Is Sterling the best english player at the moment?

Treble

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He seems on the verge of scoring a Messiesque goal by beating 4-5 defenders. His dribbling has significantly improved and he trusts himself more now.
 

RochaRoja

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Your's is a lazy comment then because Mahrez was also born in France.

I admit that I thought Kante was born in Africa and included Mahrez even though I knew he was born in France because he chose to represent an African country at international level.

I do humbly apologise for my egregious transgression though.
Black Africans and Arabs are not really judged in the same way though. Salah and Mahrez are completely irrelevant to the discussion.

Kanté is the kind of black athlete/celebrity that the white world lionises because he's hard working, humble and conforms to what they want black people to be. He's the antithesis of the "uppity negro" Pogba that the white mainstream loves to hate.
 

Raees

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He's basically Guardiola's new Pedro IMO.

A reasonably talented player that is maximised by his team and coach's tactics to play beyond his limits. Under a different team and tutelage, his output wouldn't quite be the same.
He’s a lot better than Pedro in terms of talent but I generally agree with this sentiment. He’s very fortunate to be playing in a set up and under a manager who can extract his qualities to the absolute maximum. I also loved him in the Rodgers Liverpool set up in a free role where he was even more exciting to watch than he is now but yes for England he’s good but not close to the level he shows for City.
 

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Black Africans and Arabs are not really judged in the same way though. Salah and Mahrez are completely irrelevant to the discussion.

Kanté is the kind of black athlete/celebrity that the white world lionises because he's hard working, humble and conforms to what they want black people to be. He's the antithesis of the "uppity negro" Pogba that the white mainstream loves to hate.
I find this a weird comment because although you don't intend to, you are attacking the character of Kante in a serious way without, as far as I can see, any grounds to do so. You essentially calling a race traitor on the count of him having character traits that would be admired in any person.

Do the 'white mainstream' really hate Pogba as well?
 
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RochaRoja

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I find this a weird comment because although you don't intend to, you are attacking the character of Kante in a serious way without, as far as I can see, any grounds to do so. You essentially calling a race traitor on the count of him having character traits that would be admired in any person.
It's no attack on Kanté. I doubt he tailors his personality and playing style for the benefit of white people any more than Pogba does. It's just that Kanté happens to be the exact kind of black public figure that the mainstream feels comfortable with.
 

Skills

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If he was more clinical I would say he's better than Kane. He's still too likely to put in a stinker in front of goal for me.
 

harms

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Still don't think that he's one of the very best (I mean top-3) players in the league. It's a similar situation with Salah last year, when everything says that he's an absolutely top notch but my eyes tell me different story — I'd take Hazard over them any day. He improved significantly under Guardiola, but I don't think that he's really special in anything — just a very good and well-rounded attacking player, who is playing in a well-oiled attacking machine.

Definitely a top-2 English player today, no argument here, even though I'd prefer Kane for the top spot for his international career and better consistency over the last few seasons.
 

harms

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Don't think that he's underrated because of his race by the way. You have the same story with every English player — Kane was seen as a one-season wonder when he started, then as a two-season wonder before finally securing a truly world class status.

His race and his upbringing plays a big role when the press begins to talk about his image off the pitch, that I agree with. All those stories about where he shops (either too fancy or too cheap), him buying houses and having tons of kids etc. But I don't think that this influences his perception as a footballer.
 

Classical Mechanic

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It's no attack on Kanté. I doubt he tailors his personality and playing style for the benefit of white people any more than Pogba does. It's just that Kanté happens to be the exact kind of black public figure that the mainstream feels comfortable with.
Regardless, I don't think Sterling or Pogba would be overlooked for top awards because of their race + personality(?) if they played well enough to win them. Lets face it, Pogba hasn't come anywhere close to playing that well. Sterling has done better but has not really been that close to winning POTY (Salah was comfortably better last year). He might this year if he can keep this up.
 

Kopral Jono

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Sterling is world class and is better than Kane. So yes, he’s England’s best player right now.
 

adexkola

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Still don't think that he's one of the very best (I mean top-3) players in the league. It's a similar situation with Salah last year, when everything says that he's an absolutely top notch but my eyes tell me different story — I'd take Hazard over them any day. He improved significantly under Guardiola, but I don't think that he's really special in anything — just a very good and well-rounded attacking player, who is playing in a well-oiled attacking machine.

Definitely a top-2 English player today, no argument here, even though I'd prefer Kane for the top spot for his international career and better consistency over the last few seasons.
We should question your eyes then.
 

Treble

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Opinion is not easy to change and the opinion of Sterling wasn't high after his 1st season at City which was poor. Then he had a very poor Euro tournament in France and many people, including me, were very sceptical of his further development. And race/being English had nothing to do with it imo. If he continues his improvement though, he'll be recognized as a top top player. His pace over short distances is devastating. No wonder he gets so many tap-ins. He leaves defenders for dead.
 
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adexkola

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Constructive criticism, I like it. Do you rate them alongside Neymar and Hazard?
I rate your eyes above Neymar, for sure.

Seriously though, when my eyes are telling me one thing, but the numbers and facts are telling me different, I look towards re-evaluating what I use to rate players. I did the same with Muller a few years ago.
 

totaalvoetbal

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On his current form he is the 'best' player in the Premier League. It's just not fashionable to say so.

He is Manchester City's most important forward and arguably their most important player alongside David Silva, Ederson and Fernandinho.
 

SquishyMcSquish

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Black Africans and Arabs are not really judged in the same way though. Salah and Mahrez are completely irrelevant to the discussion.

Kanté is the kind of black athlete/celebrity that the white world lionises because he's hard working, humble and conforms to what they want black people to be. He's the antithesis of the "uppity negro" Pogba that the white mainstream loves to hate.
I just don't think English people in general like brash personalities like Pogba. I don't think its race related, we just prefer players who are humble and down to earth. There are a few exceptions (Beckham) but generally the media loves the more 'honest' players, the Scott Parker or Kante's of this world.
 

TsuWave

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disregarding the inflammatory language used in this tweet, i agree with the overall sentiment:


Sterling is a special, special player.
 

SilentWitness

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Can you imagine a front three of Sterling, Sancho and Rashford. :drool:
 

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disregarding the inflammatory language used in this tweet, i agree with the overall sentiment:


Sterling is a special, special player.
Probably the shitest tweet I've ever had the displeasure to read, what a shock it's from an Arsenal fan.

Sterling is great, so let's totally piss all over one of the best strikers in the world for not scoring as many of him, despite the fact he's currently injured and quite clearly plays in a team who aren't half as good going forward as City are. We have scored 20 less goals this season, they have B. Silva, David Silva, De Bruyne etc putting chances on a plate for their attacking players constantly.

I don't think there's much between Kane and Sterling, both offer completely different qualities.
 

SilentWitness

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Would be absolute madness to drop Kane. He's a perfect lone striker with his skill set.
Of course he wouldn't do it but i personally think those three would be better as a trio than any of them would be with Kane.
 

TsuWave

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at some point you gotta stop hiding behind "he plays with better players than". Sterling's brilliance makes him a standout even at City.
 

SquishyMcSquish

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at some point you gotta stop hiding behind "plays with better players". Sterling's brilliance makes him a standout even at City.
Who is saying otherwise? Sterling is clearly fantastic, but he scores a few more goals than Kane in a team who currently have 20 more goals than us in the league, and suddenly Kane is a fraud because of that? Please.

Nobody is hiding behind anything, it's just a fact that City create and score more than we do. Does anyone seriously believe if you took Aguero out for Kane in this City side he wouldn't score more than he does at Spurs?

Sterling's miraculous goalscoring record doesn't seem to carry over to internationals, whereas Kane is able to keep it up outside of his club system. That's just another fact, it doesn't necessarily mean anything on its own because sometimes players just don't do well for their country, but it certainly suggests that Sterling is being boosted by playing for the best attacking side in the country.
 

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Of course he wouldn't do it but i personally think those three would be better as a trio than any of them would be with Kane.
Why? Kane's ability to bring players like Sterling/Sancho in to play with his fantastic passing range and hold up play would be immense. We've already seen that for England vs Spain where he was incredible and provided 2 marvellous assists for Sterling and Rashford.

He does that brilliantly for Spurs too, holds it up and then sprays balls to the likes of Son, Lucas, Alli etc, or out wide to our fullbacks.
 

TsuWave

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Who is saying otherwise? Sterling is clearly fantastic, but he scores a few more goals than Kane in a team who currently have 20 more goals than us in the league, and suddenly Kane is a fraud because of that? Please.

Nobody is hiding behind anything, it's just a fact that City create and score more than we do. Does anyone seriously believe if you took Aguero out for Kane in this City side he wouldn't score more than he does at Spurs?

Sterling's miraculous goalscoring record doesn't seem to carry over to internationals, whereas Kane is able to keep it up outside of his club system. That's just another fact, it doesn't necessarily mean anything on its own because sometimes players just don't do well for their country, but it certainly suggests that Sterling is being boosted by playing for the best attacking side in the country.
you seem rattled. i did say the inflammatory language of the tweet should be disregarded but i do agree with the overall sentiment that Sterling is the best english player.

kane will be alright, he's a good player, sterling he's just clear of him as the best english player.
 

SilentWitness

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Why? Kane's ability to bring players like Sterling/Sancho in to play with his fantastic passing range and hold up play would be immense. We've already seen that for England vs Spain where he was incredible and provided 2 marvellous assists for Sterling and Rashford.

He does that brilliantly for Spurs too, holds it up and then sprays balls to the likes of Son, Lucas, Alli etc, or out wide to our fullbacks.
I think it would offer more attacking fluidity and be more enjoyable to watch. Kane is of course a brilliant player and striker and i'm not trying to discredit him either, it's just a personal preference.
 

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Why? Kane's ability to bring players like Sterling/Sancho in to play with his fantastic passing range and hold up play would be immense. We've already seen that for England vs Spain where he was incredible and provided 2 marvellous assists for Sterling and Rashford.

He does that brilliantly for Spurs too, holds it up and then sprays balls to the likes of Son, Lucas, Alli etc, or out wide to our fullbacks.
The pace and fluidity of a front three of Sancho, Rashford and Sterling, if they clicked, could be devastating and far more difficult to deal with than with Kane as a focal point. No chance of it ever getting tested though.
 

SquishyMcSquish

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you seem rattled. i did say the inflammatory language of the tweet should be disregarded but i do agree with the overall sentiment that Sterling is the best english player.

kane will be alright, he's a good player, sterling he's just clear of him as the best english player.
In your opinion.

Also, you're expressing an opinion and I'm disagreeing with it, I'm not rattled .. surely that's the whole point? What did you expect when you posted that tweet?

I have no issue with people thinking Sterling is the best English player, it's totally down to preference. I just find it funny that some people feel the need to put another player down when they praise someone, and I really don't think it's fair to aim shots at Kane when he's injured.
 

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As a German supporter, I'd be more afraid of Kane than Sterling. I still think Sterling is a by product of playing in a fantastic City team and, like Sane, would not be as dangerous is a less cohesive team. Kane though seems a natural finisher and I would be more fearful of him creating a shot out of nothing than Sterling creating a chance out of nothing.

I don't think Sterling has been impressive for England thus far as well.
 

SquishyMcSquish

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The pace and fluidity of a front three of Sancho, Rashford and Sterling, if they clicked, could be devastating and far more difficult to deal with than with Kane as a focal point. No chance of it ever getting tested though.
Nope, not for me. Kane's a total nightmare to deal with for defenders, his hold up play is world class .. he thrives when he has movement around him so with Sancho/Sterling either side they'd be living the dream. Rashford is a massive threat in behind but he's nowhere close to being as complete or polished a striker as Kane, and he's not as much of a goal threat either. It seems like people have forgotten Kane's quality because he's been injured and moved on to the flavour of the month.



is why it won't get tested and absolutely right, too. Southgate knows his best striker and when he's fit he will of course lead the line.
 

marktan

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As a German supporter, I'd be more afraid of Kane than Sterling. I still think Sterling is a by product of playing in a fantastic City team and, like Sane, would not be as dangerous is a less cohesive team. Kane though seems a natural finisher and I would be more fearful of him creating a shot out of nothing than Sterling creating a chance out of nothing.

I don't think Sterling has been impressive for England thus far as well.
He hasn't, but neither has Kane tbh for England. Sterling has put in strong solo performances though - e.g. when City faced Barca in Pep's first season. Defo has room to improve for England, but I think a trio of Sterling - Kane - Sancho will put less pressure on Sterling.
 

TrustInJanuzaj

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How can you possibly be the best English player when you cant even perform for England? Despite what some say, he was shocking at the World Cup and while he's a great player in City's system, he's still not anywhere near the class of Kane. England would be far better playing Kane, Rashford and Sancho than relying on Sterling who has shown nothing in an England Kit.
 

TsuWave

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:lol: creating chances is literally what Sterling does

i have a feeling soon Rashford will be clear of Kane too

How can you possibly be the best English player when you cant even perform for England? Despite what some say, he was shocking at the World Cup and while he's a great player in City's system, he's still not anywhere near the class of Kane. England would be far better playing Kane, Rashford and Sancho than relying on Sterling who has shown nothing in an England Kit.
Kane hardly set the world on fire at the world cup. Plenty of United legends, some heralded as the best ever in their respective positions in the Prem, didn't really have the best International career.
 

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Kane scores in every team he's in, regardless of how they're playing. Sterling is scoring a lot right now, in an unstoppable team. There's no question who's the better goalscorer, and anyone doing so needs to zoom out and have a look at the longer picture again.

That said, Sterling is certainly as good as he's ever been. Not really as watchable as he was under Rodgers, but that's down to City's style and can't be blamed on him. It would be nice if he could consistently reproduce his City form with England, which again is something Kane has over him (as, indeed, does Rashford.)
 

Jib

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Can you imagine a front three of Sterling, Sancho and Rashford. :drool:
Same for France with Martial, Mbappé and Dembélé. Pace, skills.. :drool:

But Kane like Griezmann are too good to be on the bench even if those front three are more exciting.
 

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:lol: creating chances is literally what Sterling does

i have a feeling soon Rashford will be clear of Kane too
Of course you do.

Brave of you to express all of this while Kane is injured so he can't make you look silly.
 

SquishyMcSquish

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Same for France with Martial, Mbappé and Dembélé. Pace, skills.. :drool:

But Kane like Griezmann are too good to be on the bench even if those front three are more exciting.
Because it's not balanced. France also played Giroud throughout the entire world cup just so they were able to have a player who could hold up the ball and lay it off to the faster players around him.

Kane offers that, whilst also being an incredible goalscorer in his own right, so of course he plays. No manager would drop him just because some football fans think someone is more 'exciting'.
 

TsuWave

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Of course you do.

Brave of you to express all of this while Kane is injured so he can't make you look silly.
this thread was created in november last year, i hold the same opinion i held then. Sterling is a better player than Kane.

Regarding Rashford, I think he has a higher ceiling. He's faster, better dribbling and technique, and he has that x factor being capable of creating magic. Kane is a better finisher, but if Rashford works on his finishing, which he seemingly has been doing according to Solskjaer, he will be clear of Kane. Kane being injured now or not doesn't factor in my opinion.