Raheem Sterling

[el matador]

Not if we're getting straight cash surely.

A way of reducing the percentage we pay to qpr could involve them accepting 5m plus 3 or 4 of our top youngsters on loan for a season with us paying their wages and no loan fee.

They will lose 25-30% of their squad and players like Joe Gomez, andre wisdom, thiago illori and even sheyi ojo could help them increase their numbers with zero outlay.

For dropping their demands by £5m they get 3/4 of our best youngsters in the deal and that may help them challenge for promotion again.

You cant do a lot with 5m when championship teams are regularly paying big money for players.

[Lecter]

I think the accusations of a lack of game intelligence are misguided. He has looked accomplished in a variety of positions showing an ability to pick up on the tactical side of the game; He's very rarely looked out of place when playing alongside the likes of Gerrard and Suarez and his runs from deep are timed to perfection. It's not like he's perma-offside and having to be guided around the pitch by senior players.

If anything, it's his decision making which lets him down. When to place it, when to leather it; when to take the shot early or when to take one more touch. This is nothing to do with intelligence. With a little more self-belief and game experience, he's going to add goals on a consistent basis to an already well developed game.

We're losing a cracking player that is only going to get better for a different club.

Decision making and game intelligence are inextricably linked. You can't make good decisions without having the intelligence. Know how, nous, game intelligence, decision making its all the same thing

Essentially it's knowing where to be and what to do at any particular time in a match. IMO he's lacking in that department

[Maxiedge]

He's no Hazard and never will be but he's a bloody good cog in the overall system. If you've got others doing the clever bits and finishing then Raheem can do what he's best at, which is basically being a complete and utter nuisance to the defence with his dribbling, pace and work rate (before the huff).

[Lecter]

being a complete and utter nuisance to the defence with his dribbling, pace and work rate

These are his qualities absolutely no doubt about that

Brains isnt one of them imo

[Fosterbloke]

These are his qualities absolutely no doubt about that

Brains isnt one of them imo

So he's the new Milan Baros then? Jeez I had high hopes for him.

[Chris]

He's a dumb Antonio Nunez.

[Muddled]

Decision making and game intelligence are inextricably linked. You can't make good decisions without having the intelligence. Know how, nous, game intelligence, decision making its all the same thing

Essentially it's knowing where to be and what to do at any particular time in a match. IMO he's lacking in that department

Hmmn, I think we're making a black and white area, grey. A lack of game intelligence is one (of many) reason why you'll see talented footballers not make it at the top level. It's why we see Balotelli (amongst others) unable to stay onside, it's why we see managers not trusting players in their natural position.

Sterling's ability to take up that position (game intelligence) is there for all to see. However, when he has the ball under his control, he lacks the conviction to make a choice.

This is all in my very humble opinion though as I'm starting to bore myself.

[Lecter]

Again what you would call conviction I would call intelligence

Its knowing where to put the ball, Dalglish had it in spades he knew where his players where going to be often before they did

Sterling has great athletic qualities some of which hes honed to a fine art but I dont see the intelligence in his game play that you do

I could site numerous times when his body has got him into an area only for him to consistently have a brain fart

Maybe it will come, but I'm not convinced

I think he will be a good player but his lack of brains will stop him going to the highest level

[Rich]

A £50m deal is great for all concerned. We receive a huge transfer fee for a player that no longer wants to play for us and City sign the most outstanding young English player.

Personally, I believe that given the right development and if he avoids serious injury he'll become a world-class star but I can also see the argument that he'll fail to reach the stratosphere.

Regardless, in the here and now, for both clubs a deal works - you could look at it and say they're signing a £25m player that comes with £25m of potential.

[Daniel 7]

I'm just not getting this lack of brains thing with Sterling, I don't buy it. I'm wondering if you're mistaking the off field with the on field behaviour. He's played right back to a decent standard, right wing back, number 10, both wings and hasn't looked out of place anywhere we've put him - his least effective spell was as the out and out striker, but even then he was making intelligent runs to pick up the ball and offering movement that our telegraph pole strikers couldn't - he made Coutinho lift his level as a result as there was someone open to him to pass to.

It sounds a bit bitter labelling him as brainless tbh. He's not. He's a very good footballer we won't replace like for like, given the current level of ambition displayed in recent signings. Sure he's not as important as Suarez, but who could be? He's become completely integral at Barcelona and reinvigorated Messi.

[Alex]

That last line is the key for me. He has some good potential, hes already a good player. But has much to do to be considered world class. £50m is good all round. We get a good chunk of cash for helping him on his way, and Sterling gets out of the place he loathes so much.

How we spend the money is a different matter though.

[RichC]

I'm just not getting this lack of brains thing with Sterling, I don't buy it. I'm wondering if you're mistaking the off field with the on field behaviour. He's played right back to a decent standard, right wing back, number 10, both wings and hasn't looked out of place anywhere we've put him - his least effective spell was as the out and out striker, but even then he was making intelligent runs to pick up the ball and offering movement that our telegraph pole strikers couldn't - he made Coutinho lift his level as a result as there was someone open to him to pass to.

It sounds a bit bitter labelling him as brainless tbh. He's not. He's a very good footballer we won't replace like for like, given the current level of ambition displayed in recent signings. Sure he's not as important as Suarez, but who could be? He's become completely integral at Barcelona and reinvigorated Messi.

Indeed.

[Lecter]

I'm just not getting this lack of brains thing with Sterling, I don't buy it. I'm wondering if you're mistaking the off field with the on field behaviour. He's played right back to a decent standard, right wing back, number 10, both wings and hasn't looked out of place anywhere we've put him - his least effective spell was as the out and out striker, but even then he was making intelligent runs to pick up the ball and offering movement that our telegraph pole strikers couldn't - he made Coutinho lift his level as a result as there was someone open to him to pass to.

It sounds a bit bitter labelling him as brainless tbh. He's not. He's a very good footballer we won't replace like for like, given the current level of ambition displayed in recent signings. Sure he's not as important as Suarez, but who could be? He's become completely integral at Barcelona and reinvigorated Messi.

Off the pitch hes a complete ****wit but that has nothing to do with how I view him on the pitch

Neither is bitterness anything to do with it

Even before the rumours of him wanting out escalated I have had doubts about his on field intelligence

Theres been numerous times I have watched him and I've said if only you had a brain....

We have all probably screamed as he missed sitters in areas, or failed to see a better placed player etc.. but I will just highlight another one and that is the United game at home

First few minutes he gets ball out wide and skins Danny Blind and gets byline and opens things up. Ball is cut out or cleared cant remember, I specifically remember the bloke next to me at the game saying Sterling will have Blind chasing his tail but despite getting the ball numerous times from there on in with ample opportunity to take on an isolated Blind he never does he constantly cuts inside where its congested

I've seen him do this tons whilst hes out wide and to me someone with a brain would know that once you beat a man once with such ease you should be doing it again and again until they change their system to stop you. United didnt have to make any changes because Sterling never attempted it again

[The Birdman]

He'll improve City by 15 or 20%.

If we don't reinvest the money very wisely Sterling leaving will weaken us by 50%.

This game intelligence/decision making argument is weak, imo. He's 20.
By the time he's 23 he'll be much better than he is now, by the time he's 26-27 if he's stayed free of injuries Sterling has the potential to be one of the best players in the world.

How much 'game intelligence' did Michael Owen have at 20? Owen was quick and he could finish, neither equate to 'game intelligence'
How much does Gareth Bale have now for example? some, not loads. Definitely more than he had at 20 and it hasn't held his career back too much.
How many times did McManaman dribble down blind alleys or into loads of players when he was younger, you could make a very good case that he only really developed game intelligence at Real Madrid.

The term 'game intelligence' is specific to the position and role in the team, if you're 20 and you don't have a settled position you're not going to replicate the actions in either a game or a random practise that enables the muscle memory to build and improve decision making.
Give Sterling 12-18 months in a settled position and he'll improve massive in his decision making, final ball, end product = 'game intelligence'

[Chris]

We have all probably screamed as he missed sitters in areas, or failed to see a better placed player etc.

He's been a teenager the majority of the time he's been in our team. Hardly a surprise to see him make mistakes, Suarez done exactly what you listed plenty of times. You are having a mare here.