I hope you're right too
Raheem Sterling
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
- Status
But he is quicker and is a better dribbler than Silva was at that age.
Probably true. I think he has shown he has great passing ability at times though, just needs to show it more often.
You can't improve technique at his age.
Good post. Suppose if he doesn't settle early there's the potential for things to go awry, he's only young and does seem like he can affected by off the pitch stuff. Can't really wish that on a kid though.
This is pretty much how I feel about Januzaj, funnily enough.
Januzaj is a very different player tho in that he lacks the same speed and strength. Personally I think Januzaj has far better natural vision and the eye for a killer pas than sterling but we have never been able to see the full extent of this and Januzaj has never been given a consistent run in the number 10 role which I feel is his true position.
Januzaj has tunnel vision. Seriously poor decision maker right now compared to Sterling.
Of course and this is still his biggest issue but it is also sterling as well, the difference is that Raheem has the physical attributes to cause defenders problems that junuzaj cannot make up by just having great technical attributes. As my name suggests I still believe that if we play Januzaj consistently in the number 10 role he could reach a very high level indeed, I'm yet to be convinced sterling is the same.
I don't think Sterling's decision making is an issue. His finishing definitely is but his movement is excellent for someone of his age and how well he adapted when he was moved to the tip of the diamond suggests he's got good tactical awareness.
Zanuzaj is young enough to be a top player yet, so far though I don't think he's shown much.
Sterling has incredible talent that much should be obvious. If utilised correctly he's going to have a fantastic season at City. To reach his potential though imo he needs to play like how ribery played at bayern in the 2012/2013 season, a wide primary playmaker. He needs to complete the midfield 3 and be the fourth attacker of the team behind Silva, Aguero and Bony. A player as quick, skillful and as strong on the ball as he is, is a big threat in midfield and would certainly give city everything Navas has failed to do in terms of breaching the line and creating space for others.
-------Aguero-----Bony--------
----------------Silva-------------
---------Sterling--Toure------
-----------Fernandinho-------
Is more than good enough to win the title IMO if the defence holds up. If they were to get upgrades in the Toure and Fernandinho positions I'd say they'd be a shoe in for the title.
-------Aguero-----Bony--------
----------------Silva-------------
---------Sterling--Toure------
-----------Fernandinho-------
Is more than good enough to win the title IMO if the defence holds up. If they were to get upgrades in the Toure and Fernandinho positions I'd say they'd be a shoe in for the title.
No width in that team though and the midfield is looking light defensively to be honest.
Think they would be better in a 4-3-3
--------------------Aguero----------------
Silva----------------------------sterling
---------Delph-----------Toure -----------
---------------Fernandinho --------------
Even with this team they would lack the midfield deep lying playmaker but the 3 man midfield would offer Toure more freedom to dictate and that attack is pretty damn good.
Fernandinho's an excellent player. The whole City squad is getting ridiculously underrated on here, I don't see United finishing ahead of you.
The width would be provided by the fullbacks and sterling, aguero and silva drifting into wide areas. Don't think the midfield is too light defensively, especially if an upgrade on toure and Fernandinho is signed. They'd also have enough of the ball not to defend much during games. Sterling gets around a lot and certainly puts in effort. The team you posted is the sort of side way to reliant on one man getting the goals for the team.
I tend to agree with this. He's a very good player however I think he's best used as a box to box mid rather than a holding one. If they could find a ball playing holding midfielder who could dictate matters then he'd fit in really well. Sadly such players are rare so his inability to control matches when he's on the ball becomes a liability.
When he plays as the defensive mid his positioning just isn't good enough at the very highest level. He's more a battler, suited to winning balls in the midfield battle rather than sitting back and mopping things up. His reading of play is quite exceptional in that sense.
Fernandinho is far from excellent.
Agreed. However what can be improved (a lot, in some cases) is the decision making, in terms of what bit of technique to use in what situation. And also a player can gain a better knowledge of their capabilities and strengths.
But yeah, I agree that the ability to trap a ball, turn on it, dribble etc. (basically 'manipulate the ball') is pretty much sealed by this age, or even younger. Eg. The passes you make at 20 are the same passes that you'll be making at 35. You might just be making certain passes more regularly and making the ball do more work, giving the impression that the passing range/ability has improved with age.
Tweet
— Twitter API (@user) date
City's squad has been getting worse and worse with every week of pre-season on the caf. They'll be lucky to scrape 4th by the time the season kicks off.
Where? I saw most posters say that getting Sterling was a great coup by them, and that Delph was a good signing.
I think it's not unreasonable to put forward that their midfield isn't quite as impressive as it may have been, and that defensively they don't look incredible. I've seen Pool fans say that they're the most likely team to be displaced in the top 4.
They've got a good starting XI (not sure about great squad though), and it'll be enough to win loads of games, they've got great firepower up front. But on paper, I'd say that Arsenal, Chelsea and Utd are in front of them, and I'm sure Arsenal and Chelsea will finish higher in the table than them; us, it's hard to say, on paper I think we've got a good squad now, but it'll depend hugely on how the new players kick off, the team is going to be quite changed, whereas Arsenal and Chelsea will have a more established team.
Agree with the vision and decision making. Not sure about the comparison though. Sterling showed at both Liverpool and for England that he makes far too many bad decisions.
Fernandinho has had one good season. He's Spurs level. Stupid to call him an excellent player when he's so clearly not.
Carrick is miles ahead of him in terms of influence and ability.
Carrick is miles ahead of him in terms of influence and ability.
Yeah, he's not a great passer like Silva but I think he's similar to Hazard in the sense that despite not quite having great passing technique, he can very influential in the build-up regardless because he's got a good footballing brain. He does read the game quite well and his short passing game is very good if unspectacular. Good weight of pass, tends to pick out the right passes and is unselfish when he needs to be.
I certainly see him as more of a creator than a scorer.
Sterling's striking technique is pretty atrocious (for a player at his level) though. Really, really poor. Ronaldo always struck a ball very well, he was just selfish and displayed poor decision-making. His finishing was erratic but the technique was always there and when it came off it was explosive. You can see that with just his first handful of goals with us:
Sterling gets himself in good positions but I'd be very surprised if he ever developed into a proper goalscorer because he really is a very weak finisher on every level.
Nonsense. So City splashed £30m out on Fernandinho based on what? Football does exist outside of the Premier League you know.
Fernandinho is a very good player, as he showed at Shaktar
Yeah that's how I see it. Hazard is the perfect comparison.
I don't expect him to become a proper goal scorer and like I've said earlier it's not a necessity. Giggs was not a "proper" goalscorer. Many players aren't. I see him being an all rounder. Quality dribbler, good passer, intelligent, quick and gets goals.
That's not to say it can't improve though which is what I was stressing. If he works on it I can see him becoming a decent goalscorer simply because he's intelligent quick and can go past people.
He's going to be a beast for them. I think at his current age, he's already a better player than Nasri. He has better all round movement, close control and dribbling ability. Nasri's the better playmaker but I think Sterling's explosiveness and the penetration he can provide in the final third will be assets which are more vital to City.
I don't think he was anything special today, but he's already making a difference to City, in my opinion. The width and pace that he and Navas give allows City to stretch teams and hit them on the counter. The pace is frightening. Something we need to add down the right.
More importantly, it gives silva more space to operate in.
Exactly this.
He's definitely doing that. Agree 100%. To be fair he did that for us but Coutinho aside we were a load of shite without Sturridge.
Once teams work out, as they did with us, that you don't need to focus all your attention on Sterling(just stick to marking out Silva and Toure) they'll realise Navas and Sterling get into dangerous positions but the net results are usually poor without Silva/Toure involved.
I thought he was excellent today. Never put a foot wrong.
Yeah man, having Silva out wide nullifies him a bit, similar to Mata for us. And Nasri used to cut in all the time as he hardly had pace to beat his man - so all things considered, Silva definitely seems to be the main beneficiary. And Toure.
Aye, I remember that game at OT last season when Sterling had 3 or 4 chances and fluffed it every time
, but once/if he adds end product to his game, he'll be immense.Totally agree. Individually Sterling has not been amazing yet his role in the side right now is vital to allowing Silva the space to control the game. Same with Navas who, in spite of his sheer averageness, still serves a purpose in the side to stretch the opposition and allow Silva more time and space, plus create opportunities for Toure to get forward. Still, for his price Sterling is going to have to step it up a little bit once he's settled into the team if he wants to truly impress in this City side.
Both games with Utd were in my mind when I wrote that. I thought he'd rip Blind a new one at the return match but you did nothing special to counter him. He just disappeared in that game on his own.Yeah man, having Silva out wide nullifies him a bit, similar to Mata for us. And Nasri used to cut in all the time as he hardly had pace to beat his man - so all things considered, Silva definitely seems to be the main beneficiary. And Toure.
Aye, I remember that game at OT last season when Sterling had 3 or 4 chances and fluffed it every time
Yeah but I think Sterling, tbf, was deployed in a wingback role in the return leg?
He was but it was a role he was supposed to create trouble from. He was up against a left back who doesn't normally play LB, certainly never had regularly in the PL. And one with zero pace. Yet in a two man battle, holding all the weapons, he still came third.
Sterling is a good player, but I await to see how he does when City go through their inevitable dip. That will help decide whether he will be a £49m player this season, next season, or ever.
Yeah, I think he's undoubtedly overpriced. Especially because he's English but he's talented. Whether he'll ever live up to that price tag....we'll have to wait and see.
- Status