Raheem Sterling

[Bender]

£££



£££ and Agent's £££



Probably. But that doesn't make him a bad footballer, or someone who isn't making some ill informed decisions without the benefit of experience.

doesn't make him a good one either.

[Daniel 7]

doesn't make him a good one either.

But he demonstrably is a good footballer, having won an award for best young player in Europe, being an integral part of a Premier League team at 18,19 and 20, being an England international and having bids of £40m plus being put in for him!

[Lecter]

Probably. But that doesn't make him a bad footballer, or someone who is making some ill informed decisions without the benefit of experience.

Is anyone actually saying hes a bad footballer???

I dont think anyone is

The argument appears to be just how good he is??

Some seem to think its a slight because a few of us dont rate him quite as highly as others do

He has a lot of qualities and attributes to potentially be a very very good footballer but imo hes lacking the one element that would make him that bit special - brains (- both off the pitch and on)

Now having no brains off the pitch isnt a massive hindrance on the pitch if you have game intelligence (see Gazza & Rooney as examples of that)

[BigChief]

He's been plugging gaps all over the team, he's never been settled in a position in one definitive role.

The one example you gave earlier on was when he was being asked to do a job up front as a striker - he's never been a striker, but he did what he was asked to do and the team (during the unbeaten run) benefitted from having him play there, particularly Coutinho.

I'd say he's pretty switched on when he's playing. The reliance the club placed on him last season was no fault of his - he was a kid being asked to play the game changer role and to carry pretty much all of the team's attacking threat.

He was overused and why he fatigued near the end of the season.

However, 50m for him right now is still bonkers money. That is the true value for him in 3 years times when he hits his peak. And we're getting that now while eliminating any risks from injury/form/attitude.

[Bender]

But he demonstrably is a good footballer, having won an award for best young player in Europe, being an integral part of a Premier League team at 18,19 and 20, being an England international and having bids of £40m plus being put in for him!

lets see how his carreer pans out before we put more labels on him...also he benefited incredibly from having Suarez in the team

[Daniel 7]

Is anyone actually saying hes a bad footballer???

I dont think anyone is

The argument appears to be just how good he is??

Some seem to think its a slight because a few of us dont rate him quite as highly as others do

He has a lot of qualities and attributes to potentially be a very very good footballer but imo hes lacking the one element that would make him that bit special - brains (- both off the pitch and on)

Now having no brains off the pitch isnt a massive hindrance on the pitch if you have game intelligence (see Gazza & Rooney as examples of that)

Gazza at 23 had less game intelligence than Sterling at 19. See the FA Cup Final in 1991 for the best example of that.

Wayne Rooney at 19 was in a dominant United team that was never as heavily reliant on him to carry creativity like Liverpool were for Sterling. He was also always played in his best position.

[Daniel 7]

lets see how his carreer pans out before we put more labels on him...also he benefited incredibly from having Suarez in the team

Those aren't labels, they're facts. They have happened already for him.

[Lecter]

But he demonstrably is a good footballer, having won an award for best young player in Europe, being an integral part of a Premier League team at 18,19 and 20, being an England international and having bids of £40m plus being put in for him!

I'm not sure City bidding gazillions for him is evidence of anything either

[Rowan]

Those aren't labels, they're facts. They have happened already for him.

wsmt to be careful with those fact rants, Dan. People tend to remember them forever and recall them at every opportunity.

[Daniel 7]

I'm not sure City bidding gazillions for him is evidence of anything either

It was the weakest fact presented, the rest of them are strong enough to gauge his ability

[wiw]

His intelligence doesn't worry me, it's his inability to strike a ball properly. The Norwich goal 2 seasons ago aside (which i'm still convinced was a deflection) he hasn't scored from outside the box from memory, and he doesn't half fluff a lot of chances with both feet.

Would prefer to keep him but if selling him for £50m means us getting a boss striker then i'm all for it, especially when we have other players (Lallana, Coutinho and Markovic) who play in what i think is Sterlings best position (behind the striker).

Have we sold him yet?

[Daniel 7]

wsmt to be careful with those fact rants, Dan. People tend to remember them forever and recall them at every opportunity.

I just read them out calmly from my piece of paper and its being called a rant, ffs!

[Rowan]

I just read them out calmly from my piece of paper and its being called a rant, ffs!

I want to tell you some FACTS about meeester Steeeling. These are all facts

[Lecter]

Gazza at 23 had less game intelligence than Sterling at 19. See the FA Cup Final in 1991 for the best example of that.

Wayne Rooney at 19 was in a dominant United team that was never as heavily reliant on him to carry creativity like Liverpool were for Sterling. He was also always played in his best position.

Just because Gascoigne put in a daft tackle that doesnt mean he didnt have on the pitch intelligence

Lets look one year earlier World Cup 1990 when he was one of the best players

Also I think whilst Sterling was influential in our creative play its not as if others (Coutinho) werent carrying a similar burden

[Daniel 7]

World Cup 1990 semi final where he puts in a massive wild tackle on a German player in a extra time, gets a yellow card and sets him off down his path of self destruction?!