#7 | Raheem Sterling - 2020/21 Performances

[WNRH]

Absolutely vintage sterling that chance at the end. Its so depressing watching him at times, but the commentators made a (rare) good point when they mentioned how long he's been playing at the highest level. He's been playing regularly since he was 17. I've seen videos knocking about lately of how good he was previously and you wouldn't think a lot of things you see him do in them that he even has that sort of ability. And there was a chance at 1-1 I think where kev played it across goal and mahrez was nowhere to be seen, whereas sterling is so often there for those (whether he scores them is another matter!)

Feels like he needs a short break from football but doesn't look like he will get it anytime soon with the euros and then the World Cup. Maybe ending lockdown will help but he seems way off too often and has now for some time. There wasn't even any pressure on that 1 on 1 tonight and he totally bottled it

When I see chances like that I’m torn between him lacking confidence, lacking ability or the slightly bizarre theory I have of him as a stat padder.

Goals and Assists are what you hear about all the time nowadays. It’s not enough that Kane has 17 goals, he also has 13 assists.

Sancho every weekend is a updated tally of how many G&A he has following his latest game.

G&A get you headlines, headlines get you £££ via playing contracts and commercial activities.

Sterling has got a lot of G&A last four years but how many have been risks? If someone asked me to name a Sterling goal I would say the Southampton winner at home in the centurion season. Ask me to name an assist I couldn’t tell you. They have all been in the majority tap ins or standard passes across the box.

Ask yourself to name your top 5 Sterling goals and you’d struggle to think of them let alone have them worthy of a top 5 selection and he has scored 113 of them.

So when he gets in those situations tonight, it could be a lack on confidence but we’ve seen him fluff chances when he’s on fire.

It could be a lack of ability but he has shown good finishing at times.

Or he could just get in these positions, realise he has a low chance of scoring, decides to look for the assist, can’t find that, panics and then the chance has gone.

Foden, KDB, even lesser players like Rashford, they are the real match winners, the risk takers as we saw tonight.

 

[yankblue]

I think it's all mental for Sterling at the moment, I really do. He's always had his frustrating spells but right now he's just a shell of himself. Not sure what the solution is to get him back on track but I think time spent away or focusing on his mental health might be best.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Sterling in front of goal reminds me of Cougar from Top Gun after the MiG locks on him!



Just fucking hit it, Raheem! Game’s over, so it’s a freebie! Crack the fucking thing and see what you get!

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Feels like he needs a short break from football but doesn't look like he will get it anytime soon with the euros and then the World Cup.

He may be enjoying his summer hols watching both tourneys on Telly at this rate!

 

[ninjamonkey]

That miss late on wasn't a lack of confidence, he does that kind of thing when he's on fire too. It's appalling indecision that cripples his game. You're clean through, last seconds of a game you've got a 2 goal margin in, you're on your strong foot, you know nobody is in support and you've got the pace on the defender, get it into the area and put your foot through it! That is the absolute bare minimum you demand from that. He's somehow made a 1v1 chance clean through into not even a chance. How is that possible?

 

[bballchinaski]

he got the tough love of being benched, now its time to give him confidence and let him play through it, city needs him, hes the fastest player in the team. just needs to get out of his own head

 

[ChicagoBlue]

he got the tough love of being benched, now its time to give him confidence and let him play through it, city needs him, hes the fastest player in the team. just needs to get out of his own head

He needs to be told, in no uncertain terms, to “SHOOT THE FUCKING BALL ANY CHANCE YOU GET IN AND AROUND THE BOX!”

Sadly, I think he sees what Mahrez, Bernardo, Foden et al can do with the ball at their feet and thinks that’s what he should do?!

One thing I know for certain, Franny Lee would have either broken the net or the keepers face from that range with that chance! And if anyone had said a word about pulling it back, he’d have to them to “Fuck off!”

As I said about a week or so ago, it is in those 2 seconds where a forward lives and breathes or dies. Sterling is committing career suicide with his current (in)decision making.

 

[bballchinaski]

He needs to be told, in no uncertain terms, to “SHOOT THE FUCKING BALL ANY CHANCE YOU GET IN AND AROUND THE BOX!”

Sadly, I think he sees what Mahrez, Bernardo, Foden et al can do with the ball at their feet and thinks that’s what he should do?!

One thing I know for certain, Franny Lee would have either broken the net or the keepers face from that range with that chance! And if anyone had said a word about pulling it back, he’d have to them to “Fuck off!”

As I said about a week or so ago, it is in those 2 seconds where a forward lives and breathes or dies. Sterling is committing career suicide with his current (in)decision making.

the thing is, its not easy to play for pep, you kinda have a set of rules that more creative/wild players might not fancy (messi, muller and others clashed with him in the past) sterling seems psychologically burned out, maybe pep needs to cut him some slack and give him confidence to just play his game.

he isnt a natural pep player, not the best finishing technique, struggles in tight spaces, but he has much needed pace, is pretty good 1 vs 1 and does a shift tracking back, so the team will need him to win all these trophies i think.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

the thing is, its not easy to play for pep, you kinda have a set of rules that more creative/wild players might not fancy (messi, muller and others clashed with him in the past) sterling seems psychologically burned out, maybe pep needs to cut him some slack and give him confidence to just play his game.

he isnt a natural pep player, not the best finishing technique, struggles in tight spaces, but he has much needed pace, is pretty good 1 vs 1 and does a shift tracking back, so the team will need him to win all these trophies i think.

Conversely, he could sell him like every other player with inadequate technique and the inability to adapt!

Shoot or pass, but don’t do neither and just cough it up when it’s easier to score!

And, in today’s squad game, where better pkayers are available and you’re fighting for a mind blowing, unprecedented Quadruple, there is no “cutting the guy some slack!”

For £1,200,000 per month, you need to be on it from minute 1 to minute 95, or Pep will find someone who will. That’s football at this level!

 

[nickamon]

That miss late on wasn't a lack of confidence, he does that kind of thing when he's on fire too. It's appalling indecision that cripples his game. You're clean through, last seconds of a game you've got a 2 goal margin in, you're on your strong foot, you know nobody is in support and you've got the pace on the defender, get it into the area and put your foot through it! That is the absolute bare minimum you demand from that. He's somehow made a 1v1 chance clean through into not even a chance. How is that possible?

Absolutely this. What do you have to lose, it’s a freebie, just run in and smash in making sure you at least make the keeper work! But what the heck was that?!