Player Topic: Raheem Sterling (2015/16)

[Phil1]

Most of our recent newbies have shown glimpses of what they can do and yet, they don't seem to be afforded the same "fan protection" that others seem do

Maybe I see more potential in Sterling than these others you speak of? You'll have to elaborate on who you mean though.

 

[mosssideblue]

Maybe I see more potential in Sterling than these others you speak of? You'll have to elaborate on who you mean though.

Fernando, Navas, Mangala, Demichellis, even Otamendi. All have had good and bad games

 

[Mike N]

Wouldn't have started him today. Just like how I wouldn't ever play Nasri against Arsenal or even Gareth Barry back in the day against Villa. Call it coddling, call it what you want, it gets the crowd up for it and the player is always a passenger in the game. Anonymous today, like he was always going to be.

Too true and not with the benefit of hindsight.

Was laughing to myself at half time when Jesus got hooked and Sterling didn't. Navas wasn't pulling up trees but everyone knows he will not stop trying. Sterling had done no more than Navas and didn't deserve to stay on any more than him. Pellers put himself in a position where he couldn't substitute him because of the opposition! And unfortunately, he was terrible yesterday.

 

[Phil1]

Fernando, Navas, Mangala, Demichellis, even Otamendi. All have had good and bad games

Well I can't speak for everyone but Fernando was awful last year and I made no bones about saying so. Since it came out in the summer that he was playing with an injury for most of the year it became a bit more understandable and so far this year he's shown loads of improvement. Jury is still out on him tbf. Navas isn't a spring chicken anymore and what we get from him is what we get. Great in so much of his play but lacks the cutting edge in the important part of the pitch. That said we paid reletively peanuts for him and he's definitely been more of a success than failure. He's reached his ceiling as far as he goes though - he isn't going to get better but what he is, is good enough to play a part for us.
Mangala has shown the odd glimpse, but that over a full season and a third of another. Nowhere near enough to come to a decision as to him being fantastic or not. Demichellis is what he is. A 34 year old CB who had had a great career and done a job for us after a poor start. Unfortunately it looks as though his end is going to mirror that start, and like Navas, he's not going to improve in the little time he has left with us.
Ottomendi looked a bit lost in his first couple of games but has been immense since and definitely has a higher ceiling.

My point is out of all those players, Sterling has the most potential to be a City great.

 

[Damocles]

We could always give Roberts a chance. He's got enormous potential but isn't going to fulfill it if he isn't given significant game time (much like Sterling was when he was a teenager at Liverpool). I absolutely guarantee you that Roberts has better touch and control of the ball than Sterling does.

As somebody who has watched Roberts quite regularly, I absolutely guarantee you that he hasn't and he's nowhere close to Sterling as a footballer.

 

[Balti]

This has been a huge step in class for him and at the moment, he doesn't seem a natural fit. Has pace and ability to get past a man, but when it gets to the business end of the pitch, seems to freeze and /or make poor decisions.

I'm sure he will improve with time, but at the moment, should not be an automatic 1st teamer

absolutely this

looking like a luxury player at the moment

all neat tricks and touches with little actual impact where it counts

 

[Gray]

He is the new Nellie Young, bags of talent but no bottle.

Lets hope he eventually has the success that Nellie had.

 

[Malty]

He needs time lads, only a young lad.

 

[Armaan]

He's good, problem is we're playing as individuals and that makes it harder for a youngster like Raheem. Look at yesterday and what a proper system does, it makes average players like Lucas and Can look like a prime Iniesta and Xavi.

 

[mrtwiceaseason]

Think the way to judge sterling this season would be to imagine him say at west brom,on what hes shown this time would you bid £50 m £20 think at this stage the answer would be no