"He's rarely out of the news, which perhaps says more about the news than it does Raheem Sterling." Spot on. 2-0. Kane. Standard.
I have come to the conclusion that no matter how bad Sterling is he's still going to be in the team so I should calm down about it. But for goodness sake! Sure one day he'll do something good (two international goals so far...) and then all the pundits will be saying - "that's why he's in the team" - but one good thing in 10 matches is not enough!!!!
Time for me to eat humble pie again. Trippier's been terrific, our best player even. Really like how fluid the front line is but too often it's been left to Kane and Alli to provide the early options and as we've seen on the few ocassions they've got the ball in dangerous areas, they're much less wasteful than Sterling and Lingard(to a lesser extent). Overall very good watch against an admittedly poor Nigeria side.
There's a bit of the Gervinho about him. I was always worried he'd one day learn how to shoot as he was regularly excellent on the ball up until that point. If either of them could finish they'd be up with Salah.
And Sterling rewards Southgate quite justly for starting a player who doesn't take him or his team seriously with a farcical dive.
"Alli...delightful pass to Sterling" who loses the ball immediately. Sums up the match, for me... ...though I did miss the first half... Woeful from RLC. Went in clear on goal, and was kind enough to do a couple of stepovers to let the defenders catch up. From what little I've seen, though, I give credit to Southgate for realizing Spurs in his team can pass the ball effectively, and no one else he has really can.
Really poor second half from England. 3 at the back is a necessary concession given how poor our centre back options are but for the goal, the 3 of them are in a vertical line in our penalty area. Neither Cahill(**** knows how he got motm), nor Stones were awake and Iwobi gets a clear run at the rebound. I was genuinely furious watching that. If Walker tracks a man across the goal then one of them has to move back out to the right, it's not a difficult concept to grasp and if either of them had a brain they'd have got the rebound. I'm guessing Welbeck got a run out because Vardy's going to start next game but it's a poor sub and we looked worse for it. Lots to improve.
I'm really beginning to doubt the wisdom of playing Eric Dier in front of a 3 man defence. It negates his biggest talent - the ability to drift between 2 centre halves when necessary and push forward at other times. It would give us more flexibility and make us harder to work out. In the second half, Nigeria had our number completely. Given the options, Delph must have a chance in midfield if we're playing a 3 and the other option is Henderson.. Stones is an accident waiting to happen. Cahill is only slightly better. Maguire must be a nailed on starter on the left with Kyle on the right. Who plays next to them is a complete lottery. Rose continues to look a shadow of his former self and Young's lack of a left foot slows us down almost as much as the DoF's love of deep fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Bertrand should have been chosen above one of these 2. Playing Sterling centrally to get beyond Kane is fine, except when he gets beyond the opponent's defence, he's always going to have to shoot and is just about the worst finisher that I've ever seen. If we don't win the group, we play Germany in our only knock out round? Oh well,........"Back Home, we'll be watching and waiting......."
I had the footie on the tele with the sound off, listened to music and drunk copious amounts of red wine. I forgot the footie was on after they took Kane off.
Apparently now not only do we have to put up with that waste of space (the nicest thing I could think to say about him) Sterling, but we shouldn't be criticising him either. Seriously, there seems to be some kind of campaign especially on radio to that effect. So don't criticise for being a total failure as an international footballer, or for a very ill advised tattoo (again, the nicest way I can put it), or for turning up late to the squad, or for diving. We've actually got to the stage where other players would be severely criticised for the same thing, but apparently not him. We can't afford to be carrying a player with no end product. And yes, one day he will score, but it will not make up for the countless wasted chances or lack of quick thinking (pace is physical speed + mental speed, and just by being physically fast isn't enough). Somehow I don't think he'll be featuring so much for Citeh next year, except as a token Englishman.
Why is he a waste of space? Did you read why he got that tattoo? Who is better than him that could take his place? I’ll place a gentleman’s bet with you that he starts at 25 league games next season if he isn’t injured.
> He wastes too many chances and doesn't seem to be on the same wavelength as the others in attack. > I am sceptical about the "reason" for his tattoo. Of course nobody knows for sure but his father didn't come to this country when the family left Jamaica and was killed several years later. I doubt he remembers him. There are other ways to commemorate your father. > I'd rather have almost anyone else in his place. It's about a player who has time and time again failed to reproduce anything like his club form at international level, and when I watched the first game of the Euros in a pub people were actually laughing at his performance. One day he may come good but do we have the luxury to keep playing him until that happens? > Er... actually I won't take that bet! And most importantly - I hope I'm wrong and he scores buckets at the world cup!!!
He's so one footed he might as well hop and my biological father was shot and killed before I was born but I don't have a tattoo of assault rifle on my leg. I do have a Spurs tattoo though.
Look at the players at Man City compared to England, that must play a big part. Anyone would struggle look as good and many have over the years (Gerrard, Lanpard, Scholes just to name three).
He is skilful and fast but his awareness of the what is happening round him is virtually non existent which means his decision making is dreadful. Guardiola may be able to coach that into him but hasn’t yet. It might not matter so much with City where the other players can get used to him but he is a liability with England.
I think that it's the same problem, but probably not the one that you mean. City use Sterling as a wide player and England are playing him quite narrow, just as they misused the other players listed. Scholes, Lampard and Gerrard in the same side and none of them played as an attacking midfielder.
