Sterling - 'Money is not everything in my life'

I don't know where all of this "he's been poor this season" stuff is coming from. He's definitely been a bit lacklustre since December, but in the first half of the season, he and Coutinho were the only lights in a dismal period.
And he's joint top scorer (though that's not saying a lot).
He's inconsistent, and has definite weaknesses in his game- I think he should shut up, get his head down and stop trying to cash in on a reputation that isn't yet built.

I really wish clubs would do something about their players mouthing off to the press all the time- we know that hacks are just looking for something to sensationalise all the time, so why feed them?
Rodgers was right to speak out in response, imo, but it would be better if they kept the players away from the journos, and make them toe the party line if they do speak.
I hope BR has given him a proper bollocking in private.

However, I do think it's disappointing to see fans round on players so vehemently when they don't come up to our expectations.

 

I think its more a case of us not living up to his expectations saint.

 

This really pisses me off, how many times do you hear players whinge they want CL but forget they were part of the team that weren`t good enough to get it. Players like this are either saying their team mates aren`t good enough or they want to be carried by a team that is. All players should have ambition but should also show some resapect for their team mates (and yes, i was royally ****ed off when Rooney came out with the same kind of ****).

 

What usually happens is that all player interviews are handled via a clubs PR dept.

In this case Sterling gave that interview without the knowledge or consent of your club

For him to do that during the build up to massive game for you at Arsenal, shows that he's a self absorbed flute, and he should be hauled over the coals by Rodgers.

 

And then what? I think ppl have this image that footballers arent human. What he's done is stupid and shows his youth, but it could also just be good old fashioned human nature against what he feels is a public misrepresentation of him and his motives & character.

Let's look at what he's said i.e. that he's basically concerned about his development or being challenged enough at this stage in his career. Maybe nobody has ever addressed that at LFC, instead choosing to throw money at the situation with a £100k contract. But when that doesnt work, it's the club that then uses that to paint Sterling into a money grabbing whore. Dont forget it was Rodgers who was FIRST to release to the media that Sterling had been offered an amazing contract a month ago. Sterling hears this and thinks "hold the fck on, you've thrown money at a problem which isnt about money, and now you're using that contract to belittle my real concerns and paint it out to the fans that I'm unhappy about the money!" Then what he does (naively but possibly out of frustration) is give that interview to try and tell the fans about what's really playing on his mind. I think it's been dealt with badly by all sides and the manager's condascending and petulant reaction in the media yesterday wont have helped either.

 

The timing is what I meant, sure he can have his say, but in the build up to a make or break game for his club?

 

Yep that's his one misjudgement and probably the irrational actions of a frustrated 20 yr old, who knows.

 

Conclusion drawn from a lot of assumptions there.
If you have a problem in your place of work- do you go running to the press? Don't you just try to thrash it out with the company? The only excuse would be if you'd exhausted every avenue and we're still dissatisfied with the outcome, and that isn't an assumption we're qualified to make.

Notwithstanding it being an opening for your opportunistic dig at Rodgers, I think you're reading far too much into it.
Sensationalist stories are what the football media thrive on, and this is just another example of them doing what they do best.
As Tobes says, the timing is poor- his issues can't be so bad that they can't wait until the end of the season. If he says he wants to leave the negotiations until then and concentrate on his football, then he should drop the whole thing until the appropriate time.
This has hardly contributed to his peace of mind, or the smooth running of the club.

 

Just watched the whole interview.

He says he's set himself a target where he wants to be playing at a high level in a certain amount of years which says to me that he will leave if a bigger club comes in for him.

I don't understand the mentality of 'I wanna win things but instead of working harder with my current team I'm gonna leave and let the better players around me do it.' Suarez is exactly the same, sure you couldn't turn down the chance to play for Barca and I get that but this season if we kept him and we had Champions League football he must of known we would of done well.

Alonso, Macherano, Torres are different as the club was sinking to bad levels and at their quality they needed to go.

Sterling must see the team around him and see there's a plan in progress. He either believes in the plan and helps the team succeed or leaves at let the better players around him win trophies he can claim.

 

The PR department hasn't been our strongest suit in the last few years.

 

Maybe Sterling's already made his mind up about leaving so he's taken a leaf out of Suarez's book. Expect a biting any time soon...

 

My assumptions are a bit more considered than the "he's a money grabbing whore" that seems to conveniently accepted by most liverpool fans.

My job doesnt involve or allow my employer to play it out in the media. They happen to be the audience in this case but I've known plenty of occassions where an employer or senior leader has portrayed an employee in a bad light to others and sometimes the employee has tried to set the record straight with them. That's what's common here, how the employee may feel he is being misrepresented to others by his heirarchy.

I agree that he should just drop it but his age and is emotions are getting the better of him. As I said, human nature. But it was also unwise for Rodgers to start it. Why talk about offering a fantastic contract alluding to the money? Rodgers has handled it badly on two occasions, probably to appease the fans and carry favour with them which is obviously working.

 

There was a plan to progress. But Rodgers decided to build the team around the wrong players and sign dross. With the quality of the league this season, we should be in Top 4. We have regressed massively.

We are at serious risk of not qualifying for CL this year and that is down to Rodgers. Sterling may want to leave but I wouldn't be surprised if Coutinho looks elsewhere as well.

 

I can only speak for myself and I haven't accused him of that. I've said all along that I read his interview as saying that no amount of money will keep him if he sees his future elsewhere.
I still think you're reading too much into it. To me this is all about the press manufacturing a story yet again, or at least attempting to brew up a storm in a teacup.

 

Not you Saint, just a generalisation.
The media will lap it up and regardless of what's right or wrong it's mindnumbing listening to every manager and pundit and his wife coming on the radio stating what's best for Sterling. They have no idea of the situation but feel the need to have their say. Leave well alone.

Fwiw if you get top 4 i think sterling will stay. If not then he may still stay but it's harder to call.

 

I tend to think he'll stay if we get CL- but we've heard that one before so who knows?
It would depend on who came in for him, I suppose.

All tribal rivalry apart- there aren't all that many teams about who are a significant step up from us- and of those who are, how many would he get into the starting line-up for?
Imo, it genuinely is the better prospect for him to stay with us- at the moment he's more or less guaranteed a start, and the club isn't too far away from regular top 4 competition- provided we can keep our best players and add to them- not keep chopping and changing.

 

Your PR dept knew nothing about this interview in fairness

 

Who are we building the team around?

 

If only only we'd let the committee sign their targets, we be champions of Europe next month then!

 

Yeh I agree with all that especially the last part. He needs to see the bigger picture. LFC is the best place for him tbf. He will go on to be a top player and one of the best in the league. It's probably been done already but somebody like Dalglish (with the support of the club) needs to say to him, listen you're only 20, give us 3 years, you're integral to what we believe we can achieve, and if after that we're not meeting your needs then you'll still only be 23 and you can go where you want. But if it does all work then you'll have been a part of something great and wouldnt have made a huge mistake. Because once you leave there's no coming back if it all goes horribly wrong remember that.

Fck they should employ me to do this