Good on Raheem. Smart business by his agent too. Stalling this process as close as possible to the next window probably earned him a little Christmas bonus courtesy of LFC.
Now we need to work on adding goals and quicker decisions in attacking positions to his already strong game. I'd love him to get so good we are paying him six figures a week deservedly
BR on the signing "It says everything. He was a very coveted young player before he came in here and lots of great work has gone on even before he came up to work with me in the first team. This season he has been able to come up and he has taken his opportunity. What we are trying to create here is a core of top young talent alongside our top senior players. For us it's a great time for any young player to come into Liverpool because they know they are going to get an opportunity and they can develop very, very quickly. Young players will look at Raheem and see what he has achieved in his first six months and that will be a great draw for any young talent wanting to play at a big club." I have bolded what I think is a coded message to Ince, Sturridge, Walcott and others.
God, I hope so. (disclaimer: maybe not those specific players but rather the basic premise of enticing younger stars)
Interview with Sterling... http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/raheem-sterling-interview-the-liverpool-starlet-1528167
Sterling interview in the Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ariest-man-Ive-played-hes-dirty-hes-tank.html
I wonder if there is anything at all to this or is it a case of someone trying to make a quid off someone's fame. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-21291106
I believe this happened when he was 17. I don't think this has to do with fame. I think this has to do witha young man from a tough background escaping the environment he was raised in. Hopefully, all this is past him.
With Raheem not featuring prominently as of late, I think it is good for him, both in terms of keeping him from overuse and keeping his feet on the ground. I'd really love to see us replace Downing with a top quality winger, giving Raheem a chance to be blooded a bit more slowly than he was this year, while also having the opportunity to learn from somebody that isn't Stewart... He needs some guidance, as his past issues show, and for him to have the pressure of being a regular XI selection for another year will do him wonders.
Agreed, on all counts. I was really worried that this season could negatively impact his career, long-term, as he was pretty much forced onto the field for a majority of the early campaign. He's plateaued as the season has gone on and we've now got a lot more depth, so his playing time has decreased substantially, but at least he knows he's part of the gaffer's plans. Now he'll have to earn his time on the pitch, which should be good for his mentality.
http://www.thisisanfield.com/2013/02/rodgers-puts-sterlings-loss-of-zip-down-to-fatigue/ did BR admit to burning sterling out?
Did he really have a choice at the time? The fact that he knows he is tired and is giving him a rest shows that he will bring him along cautiously.
Yep and this is a topic we all discussed some time a go and I believe I was told I was being silly - not by you, just by some others *ahem*.
Well apart from not screwing up the transfers no not really but playing him too often hasn't worked out well in the long run has it.
Well, 2/3 of one season is far from "the long run". I do think it's good that he's not being counted on to start every game 1.) because it means we've signed other options who are currently more suited for first-team football and 2.) because playing so much at such a young age certainly has shown to take a toll on players. He had no choice, due to the botched summer transfer window, and said as much at the beginning if the year - that many youngsters who would not otherwise be playing will be relied upon heavily until Jan reinforcements come in. Now that we have Coutinho and Sturridge (and the fact that we are out of every Cup competition), Sterling's playing time will be rather sparse, as it should be (and probably always should have been).
the thing that baffles me is that we bought assaidi a proven (dutch league) winger - who at least put in reasonable performances every time (the rare times) he was given a chance - why not use a heavy rotation of he and Sterling when you know that the transfer dealings were f'd?
I'm probably in the minority, but I thought Assiaidi was average at best in the EL against the worst teams we played.
Case dropped against Sterling. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...pool-footballer-assaulting-ex-girlfriend.html
So while were waiting for football to come back and we discuss how many of our players should have called in sick with Giggs disease. Let's discuss what the hell has happened to this young exciting player we had last season. The one who would take a run at the oppos defence and put in nice short passes or a good cross. He seems lost for ideas these days. It's a long time since I've seen him take on a winger, beat him and do something useful with the ball. Like score or lay off for a tap in. Or has he just, as Scholesy suggested, burnt out?