of points/trophies. It's the mentality that elevates Raz above the overwhelmingly vast majority of his peers. Mentality got us 100 points when the league was won weeks if not months before. Mentality gets you turning up week in week out at every single ground and playing like you're in a cup final. Look at how not just Sterling but many players have fought back from being dropped by Pep. I think we're beyond lucky to have the squad we have.

Without the 3 least technical players in the squad - Sterling, Waker, Dias - we would win nothing.

 

[asahartford1]

In a squad full of superstars, the problem for Raz is his ‘technical low bar’ (control and shooting) is significantly lower than anybody else he plays with. Hence it stands out like a sore thumb when he hits his low bar.

So would you say for instance that in the reference of "shooting" as you have stated Grealish is significantly betterr than Sterling, think carefully before you answer , check the number of goals Grealish has scored , then the number Sterling has scored,

You have stated "significantly lower than anyone else he plays with".

 

[Brightwell’s left peg]

So would you say for instance that in the reference of "shooting" as you have stated Grealish is significantly betterr than Sterling, think carefully before you answer , check the number of goals Grealish has scored , then the number Sterling has scored,

You have stated "significantly lower than anyone else he plays with".

I think you’re missing the nuance of my post. I’m not saying he doesn’t score. I’m saying he looks like a complete muppet (technically) a lot of the time he doesn’t score. In front of goal he often looks like someone who’s won a competition to play alongside professional footballers.

As for Grealish, give him a chance fella. A lot of top players struggle when adapting to a new system, but that’s for another thread.

 

[asahartford1]

I think you’re missing the nuance of my post. I’m not saying he doesn’t score. I’m saying he looks like a complete muppet (technically) a lot of the time he doesn’t score. In front of goal he often looks like someone who’s won a competition to play alongside professional footballers.

As for Grealish, give him a chance fella. A lot of top players struggle when adapting to a new system, but that’s for another thread.

I am not having a go at Grealish. I think he has done ok , as all of our squad have performed great this season. I was trashing your profound statement that Sterling is considerably worse than Grealish at "shooting". it was your statement and yes i did miss the "nuance"
Apart from Kev the weakest part of our top players skilset is probably shooting. That includes Sterling, his striking of the ball is not elite level, but not considerably worse than others especially on their weaker sides.

 

[Brightwell’s left peg]

I am not having a go at Grealish. I think he has done ok , as all of our squad have performed great this season. I was trashing your profound statement that Sterling is considerably worse than Grealish at "shooting". it was your statement and yes i did miss the "nuance"
Apart from Kev the weakest part of our top players skilset is probably shooting. That includes Sterling, his striking of the ball is not elite level, but not considerably worse than others especially on their weaker sides.

If you read my posts/conversation, you should have come to the conclusion I didn’t make any such profound statement. I started by saying when Raz looks bad…he looks a lot worse than anyone else, hence why he might get as much stick as he does. His ‘low-bar’ is low. Im not saying he’s bad all the time…just that he can look very inept. I think you’re picking an argument with me without looking at what I’m actually saying.

 

[gregblag]

Best player by a distance all of one week ago against Chelsea after winning player of the month for December.

Annnnndddd once again the torrent of abuse after one subpart performance.

For me he wasn't even that terrible against Saints. The missed sitter magnifies things. That one particularly misweighted pass wasn't good (KDB will have a handful like that every game of course.)

But there is what I call "bad Sterling" where he gets the ball and basically dribbles it into the feet of the opposition. Over and over again. Wasn't too much of that as I remember. Maybe my standards aren't high enough but I'm inclined to cut him a lot of slack given his immense improvement and value added to the squad since November.

He stank the place out.

We were moving beautifully through the gears when he lost the ball and the Saints scored. It was probably not Sterling's fault that we conceded, it was an exceptional goal. The point is though we're playing smoothly as a team until Sterling gets the ball and, as is quite usual, that's where it breaks down.

He slows the game down by not knowing what to do when he gets it on the edge of the opposition box, usually its a pass backwards after he's faffed around. We can't counter attack because if the ball goes to him he doesn't know what to do with it and he's not good enough to play the right pass. His decision making in key moments is as bad as anything you'll see. To put it another way, he fucks things up and does so so regularly it is not true. And that's what he did in this game. It wasn't just the chance he missed that would have been scored by any self respecting Sunday league footballer. Look at his failure to put decent balls into the box when he has the chance.

Now and again he surprises me by having a decent game or a half decent game, but I am sorry I can't forget the times, seasons long, where he has been complete crap. Sterling at his best does not make up for Sterling being shite.

 

[yerwot?]

This discussion will be on-going as long as Raz plays for us. Fans go ballistic when he fucks up...Wonder how the players react in the dressing room ?
The team spirit is as good as i have seen, in public, just that when someone busts a gut, rides tackles puts the ball on a plate and Raz kicks the f'kin plate. A one-off, no problem, happens to every player, but never seen any anger directed at him, even when it costs a game. Maybe they half expect it, considering how long it's been going on. Why are his England performances not a replica of his club performances? Frustratin' or what ?

 

[kaz7]

He stank the place out.

We were moving beautifully through the gears when he lost the ball and the Saints scored. It was probably not Sterling's fault that we conceded, it was an exceptional goal. The point is though we're playing smoothly as a team until Sterling gets the ball and, as is quite usual, that's where it breaks down.

He slows the game down by not knowing what to do when he gets it on the edge of the opposition box, usually its a pass backwards after he's faffed around. We can't counter attack because if the ball goes to him he doesn't know what to do with it and he's not good enough to play the right pass. His decision making in key moments is as bad as anything you'll see. To put it another way, he fucks things up and does so so regularly it is not true. And that's what he did in this game. It wasn't just the chance he missed that would have been scored by any self respecting Sunday league footballer. Look at his failure to put decent balls into the box when he has the chance.

Now and again he surprises me by having a decent game or a half decent game, but I am sorry I can't forget the times, seasons long, where he has been complete crap. Sterling at his best does not make up for Sterling being shite.

Christ

 

[asahartford1]

Remember how we all used to look at United fans and what entitled dickheads they were? And how insane it is that Real Madrid boo the best players in their history after a few bad games?

Unfortunately that's the direction our fan base is headed, and I don't think there's any way of stopping it because it's a consequence of success.

People losing their minds because we drew, not lost, a league game after 12 wins. A genuine, serious thread pops up about if we have any world class players. The best side in English football history ffs, no world class players.

The obsessive Sterling hatred is predictable, it's worse than ever, but it's oh so predictable so it's hard to get worked up. We know how this ends, he keeps scoring, keeps winning awards, the thread goes quiet again. At this point half the posters are not bothered about his performances in 2022 but that they were made to look like clowns for predicting he'd be sold down the league in 2018 and never heard from again.

Strong sentiment, and I have to agree with every word.
The reaction to Sterling on bluemoon sometimes distresses me, this is not Jordan Ibe, but a player whose stats are second to none at CITY.

 

[pudge]

In my opinion, and I've backed him from day one, I think over the past season or so it's been much more a case of looking at how bad some of his performances have been and 'hyping up' decent ones because of the contrast rather than him getting anywhere near his best which he hasn't for a long time; goals or not.

I mean, he could have scored in the second half at the weekend say but still bollocksed another sitter like against Everton which he should never have done.

Goals are the hardest thing but I think our squad has proven to play well, be individually and collectively successful, they're not the be all and end all; scoring 20/30 each. So to watch his overall game go so far backwards is very disappointing.

At his most dangerous when he's direct but he'll slow things down more often than not now. So much so that when he does turn it on you think he's having a stormer but in reality he's just had a 90 minute 'Match of the Day' performance.