[Football] Raheem Sterling - Pundits v Fans

[Bry Nylon]

No surprise we looked poor after he went off. He was our only threat tonight.

Kane had a shocker, looked unfit all game.

Strangely, Kane was anonymous tonight and didn't really show vs. Sweden either. This WC I was looking forward to him bursting onto through balls and striking them from the edge of the box into the bottom corner like he does in the Premier League, week in week out.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

Strangely, Kane was anonymous tonight and didn't really show vs. Sweden either. This WC I was looking forward to him bursting onto through balls and striking them from the edge of the box into the bottom corner like he does in the Premier League, week in week out.

I thought he did well against Sweden holding the ball up and causing a nuisance but tonight he didn’t look right. Looked nervous and unfit, his touch wasn’t there at all.

I felt sorry for Sterling as he was really stretching their defence and causing trouble for them but he had no support whatsoever.

 

[Bwian]

I thought he did well against Sweden holding the ball up and causing a nuisance but tonight he didn’t look right. Looked nervous and unfit, his touch wasn’t there at all.

I felt sorry for Sterling as he was really stretching their defence and causing trouble for them but he had no support whatsoever.

He has also had no end product. Pick your game.

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[Pavilionaire]

I think 2018/19 is a key season for Sterling. City have just bought Mahrez and Raheem may find himself on the bench, he may not win his place back so he has to start producing for England.

 

[Weststander]

I thought he did well against Sweden holding the ball up and causing a nuisance but tonight he didn’t look right. Looked nervous and unfit, his touch wasn’t there at all.

I felt sorry for Sterling as he was really stretching their defence and causing trouble for them but he had no support whatsoever.

Good summary. Sterling definitely turned up tonight, made great breaks, but there was a lack of England bodies around him.

Kane looked knackered and allowed inferior players to boss him. (Just this once)

Alli and a Lingard went missing. Perhaps too busy, sucked into the battle against world class Modric and Rakitic?

 

[Bold Seagull]

Strangely, Kane was anonymous tonight and didn't really show vs. Sweden either. This WC I was looking forward to him bursting onto through balls and striking them from the edge of the box into the bottom corner like he does in the Premier League, week in week out.

Looked like the Harry Kane that played at the Amex.

 

[Geestar]

He didn't score again

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[Invicta]

As a 2nd striker you need goals and or assists to back up how well you play. Pascal Gross a good example last season.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Personally, I think Sterling has been utterly pointless in this tournament. He has contributed nothing positive at all, barely created a chance and really has failed to contribute to the team and that's not acceptable. He's a hogger, he doesn't offer a final ball and although his work rate is great and he does make threatening runs - those attributes just aren't enough to justify getting in the team when a player who contributes is sat on the bench in Marcus Rashford. Rashford should start against Belgium and Sterling shouldn't be considered a regular England player unless he starts to perform for England, which he hasn't for years.

Personally, I felt that Rashford when he came on was all the things Sterling wasn't - directly involved in trying to make something happen in the game. I was disappointed he hasn't had more of an opportunity to play, I feel like he would have added goals and assists and been just as threatening to the defences we came up against.

 

[Betfair Bozo]

Sterling was so clearly our most dangerous player last night that it almost seems pointless even typing this, given some of the takes in this thread.

 

[brightn'ove]

Personally, I think Sterling has been utterly pointless in this tournament. He has contributed nothing positive at all, barely created a chance and really has failed to contribute to the team and that's not acceptable. He's a hogger, he doesn't offer a final ball and although his work rate is great and he does make threatening runs - those attributes just aren't enough to justify getting in the team when a player who contributes is sat on the bench in Marcus Rashford. Rashford should start against Belgium and Sterling shouldn't be considered a regular England player unless he starts to perform for England, which he hasn't for years.

Personally, I felt that Rashford when he came on was all the things Sterling wasn't - directly involved in trying to make something happen in the game. I was disappointed he hasn't had more of an opportunity to play, I feel like he would have added goals and assists and been just as threatening to the defences we came up against.

As Mourinho said, there is a reason why Rashford doesn’t get into the United team.

 

[Brighton Mod]

He has also had no end product. Pick your game.

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Its about outcomes, we win or we lose, he score, assists or cares defences. Some one that does scoreor assists rarely scared defences. he his a very, very youn man, in a big world. He needs to mature as a person and improve or not, but certaintly at the moment as an England player he leaves a lot to be desire. I will conclude that last night we we're beaten on and off the the field.

 

[neilbard]

Sterling was so clearly our most dangerous player last night that it almost seems pointless even typing this, given some of the takes in this thread.

If what you have written is correct, therein lies our problem we had 2 shots on target last night and with Kane clearly not at his best Sterling clearly isn't the answer in my opinion.

The last time I looked Raheem is classed as an attacking midfielder not an out an out striker, he has blistering pace which indeed can worry defenders.

A player who in my opinion at this world cup has offered very little end product, with only two goals to his name thus far in an England shirt against Lithuania and Estonia we clearly need to look elsewhere.

 

[Shooting Star]

Sterling was so clearly our most dangerous player last night that it almost seems pointless even typing this, given some of the takes in this thread.

Agreed. His ability to stretch defences with his pace and skill is reason enough for the starting shirt. Just a shame his end product/final decision making is often lacking.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

If what you have written is correct, therein lies our problem we had 2 shots on target last night

Not true

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

He really is England's Sam Baldock isn't he? Some people see what he brings to the team, others think he's an absolute waste of space.

I think the bigger issue isn't whether he should play or Rashford should play but the midfield. Changing one player isn't going to paper over the cracks. It's a team game and Southgate is clearly building a team. Unfortunately that means if one part of the team isn't fully effective it affects other parts. We don't have the super star who can dig us out of a hole.

We were at our best this tournament when Alli and Lingard were able to attack without worrying too much about the opposition. That's when we got the best movement and interchanges between the front four. However against Croatia they spent a lot of time working their arses off doing the defensive side of the midfield role so much so that Kane was dropping deeper and deeper less to link up more to help out. This left Sterling isolated and the team unable to capitalise on the runs he was making and the fear he was bringing to the croatian defence.

We need to find a balance in midfield where we can do the defensive side without being over run whilst also having the players to attack, create and support the front two. In that sense I think we really missed Oxlade Chamberlain and Lallana and, yes I'm going to say it, Wilshere. Actually if he'd been fit I think Harry Winks would have been good in this formation. If all those players had been fit I don't think we would have seen a midfield three including both Alli and Lingard. In fact if they had all been fit we might have seen someone else instead of Sterling up with Kane.

Either way until the midfield is sorted we're not going to consistently see the best of Sterling or Rashford or whoever we play up there. For what it's worth I think Sterling has done a pretty good job and Rashford has done nothing in his time on the pitch to suggest he would be a marked improvement.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Sterling was so clearly our most dangerous player last night that it almost seems pointless even typing this, given some of the takes in this thread.

He was, and still came up short, which tells it's own story regarding the rest of the forwards and midfield.

 

[aolstudios]

He really is England's Sam Baldock isn't he? Some people see what he brings to the team, others think he's an absolute waste of space.

I think the bigger issue isn't whether he should play or Rashford should play but the midfield. Changing one player isn't going to paper over the cracks. It's a team game and Southgate is clearly building a team. Unfortunately that means if one part of the team isn't fully effective it affects other parts. We don't have the super star who can dig us out of a hole.

We were at our best this tournament when Alli and Lingard were able to attack without worrying too much about the opposition. That's when we got the best movement and interchanges between the front four. However against Croatia they spent a lot of time working their arses off doing the defensive side of the midfield role so much so that Kane was dropping deeper and deeper less to link up more to help out. This left Sterling isolated and the team unable to capitalise on the runs he was making and the fear he was bringing to the croatian defence.

We need to find a balance in midfield where we can do the defensive side without being over run whilst also having the players to attack, create and support the front two. In that sense I think we really missed Oxlade Chamberlain and Lallana and, yes I'm going to say it, Wilshere. Actually if he'd been fit I think Harry Winks would have been good in this formation. If all those players had been fit I don't think we would have seen a midfield three including both Alli and Lingard. In fact if they had all been fit we might have seen someone else instead of Sterling up with Kane.

Either way until the midfield is sorted we're not going to consistently see the best of Sterling or Rashford or whoever we play up there. For what it's worth I think Sterling has done a pretty good job and Rashford has done nothing in his time on the pitch to suggest he would be a marked improvement.

Excellent post