Raheem Sterling's Future

Eden17Hazard17 10 years ago Edited

Chelsea FC 157 4232

Raheem Sterling is one of the hottest properties in world football. An international regular at the age of 20 and playing for one of the most successful clubs in the game's history, it is no surprise to see him linked toBayern Munich and Real Madrid, and admired by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

It is also no surprise that Liverpool's most prized asset virtually confirmed during a BBC interview on Wednesday that he was considering his future at the club, having turned down a €137,000-per-week contract.

Despite Sterling addressing accusations during that interview that he was a "money-grabber", Liverpool can have no complaints and must begin to show the youngster the respect that his talent deserves.

Little over 18 months ago, Brendan Rodgers was happy for Sterling to leave the club on loan in a bid to give him experience of first-team football before returning to Anfield a more rounded individual both on and off the field. It is to the former Swansea City boss’s credit that, in such a short space of time, he has been able to mould the winger into one of the Premier League’s most feared attacking players.

But it is the way in which Rodgers has worked with Sterling over the past year that makes his recent use of the ex-QPR trainee so baffling.

Since beating Manchester City and Burnley in arguably their best performances of the season, the Reds have struggled to maintain their momentum in their bid for a Champions League place and FA Cup triumph. An insipid showing against Blackburn Rovers in the cup has led to a less-than straightforward replay on Wednesday while the 18-time English champions were extremely fortunate to leave Swansea with all three points.

They backed that up with another drab performance in defeat to Manchester United, leaving them five points adrift of the Red Devils heading into Saturday’s encounter away at Arsenal. The common theme running through that trio of underwhelming displays – Sterling being deployed as a wing-back.

Rodgers has transformed Liverpool’s season using a previously untested 3-4-3 system, though those utilised on either flank as part of the midfield are expected to perform their fair share of defensive duties given the narrow nature of a back three and the width that can be provided by those in attack. Team sheets ahead of kick-off may show their position as wide midfielders but Rodgers expects them to perform the duties usually associated with wing-backs.

Against Blackburn, Sterling started on the left-hand side while, against Swansea, he was shifted to the right after initially being named as one of the front three. Six days later he switched between the two flanks as Juan Mata scored twice to secure a United double over their old rivals.

Sterling is without doubt versatile. He has been used as a winger, central striker and full-back by Rodgers over the past 12 months with varying success. But if the five-time European champions harbour any hope of adding a sixth title to their trophy cabinet next season, Sterling must be played in a role that is more natural to him as part of the attacking trio.

Against Louis van Gaal’s side, Sterling neither managed a shot himself nor created an opportunity for a team-mate. In the Premier League, he averages 1.71 attempts an appearance and creates 2.21 chances for others. Though Antonio Valencia and Daley Blind can be given some credit for their defensive work up against him, the Sterling on show against United was not the one the world’s biggest clubs have been admiring from afar.

In the same match, he attempted three dribbles without completing one of them. During the current campaign he has, on average, tried at least six dribbles per outing, completing just under half of them, showing just how far his normal performance level dropped during that encounter.

Less than seven days later, albeit against far inferior opposition, Roy Hodgson opted to deploy his young starlet in arguably his most natural position as a winger against Lithuania. Confident and performing in his most natural role, Sterling was able to attempt 15 dribbles – completing 11 – and finished the match at Wembley with a passing accuracy of 87.76 per cent (compared to his Premier League average of 80.54%). Those figures may be skewed given the defenders he was up against but still highlight how much more effective he can be when further up the pitch.

His lack of potency when at wing-back is illustrated by where he was able to pick up possession against United, where he had just three touches inside the opposition box and managed more time on the ball inside his own half rather than in United territory.

Against Swansea he was at least able to take more touches around the hosts’ area but he was largely limited to working down one flank. If Rodgers wants to get the best out of Sterling, he needs him to be a nuisance for defenders across the width of the pitch, not limited to just one touchline.

Against both Lithuania as a winger and Manchester City as a striker he spent far more time in the middle of the pitch where he can pick up the ball and run at more cumbersome central defenders rather than the fleet-of-foot full-backs that populate the modern game. His goal record is not yet as impressive as it probably should be, but Sterling’s influence on the game can still be great if given the freedom to roam centrally when required.

Wingback vs United

Striker vs City

TOUCH MAPS | Sterling as a wing-back v United compared to playing as a striker v Man City
Injuries to Adam Lallana and Daniel Sturridge could yet force Rodgers’s hand against Arsenal, with Sterling the obvious option to replace either of the England internationals in the front three. That tactical switch may well have come too late to save Liverpool’s campaign, however, and could yet have a bearing on where Sterling plays his football next season and beyond.

The Kingston-born youngster’s contract talks have dominated much of the news agenda on Merseyside during the current campaign, with the latest twist coming when Rodgers revealed those discussions had been put on hold until the end of the season.

Unsurprisingly, reports surfaced that Sterling was holding out for wages in excess of €240,000 per week though, if Liverpool’s current malaise continues on Saturday, other factors could well come into play.

A player with Sterling's talent and ambition needs the Champions League as his playground and should Liverpool fail to qualify for Europe's elite competition there will be further fuel to the fire over a potential Anfield exit.

Speaking to BBC Sport, he outlined his dream to win trophies and play with world-class players on a regular basis, with Liverpool at present unable to offer assurances of either of those.

"It's never been about money. I talk about winning trophies throughout my career. That's all I talk about," he said. "You really want to be working with world-class players day in, day out."

Only a victory over the Gunners on Saturday would realistically keep intact Liverpool’s hopes of a top-four place. United host Aston Villa in a match few would bet against them from winning and, though Van Gaal’s side still have to face the three teams directly above them in the table before the season’s end, a lead of seven or eight points over Liverpool with seven matches to play would surely be a bridge too far for Rodgers.

Wage disagreements or not, a player of Sterling’s potential must be playing at the very top level if he is to go on and become an England great. Rodgers has made the error of trying to accommodate the 20-year-old around others rather than giving him the star billing his talent deserves. Right now, it could cost him a player with whom his coaching methods have borne more fruit than most.

Thoughts?

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2015-04-04 06:29:08

It is also no surprise that Liverpool's most prized asset virtually confirmed during a BBC interview on Wednesday that he was considering his future at the club, having turned down a €137,000-per-week contract.

But it is the way in which Rodgers has worked with Sterling over the past year that makes his recent use of the ex-QPR trainee so baffling.

Against Louis van Gaal’s side, Sterling neither managed a shot himself nor created an opportunity for a team-mate. In the Premier League, he averages 1.71 attempts an appearance and creates 2.21 chances for others. Though Antonio Valencia and Daley Blind can be given some credit for their defensive work up against him, the Sterling on show against United was not the one the world’s biggest clubs have been admiring from afar.

In the same match, he attempted three dribbles without completing one of them. During the current campaign he has, on average, tried at least six dribbles per outing, completing just under half of them, showing just how far his normal performance level dropped during that encounter.

Less than seven days later, albeit against far inferior opposition, Roy Hodgson opted to deploy his young starlet in arguably his most natural position as a winger against Lithuania. Confident and performing in his most natural role, Sterling was able to attempt 15 dribbles – completing 11 – and finished the match at Wembley with a passing accuracy of 87.76 per cent (compared to his Premier League average of 80.54%). Those figures may be skewed given the defenders he was up against but still highlight how much more effective he can be when further up the pitch.

Unsurprisingly, reports surfaced that Sterling was holding out for wages in excess of €240,000 per week though, if Liverpool’s current malaise continues on Saturday, other factors could well come into play.

Speaking to BBC Sport, he outlined his dream to win trophies and play with world-class players on a regular basis, with Liverpool at present unable to offer assurances of either of those.

"It's never been about money. I talk about winning trophies throughout my career. That's all I talk about," he said. "You really want to be working with world-class players day in, day out."