Raheem Sterling - 2016/17 performances

[somethingelse]

its very hard to say that Sterling could do the step overs and then release the ball at exactly the right time to the right place,i agree with Shearer but I don't think its faint praise,i think he meant it, its what Sterling should be doing hitting into the right areas not necessarily picking a player out but hoping the strikers are going to be there

 

[Centurions]

Am I the only who felt like shearer was damning him with faint praise

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's just you.

 

[CrownPointBlue]

Improved in many ways but there should be much more to come.

His decision making,shooting,general finishing & defensive tracking can all be improved.

Much will depend on how much Razz wants to improve & be the best he can be & how strong his mentality & character are.

Here's hoping.

 

[FantasyIreland]

MOTM last night,he was fucking brilliant.

 

[Callum Ramsey]

its very hard to say that Sterling could do the step overs and then release the ball at exactly the right time to the right place,i agree with Shearer but I don't think its faint praise,i think he meant it, its what Sterling should be doing hitting into the right areas not necessarily picking a player out but hoping the strikers are going to be there

But thats the thing, I think he meant to pick out the player. Thats what most of the very top players do, they don't just hit the ball aimlessly into dangerous areas hoping someone gets on it. There are a few times that option works but more often than not it gets cut out or cleared if you do that (i.e navas).Its clear to me that the stepovers were just used by sterling to buy time for someone to get into the box otherwise he would've released the ball much earlier if he just wanted to put it into a dangerous area. I just feel like shearer has never rated sterling from the way he spoke about him especially during the world cup for england and probably doesn't believe he's intelligent enough to actually pick someone in the box like he seemed to have done for both his assists yesterday but maybe I'm wrong.

 

[somethingelse]

I don't,but it was a synergy of two very good players acting out a typical scenario, Sane can see Sterling about to do his thing he knows the area where he will be able to convert the cross, Sterling is also aware that players are arriving
Sterling is focussed on the ball and four or five Huddersfield defenders are between him and Sane its very hard to see him

 

[domalino]

But thats the thing, I think he meant to pick out the player. Thats what most of the very top players do, they don't just hit the ball aimlessly into dangerous areas hoping someone gets on it. There are a few times that option works but more often than not it gets cut out or cleared if you do that (i.e navas).

No, see that's where you're wrong IMO. KDB does that all the time. It's not hitting the ball aimlessly, it's serving it on a plate and if your teammates are doing their job it's a tap in.

We see KDB put in brilliant crosses all the time where the ball just agonisingly rolls through the penalty area about 6 yards out and no one gets on the end of it.

I just feel like shearer has never rated sterling from the way he spoke about and him especially during the world cup for england and probably doesn't believe he's intelligent enough to actually pick someone in the box

Shearer said he thinks sometimes Sterling picks out players too much, that he hits crosses at them, and not putting them in a dangerous position for those players to just attack.

It is literally impossible for him to not think he's intelligent enough to pick someone out if his whole argument is that Sterling does it all the time.

 

[Callum Ramsey]

No, see that's where you're wrong IMO. KDB does that all the time. It's not hitting the ball aimlessly, it's serving it on a plate and if your teammates are doing their job it's a tap in.

We see KDB put in brilliant crosses all the time where the ball just agonisingly rolls through the penalty area about 6 yards out and no one gets on the end of it.



Shearer said he thinks sometimes Sterling picks out players too much, that he hits crosses at them, and not putting them in a dangerous position for those players to just attack.

It is literally impossible for him to not think he's intelligent enough to pick someone out if his whole argument is that Sterling does it all the time.

There seems to be a misunderstanding here. There are instances where a player will put a ball into a dangerous area with no idea or awareness that someone is making a run onto it and whether they will convert it. These balls are normally played in hope that one of the attackers will take a gamble and get on it. As I stated there are a few times that option works as it heavily relies on the other attacker being aware enough to take gamble on where the ball will be played for it to be converted. De bruyne does that often albeit with very little result as you point out.

There can also be instances where someone will put a ball in a dangerous area totally aware of someone making a run onto the ball or in that area. That option tends to rely more on the execution and quality of the player with the ball in knowing when to play the ball and the weight on which to put on it which more than often tends to be converted if done right. This is what most of the very top players tend to do more of (i.e prime ozil) and De-bruyne has done that many times this season aswel as he is a very aware player and tends to see runs before he receives the ball so that he can play it first time. That is the instance in which I meant in reference to sterling's assist for sane as it seems to me he waited right until sane's run into a dangerous area before he decided to put the ball in that area. That IMO is a player picking someone that he is aware has made a run into the box out and takes much more skill to execute than someone putting it into a dangerous area in hope for someone to convert. I remember navas doing that exact thing in the first leg against huddersfield where he put the ball into a dangerous area hoping someone gambles which of course no one did and it led to nothing.

 

[Manc in London]

I have thought he had the potential but fair play to @BillyShears who was as sure as night follows day, that Sterling would flourish and become a key player. His views never wavered.

 

[BillyShears]

I have thought he had the potential but fair play to @BillyShears who was as sure as night follows day, that Sterling would flourish and become a key player. His views never wavered.

He was a better all round player at Liverpool than he was in his year under Pellegrini, which is why it seemed daft so many people were judging him on that season. Appreciate the post though mate, nice one.