#7 | Raheem Sterling - 2021/22 Performances

[MarsLlama]

I don’t know about Sterling being an enigma but you certainly are.

Just to be clear, your argument is that Raya passes the ball to Sterling for no reason?

 

[WNRH]

Just to be clear, your argument is that Raya passes the ball to Sterling for no reason?

Think that was for ChicagoBlue?

I thought Sterling was his usual effective and frustrating self tonight and is the most important player against teams and tactics like Brentford.

 

[MarsLlama]

Think that was for ChicagoBlue?

I thought Sterling was his usual effective and frustrating self tonight and is the most important player against teams and tactics like Brentford.

Was for you in response to you calling Domalino an enigma for claiming that Sterling tricked the goalkeeper. Personally thought it was plain as day that he deliberately curved his run to try and get Raya to pass to the centre-back. It's a tactic we try all the time.

 

[WNRH]

Was for you in response to you calling Domalino an enigma for claiming that Sterling tricked the goalkeeper. Personally thought it was plain as day that he deliberately curved his run to try and get Raya to pass to the centre-back. It's a tactic we try all the time.

My enigma comment to Domalino is the way he speaks to people with differing opinions. We can all read as many books or watch as many documentaries and gain as much information on a variety of subjects as he does but there’s a way to converse that knowledge with people that does not get peoples backs up.

Most threads are taken over by know it alls shouting.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Tonight was not the best game City have ever played, but we dominated the game. We created few clear cut chances, but that was down to Brentford’s defensive tactics as much as City’s lack of ability.

We moved the ball around well, but things were so tight around the 25 meter mark.

One of the problems against teams like this is not getting in behind them. Tonight, that was compounded by multiple factors:

We played “wingers” who like to cut in on their strong foot, and full backs who don’t overlap. Couple that with midfielders who also don’t get outside and around (Bernardo & KDB), and a LB who was everywhere on the park, everything was very congested in the middle of the park.

If we had gone to Sterling on the right and Foden on the left when we brought on Gundo & Grealish, it might have enabled us to stretch them a bit.

Alas, the penalty just before HT helped change the landscape for us, at it allowed us to play the ball around a lot more, in an attempt to try to draw them out.

Being ahead by one is always a little dangerous, but it felt like they were always lacking upfront, and our back 3 had things under control.

Because things were so tight, it felt like we relied upon the long cross field pass a little too much, in an attempt to switch play to an open area. Sadly, it got picked off quite a few times.

Hell, they were even too deep for the chip over the top most of the time!

All in all, while the performance wont be on the Season’s highlight reel, it was an important 3pts and one less game to the end of the season.

At this point, everyone is just waiting for us to slip up on a banana skin…like Brentford tonight, or Norwich on the weekend.

Accordingly, against these teams that have little to no interest in playing football against us, it’s often just about taking the 3 points and moving forward.

Job done!

 

[Paul1970]

Let’s just say do you think sterling is worth a contract on a par with kdb because that most probably is what he’s after ? I don’t think he deserves nowhere near that and we should look to sell but then again that’s my opinion.

 

[OrigamiNinja]

I genuinely think it's not an exaggeration that I wouldn't back anyone in our squad to score that chance more than one in every two attempts. Maybe I'd back Gundogan or De Bruyne at the peak of their form but everyone else would panic and either do exactly what Raheem did or put it wide/sky it. Us being shite at 1v1s is a problem with the whole team at the moment, not just Sterling.

I agree that as a group we are terrible at 1v1. I think the worse culprits are Sterling and Jesus, both seem to have little confidence when in that position and I think we fans have just as little confidence in them to convert. The really frustrating thing about last nights 1v1 situation was that the keeper telegraphed where he was diving, it’s only a split second but that’s where the best finishers excel, because they see the trigger movement and take advantage. Sterling ended up putting it right where the keeper wanted it.

 

[johncity]

Let’s just say do you think sterling is worth a contract on a par with kdb because that most probably is what he’s after ? I don’t think he deserves nowhere near that and we should look to sell but then again that’s my opinion.

if we can sell i would sell he's no KDB

 

[meeesh]

I've witnessed worse performances,tried last night to be fair,but as I've said before,against inferior opposition he usually does.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Sterling’s market value appears to be greater than his worth in this City team, especially when you consider he is looking for his “bumper final contract” from City.

Those are relative things, so they will be different values to each person and each club. However, as a business, City have to weigh the opportunity cost of NOT selling him and paying that bumper contract against the cost to replace him, both in a potential transfer fee and wages over the next X years contract period he is seeking.

We are a well-run business and it appears are unwilling to be held hostage by anyone…be they a current player or potential transfer target.

I expect Sterling to transferred in the summer, as I believe the club is embarking on an internal rebuild as The Project 2.0 begins.