Raheem Sterling - 2017/18 performances

[Cobra]

Lukaku was a great finisher for Everton last season, think he scored 24? But break that down and you will see he was scoring loads when Everton where already winning when there was no pressure on him, and mostly against weak teams.

Sterling has scored vital goals under intense pressure in dying moments of games with 10 or 11 men in the penalty box. That to me points to how strong mentally he is, otherwise he might have already gone the way of Renato Sanches given the amount of grief he gets.

But I agree with you he needs to keep improving to reach the very top and merit a place in first XI in a Pep team. Let's wait till end of season to get a full picture of his progress.

I'm not sure you can use the Bournemouth and Huddersfield goals as examples of this as one took a massive deflection and the other was smashed against him and looped over the keeper. He obviously did well to be in the right place at the right time, but they aren't examples of mental toughness.

 

[Thaksins Love Child]

Always capable of missing very easy chances. He just does very simple things wrong sometimes, even looks clumsy. No doubt he's improved greatly though.

 

[San Tropez]

He obviously did well to be in the right place at the right time, but they aren't examples of mental toughness.

So you are saying that he doesn't hide when the going gets tough.

I prefer to focus on a cluster of games which shaped the season: Sterling won us the Feyenoord game at home late. A few days later he did it again against Huddersfield. And a few days later he did it again very, very late against Southampton (96th min and what a goal that was!). So nothing to do with Bournemouth, which can be discounted as a one off.

People have a short memory but not winning those games could have altered the course of the season entirely. It would have put the team and manager under immense pressure and meant playing first XI against Shakhtar Donetsk four days before the Manchester Derby.

For me, mental strength is demonstrated over a very short, very intense period, over a number of games e.g by Tennis Grand Slam winners, in Olympics, Word Cup etc, and Sterling has done it.

 

[meeesh]

Think 10 years ahead or so from now,,then when we think back to the great era of what we have now,there will be a few names that will automatically roll off the tongue,of what a player he was etc,etc,but I'm sorry to disappoint some,but Raheem won't be one name that comes out of your mouth before quite a few others,when you are telling your kids or grandkids,just won't happen

 

[San Tropez]

Always capable of missing very easy chances. He just does very simple things wrong sometimes, even looks clumsy. No doubt he's improved greatly though.

He is clumsy! Seems he needs several coaches to teach him so many different things lol.

 

[CityInWashingtonState]

He is clumsy! Seems he needs several coaches to teach him so many different things lol.

Agree - but has been much improved under Pep - scoring clutch goal after goal after goal.

Hopefully his recent poor form is just due to lack of confidence and he will bounce back.
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Sterling is a frustrating player - at turns excellent followed by less frequent spells of exasperation.

 

[Tugay One Cup]

sorry to disappoint some,but Raheem won't be one name that comes out of your mouth before quite a few others,when you are telling your kids or grandkids

Even if this wasn't a meaningless heap of bullshit, what difference does that make? He's already been absolutely vital to many of the records we've smashed this season and if we go on to win the league then he will have played as pivotal a part as anyone else.

How you imagine yourself romanticising about it to your grandchildren is inconsequential and has absolutely zero bearing on the reality of events.

 

[squirtyflower]

Messi is in the 1st tier alone
2nd : Hazard, KDB, Neymar
3rd: Sterling, Martial, Sane

Martial? You're taking the fucking piss

 

[meeesh]

Even if this wasn't a meaningless heap of bullshit, what difference does that make? He's already been absolutely vital to many of the records we've smashed this season and if we go on to win the league then he will have played as pivotal a part as anyone else.

How you imagine yourself romanticising about it to your grandchildren is inconsequential and has absolutely zero bearing on the reality of events.

Legends are remembered with great fondness

 

[OB1]

Legends are remembered with great fondness

Paul Dickov is a legend to many but he is not on as high a level as Sterling as a player; nor are other players that we remember fondly.