I am just happy we have not loaned him out. Do you think he is going to be there with the best in foreseeable future? Winger or striker, I don't know what he is going to develop into. Do you think he is going to be scorer of 20 or more goals a season? He is under 20 and still rooms for improvement. Your comments: Vote:
I think he has a big future. I dont think he will be a 20 goal a season, but 15 is realistic and would be very impressive. I think he will be a wide forward.
Raheem Sterling says his Anfield career faltered because he was too in awe of huge stars such as Luis Suarez. And the precocious teenager reckons only the intervention of his uncle, who travelled from London to read the riot act, put his Liverpool life back on track. Sterling has been a revelation since winning his place back in the Reds' first team at the start of December, but that came after a massive dip as he spent six months in the Premier League wilderness. It was only after his uncle showed him a video of his stunning form when he first burst onto the scene, did Sterling understand less respect was needed for his talented team-mates! “I realised I need to stop being shy among the senior boys. The best way of proving yourself is on the pitch. I had to be more confident,” he said. “I wasn’t confident enough to have a shot myself and instead I’d pass it to someone like Luis Suarez. I needed to be more confident again - you have to respect the senior players around you but you have to stamp your own mark on the game.” Sterling’s arrival in the English game was so spectacular that he not only won a massive Liverpool contract, but a place in the full England team at just 17. But his fairytale first six months under then new boss Brendan Rodgers were interrupted by a serious thigh injury that stalled his progress, and it was only when his uncle, who is also his agent, came calling that he rediscovered his mojo. Sterling revealed: “He knows my game and he asked the club for a couple of DVDs from last season when I’d played well. He wanted to show me the difference. “Last season, I’d have beaten a man in two touches and raced away. Suddenly, I was going safe, passing to someone else. I didn’t realise I was doing it. “I just said to myself that I had to step up and start running at defenders again; taking responsibility. I’ve also had the chance to do that week in, week out. I can feel a bit of momentum now.” Sterling has arguably been as good as anyone in the Liverpool side in recent weeks, and boss Rodgers believes that is a testimony to the soaring confidence in his team. And on the eve of the crucial showdown with league leaders Arsenal, he boldly declared a new spirit within his group that he believes sends out a powerful warning to the table topping visitors. “When I first came in the pressure to win was difficult for us, but I think the big change for us is we expect to win now,” he explained. “We were never that confident to consistently do it. But now because of the level and consistency of our work we go into every game expecting to win, and never more so than at Anfield. “We see that belief and expectancy to win in our results. We’ll always respect every opponent and none more so than the leaders. But we’ll come into the game looking to perform and win.” http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footb...m-sterling-luis-suarezs-3119464#ixzz2t1JDssYw Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook -------- I think you could really see this on the pitch as well, he really looked frightened at times
It's far to early to make any pronouncements. I'm really enjoying what I'm seeing from him at the moment.
It is too early, he's still just a kid with a lot to learn and develop. The pleasing thing is seeing how he has moved on from 12 months ago. So much more direct now but what he will find is that the better he gets the more he'll be targetted. He looks like the kind of lad who'll have spells of form for a while, either really good or totally anonymous but that's understandable as his game is much more suited to the open fast paced game than when a team comes to sit back with 10 men (Maureen style).
19 year old, having a great season so far, nothing more, nothing less.. We'll only know if he's "arrived" if he continues to improve over the next 3/4 years, if by 23 he's doing it week in week out, Like Hazard for example, then he'll be on his way to be a Very Good/Great footballer, right now, he's a young lad with loads of talent/potential.. Keep his feet on the ground, dick in his pants and continue to learn/do his taking on the pitch and we'll have ourselves a worldie in a few years time...
His next big step will be to learn to vary his game so that he can offer more against those sides who do 'park the bus'. Now if he can do that then he is well on his way to becoming a world class talent.
He was used off the left cutting in ala Hazard against Arsenal, and he did very well. His finishing will never be up there, nor do we require it to be up there bar on one on ones... please pass it to SAS and thanks. I wouldn't swap him for Hazard atm, ridiculous but true. Though Hazard is the much more complete footballer, we have SAS to rely on for goals. Sterling and his exceptional speed are unique assets to our current machine.
I'm really enjoying his play at the moment, and he's only 19. It's clear that pace is a big part of his game at the moment (as it was for lennon...) so it will be interesting to see how he develops and evolves over the next few years. It's still too early to say whether he will be a great player or not
Think he has the perfect manager in Rodgers as guys like Rodgers, Klopp, Mourinho all like players who have the pace but who have more to it, technique, tactical nous, intelligence, etc.
I hope you are not being serious. Apart from his speed he is nothing on Hazard. Granted he is on form at the moment. The only thing you might not want is to unsettle Suarez and Sturridge by having another big name but apart from that statement is very rose tinted glasses. If you had compared Hazard to sturridge, Suarez or even Coutinho then i can understand as they bring something different but deffo not sterling
You clearly don't read posts... Livtor said Sterling wasn't as good as Hazard. We all know that. But Sterling is lightning quick which, for our style of play, makes him a key part of our attack. He is the outlet we need and use so often for breaking. Football isn't played on paper or computer games with big names, it's played on the pitch. Sterling's pace is what we need.
I have read this one, and i would argue its more to do with Suarez and Sturridge running the channels and holding the ball up perfectly or Coutinho's magic turns and then playing it through to Sterling on the counter attack. Hazard is hardly a slouch and saying he wouldn't fit into this liverpool counter attack as Sterling can run a little bit faster in a straight line is a massive oversight . If you seriously think that having Hazard in your side over Sterling is the detriment to your existing attack then we'll just have to agree to disagree.
I never said I wouldn't have Hazard, he's a classy player, but not at the expense of Sterling. I would compare Hazard to Coutinho in the number 10 controlling role. Hazard tends to be a bit more direct whilst Coutinho a bit more expansive with passing. Horses for courses though, but of course I'd have Coutinho as that's my red tinted glasses. Sterling and Hazard though? Completely different players. One gives us balance and pace in our attacks, the other wouldn't.
First, I know and appreciate Sterling's exceptional speed (and ball control while at speed) and its impact on our game more than you do. It's not an easy attribute to find in players. I did grant that Hazard is twice the player Sterling is in other aspects, however Sterling provides a specific balance to our manager's applied vision akin to how Willian does to yours. So similarly, I bet you Mourinho wouldn't swap Willian with anyone atm. If he did, it would be for the wrong reasons i.e. acquiring a goal-scoring player given your lackluster striker options, but in terms of doing just what is required Willian has been a beast imo.
I think Hazard is more Sterling that Coutinho. He's the paciest one in our team and the one who runs at high speed. His only comparisson with Coutinho is that recently he's been roaming a bit more but in no way does he have the same vision or passing ability. His game is far closer to Sterling in that he's pacey and run at high speed. I guess we'll just have to disagree. I actually think Hazard is faster dribbling with the ball than Sterling but Sterling has better speed. You have probably watched Sterling far more so i'll just have to take your word for it. The only thing i can see Sterling do better apart from running is his defensive positioning to block off the 1-2 runs which he's been doing brilliantly at recently (on Baines and a couple of the arsenal players)
Bobby, So would Mourinho swap Willian now for Silva or Yaya or Navas or Sturridge? No, because he wants Willian to be just like that. That's what good managers do.
If he is a significant upgrade then I would say so. Ronaldo or Messi might not fit into Mourinho's current plans and do the same job as Willian, but I bet you he would be willing to swap them. If you believe that no one is an upgrade with the current tactics or that Rodgers wouldn't adapt that tactics to a different player, then essentially you are saying that this front 4 of Liverpool is the front 4 you would have in ideal Liverpool team. This after 2 brilliant games against Everton and Arsenal (didn't work quite as well against West Brom or the Villa though)
So, Mourinho would swap Willian for Messi, drop Oscar or Etoo, and buy a right winger with defensive qualities ala Willian as he NEEDS a player there. Well, you just swapped Etoo for Messi. I'd do it too.
