BRENDAN Rodgers’ main complaint last season was a lack of depth in the squad and his stated ambition for the summer transfer window was to add more quality players creating competition within the team. But with the influx of attacking talent in the last two windows, where does that leave Raheem Sterling?
Having bolstered the attacking line up with Coutinho and Sturridge in January, Rodgers has again targeted the front line as the area to strengthen this summer with the arrivals of Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto.
Those two however, have not satiated the Northern Irishman’s desire to have more options to deploy against opposition defences. A public declaration that Rodgers would like another attacking midfielder suggests that the failed bid for Mkhitaryan will not halt LFC’s transfer business this summer.
The tail end of the season saw the team largely settled on having one striker with a supporting striker or attacking midfielder in behind and two wide players making up the attacking numbers. So there appears to be four attacking positions available in the first team.
The current players vying for those chosen spots are positions Sturridge, Suarez, Downing, Aspas, Alberto, Coutinho, Borini and Sterling. Sterling already looks in a precarious position with almost all of those players likely to get the nod ahead of him but the addition of another rival would hamper Sterling’s chances further.
The worst part for the Jamaican born winger is that there are no European matches available to provide easy access to first team football for him. He has faced the double blow of having increased competition and fewer games to go around.
The problem becomes exacerbated by the fact that he may even lose his place on the bench. If the starting line up featured say Sturridge, Suarez, Aspas and Downing; then the bench could easily be composed of Reina, Skrtel, Kelly, Henderson, Alberto, Coutinho and Borini leaving Sterling out to dry.
That is not to say that Sterling will get no games at all next season just that the competition for places may make it much more difficult for him to get into the team and put playing minutes under his belt.
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Such a scenario is a bleak contrast to the position he found himself in last season where at one point he was the first choice winger and Liverpool were concerned about the risk of losing their most prized prospect to rival clubs. The worry last season was that he may suffer burn out but the genuine fear this season should be that he will not play enough to continue his development and become the force we hope him to be.
Of course, the alternative argument is that if he can fend off his rivals and earn a place in the team, it could encourage him to reach even greater levels next season than those we have already seen. However, at the end of last season Rodgers demonstrated that when given the choice he is more likely to jettison the younger players for the more experienced ones.
It may well be that a loan move could prove fruitful for ‘the next John Barnes’ and perhaps a move to another Premier League team would be appropriate. He would have a little less pressure and would be more likely to get regular game time at another club.
However, the danger with this is that if the new players don’t settle in to the team or if Coutinho cannot replicate the dazzling displays he provided in his short time at Anfield, Rodgers could rue the decision to deprive himself of the youngster’s services.
That though should not dictate Sterling’s future. The imperative is that he plays and develops and if Rodgers does not plan to give him a healthy dose of on pitch minutes, then he should look to let Sterling develop elsewhere in the short term.
Much could be dependent upon where Luis Suarez and Stewart Downing are plying their trades next season and indeed if the club replaces those two. One thing that should not be risked though is the football education of one of Liverpool’s brightest talents.
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It would be criminal not to at least have him on the subs bench. I would put him in the first team. He played the first half of last season and did well. Can’t stand watching top young english talents not getting a look in. Unfortunately that’s what the epl now is……..a no go area for english players. Sick of it. So come on brendan, play him and ibe regularly. They are both ready to play more
nice article…..hope to see him in some games….. just like i would like to see more of assaidi nd less of downing
Sterling is a good player, he should b played to avoid losing him to our rival, up liverpool
Believe me BR plan is joke . Remember a player called Thomas INCE that is going to RS.
He needs to get rid of Joe Allen Borini and himself .
I fully agree
What about defence? We seriously need a left back and a defensive midfielder. But no, let’s go and buy more creative players he say..
I once read a news which read that we are linked to aly sissoko of valencia nd that he is willing to come….but…..i have the feeling we are not going to make an offer nd that he wont buy another defensive or holding midfielder to displace or cover for lucas, so that he wld ve an excuse to keep playing allen.
I trust BR he his good at mixing players… Let him keep up with the level of play and raise more standard by scoring goals but who i wanna see play top 9 is Aspas
dont kill that talent,i want to see sterling play regularly cos he has more to offer this season.
I don’t think it will be a nice idea to leave sterling out of de square cos he has more to offer to de club so pls BR maintain him
Go out on loan for more playin time.
let sterling in and sell downing to westham who him br no. Four is stil missing and a defender
Stevie if u want english players to play den go nd be d coach bcos downin,henderson nd carrol ar all flops so i prefer asians player dat can bring in trophies to an all english team without any silver ware so stevie keep mute.
Stevie if u want english players to play den go nd be d coach bcos downin,henderson nd carrol ar all flops so i prefer asian players dat can bring in trophies to an all english team without any silver ware so stevie keep mute.
Lol. Asian players are rubbish
Plz br gv both syerlin and ibe more playing tym u wuld c dt i no short tym dos lads will turn to b d ronaldo.s of dis wald
Haha go back to school..
Don’t send him out on loan- he can have a real impact this season. Even off the bench with his pace could be a real dangerous weapon, and he could get a good run in the cup competitions. Besides he could keep most of those players out of the team- mustn’t forget how good he is
sell downing instead of sending sterling on loan to another club,coz we cannt develop downing furt her but sterling has got brilliant skills w/c need to be developed wid the group coming up
Br knows wats gud 4 the team he was never scared to bench downing for sterling during the early season and he cnt take him out.
Don’t worry about Raheem he’ll get the minutes. Rodgers is very intelligent and knows he can’t loan both Suso and Sterling out; he would face a potential fan backlash. Granted he will probably not be first choice on the flanks but he is only 18! How many other 18yr olds are there in world football who can be as prominent for a huge club such as LFC. Also, remember Pacheco is back and I still have hopes he will feature. Assaidi & Spearing out; an attacker and a defender in. I would like Bernard and Papadopulos ideally but I have a feeling it might be Bertrand and Sinclair; both out of favour and have both been brought in by Rodgers in the past, to Reading and Swansea respectively. Although it could be Sigurdasson, and I would not mind that. At this moment in time I believe the current, ideal, XI are: Reina,Johnson,Skrtel,Agger,Enrique,Gerrard, Lucas, Coutinho, Suarez, Sturridge, Downing. The XI against Stoke: Reina,Johnson, Toure, Agger, Enrique, Gerrard, Lucas, Coutinho, Aspas, Sturridge, Henderson. And finally the XI for the future: Mignolet, Kelly, Wisdom, Agger, Johnson, Lucas, Allen, Sterling, Suso, Alberto, Sturridge. Also a shout out for Hendo being the future captain of LFC, and can anybody tell me where Enrique was on Saturday, not being sold I hope!
Rodgers intelligent ? …erm…no !
U ar right franknero