Well it’s pretty obvious that City’s system does play to sterling’s strengths and elevates his performance levels. Also playing alongside world class talent helps to maximise his output. I still think he’s overrated individuality and I strongly doubt he would have the same impact if he swapped shirts with Rashford.
Is Sterling the best english player at the moment?
- Thread starter TsuWave
- Start date
Continues to smash on the biggest stage. City's best player tonight, in my opinion.
His movement is just ridiculous. You could see everytime KDB got the ball he knew where Raheem would be and Raheem made the perfect run with perfect timing almost every time. Its easily his biggest asset. Very few players have that naturally or can be trained to that level. The only player I've seen with a knack for that not called Ronaldo, is Edinson Cavani (funnily enough another guy whose misses lots of chances)
Yes his movement gave the Real defence plenty of problems. Always seem to know which position to cause maximum damage.
Agreed but how frustrating is he.. his talent level is unreal but just lacks a brain when it comes to scoring goals efficiently.
30 goals this season. apparently "lacks a brain when it comes to scoring goals efficiently"
Its absolutely ridiculous!
He always bottles it against us! Hope he keep that up next season.
Just against Utd
Only a person with non-league level of football understanding could say that
What’s the stats on chances created v goals I.e. shots to goals ratio. I’d be surprised if he’s close to a Martial in that respect.
Also @Damien you’re comparing him to Mo Salah who also is very wasteful these days apart from his golden season and Mane is hardly renowned for being uber clinical.
My point is Sterling is an outstanding player who could quite conceivably be hitting 40 goals a season, so good is his movement with and without the ball. Not that he’s a rubbish footballer.
Also lacking a brain is relative to the players he’s competing against. A top tier brain in terms of finishing relative to the chances they have would be someone like Messi for example, he’s a very efficient player in and around the box and generally makes good decisions when he’s got a chance to score... Sterling is not in this league when it comes to making the right finish, but obviously compared to your average Joe winger he’s going to look amazing as his stats will be far superior and he will compared to that standard of player be a better finisher. Sterling is a world class level talent though so he will be held against the highest standards.
There’s a reason why Sterling is generally referred to as being quite wasteful in front of goal, these type of reputations don’t just grow overnight. He’s become more clinical season by season but it’s still not where it could be for a man of his talent.
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Stopped reading at that bit. No one is near to Messi and Ronaldo regards productively in front of goal. The fact that you could only name Messi says it all really.
Finishing has nothing to do with brains but rather remaining calm and controlling your breathing etc. No one who has played the game or knows at least something about it would ever equate finishing to brains, maybe taking up goal scoring positions can be put down to brain power but definetly not finishing.
That kind of comment is becoming common ignorant among rabbid fans though and its a mighty shame.
I named Martial. I could name Vardy? Neymar.
Sterling is one of the world’s most talented players, he should be compared against the very best. He should and probably is England’s best player. A key figure in taking his nation to a World Cup semi, multiple domestic champ and a possible UCL champion in the making. He’s not a average player.
Utter bullshit. You need brains to decide which finish to use at which moment, where is the keeper positioned, do I need to go around the keeper etc.
You’re telling me Ruud wasn’t a brainier finisher than a Heskey and it was all down to being able to hold his nerve.
Yes composure also comes into it but guess what, that is also brain related as it is part of your mentality under pressure.
You can name who you want. @Damien named a list of top finishers in Europe and Sterling is clearly up there with them.
No he listed some of the top goalscorers. Top goalscorers doesn’t necessarily equate to efficient finishing. Andy Cole grabbed a lot of goals, but he wasn’t renowned for being the most clinical in front of goal but he deserved credit for getting into great positions and earning a lot of chances.
Sterling is similar, he creates a lot of chances both for himself and by getting into brilliant positions using his movement. He’s a menace and a potent goalscoring threat. But calling him one of the world’s most clinical finishers is silly.. he’s getting there, but isn’t the finished product in that regard.
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Would you say those on his list "lack a brain when it comes to scoring goals efficiently?"
He's outperformed his xG these past 3 seasons
This is a case of him missing a few easy chances and people running with that to make an objectively wrong conclusion
Though to be fair, the numbers posted by @Damien are a bit misleading: gabriel jesus, sane and mahrez all put up similar numbers as Sterling. City's attack is so good it's impossible not to. In fact gabriel jesus, who is actually a poor finisher, puts up G+A per minutes numbers better than Sterling's and close to Aguero's
This is a case of him missing a few easy chances and people running with that to make an objectively wrong conclusion
Though to be fair, the numbers posted by @Damien are a bit misleading: gabriel jesus, sane and mahrez all put up similar numbers as Sterling. City's attack is so good it's impossible not to. In fact gabriel jesus, who is actually a poor finisher, puts up G+A per minutes numbers better than Sterling's and close to Aguero's
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Love him but are you alright lad?
Love him but are you alright lad?
Haha visit the Rashford vogue thread. Fashion is changing. Keep up!
Love him but are you alright lad?
Had they got knocked out, he'd only have to replace 'Lisbon' with 'Norfolk'. Not sure if it would have the same effect.
Haha visit the Rashford vogue thread. Fashion is changing. Keep up!
You’re chatting to someone that buys all of their clothes from charity shops so my wardrobe is from the 90s
Love him but are you alright lad?
Jamaicans love them some Clarks boots
On a serious note he's been a cracking player for years. England's best player at the moment
Love him but are you alright lad?
Clarks are high fashion now? Used to be the place your mum dragged you to to get some crappy school shoes.
Clarks are a staple of Jamaican culture. Nothing will get in between a man of Jamaican descent and their Clarks
There are countless dancehall odes to Clarks.
There are countless dancehall odes to Clarks.
I had some Clarks Classic Moccasins a few years back. They’re really well made shoes. Interesting how brand perceptions can change. When I was a kid because your mum wanted you to wear them they were very uncool.
You’re chatting to someone that buys all of their clothes from charity shops so my wardrobe is from the 90s
The 90s are coming back around. You are about to be in fashion again!
Mbappe stats are insane, also Aguero is still fantasticStats compared to some other top players
Looking at his stats even before Pep i have to admit he really has been insanely good for City. His G+A per minutes has remained more or less consistent pre and post Guardiola(where everyone puts up ridiculous numbers)
I don't think he was ever saying that only Messi could be used as a fair benchmark for Sterling. At least, that wasn't my reading at all.
CR7 isn't actually that clinical from a quantitative perspective. Inside the PL, you have Kane, Son, Vardy, Auba etc. - all far more clinical than Sterling - for Sterling to be compared to. It's very far from just Messi.
Maybe not as clinical, but to label him as lacking a brain when it comes to scoring goals efficiently is ridiculous.
You’re chatting to someone that buys all of their clothes from charity shops so my wardrobe is from the 90s
Haha, I can't keep up either, to be honest, but fashion always comes back around. Look at those baggy jeans people have started to wear now. Think you'll be right in your element.
All four of them have been strikers for at least a portion of their career though. Sterling is mostly a wide player. That said, even when you compare him to them in the Premier League, his record isn't that bad
In terms of Shots on Target/Goals, only Vardy from those is better and Son is nowhere near. He's only better in terms of shot accuracy which is what Sterling struggles with. When Sterling does get his shots on target, his record lines up pretty good.
Also, note: 4 of Vardy's goals are penalties, 2 of Aubameyang's goals are penalties, 2 of Kane's goals are penalties and 1 of Sterling's is. Remove the penalties and it is even closer
Just looked at Salah's stats and his are ridiculous - 19 goals from 132 shots, 59 on target (3 penalties).
Great post @Damien
I think one thing you can add is the 'quality' of chances/shots a player like Sterling has at City compared to your other players.
It's not quantifiable (or is it with those XgFtabclolbbq!11 +/- stats?) but that's the point a few are trying to make when they're trying to judge his effectiveness.
It's not quantifiable (or is it with those XgFtabclolbbq!11 +/- stats?) but that's the point a few are trying to make when they're trying to judge his effectiveness.
I got those off the Premier League website but I know WhoScored has some sort of shot breakdown which is closer to what you're on about. The xG site (understats(?)) I guess is better but I don't really look into that stuff. However, giorno has said he outperformed his xG over the past three seasons so that is a good sign.
Regardless, for me Sterling has improved immensely over the past few years and is, for me, the best English player. If City are to progress to the semi final/final of the Champions League, he, along with De Bruyne will be key.