*** toffees vs City official match thread***

[Foreverinbluedreams]

You can always rely on Mancityfans for a witch hunt.

I guess winning 25 from our last 26 there's not much else to moan about.

A little unfair I have backed him mate, but you have to say what you see, Is he improving or doing the same thing we did vLyon for example. Look at a pass 15 mins in across the pitch to Bernado, he jinked once twice and then studded it a snails pace past 3 teammates.. sadly he is for me as good as it gets. Top end of the game if there is better you get replaced.

He's out of form

[london blue 2]

Johnny,
I agree as to the role of Sterling and I also agree that, that role has more chance of breaking down because of the areas he usually has to operate...but...
...Whilst some time ago he was doing this with an acceptable of success, recently he has not.

Because we are blessed with the likes of Gundogan, KDB etc, in most games up now, there has always been someone who has given us the magic and we have continued winning. But this has somewhat papered over the cracks and at least partially hidden athe issue.
Now as we reach a very crucial part of the season in the cup comps particularly, we will be meeting a far better standard of team. especially in the CL and we can not afford any weakness if we are to succeed.

We clearly saw the difference the other night when replaced by Foden. Foden was more directly forward and more successful. Foden created a far better threat to their defence than Sterling.

I don't normally disagree with your posts, John68. But on this occasion I think this is incorrect.

I think the key componant of this fantastic team is that we don't over rely on one or two individuals to get us out of trouble. Yes Gundo has bagged a few this season, but the reason is that the team are working together so well as a unit to create the platform for players to do so.

Raz just needs to get back to basics and start getting them 7/8 out of 10 performances and the rest will come together. He's part of a fantastic squad of players who are all contributing to the team objectives. You're right about Foden making a difference though (what a player we have), but that doesn't necessarily mean he starts every match, much like Kev yesterday - if Pep can manage the squad well enough, he can't give the likes of Raz and other out of form players enough game time to improve, while still picking up maximum points.

[PeterParker]

Johnny,
I agree as to the role of Sterling and I also agree that, that role has more chance of breaking down because of the areas he usually has to operate...but...
...Whilst some time ago he was doing this with an acceptable of success, recently he has not.

Because we are blessed with the likes of Gundogan, KDB etc, in most games up now, there has always been someone who has given us the magic and we have continued winning. But this has somewhat papered over the cracks and at least partially hidden athe issue.

he can't give the likes of Raz and other out of form players enough game time to improve, while still picking up maximum points.

I really don't understand this.
Sterling is the most used Pep player ever, he played him more than Messi.

Again, he is not out of form, you can't be out of form that long. He needs another challenge, elsewhere, to see if he can go back to basics. He can't do it here, it is really simple and we need to accept this if, as I pointed many times, we want to progress.
We are far too sentimental with him.

No one is saying he doesn't have excellent stats, but when you start looking into those, can you genuinely remember when they were actually critical, winners since Soton 2017? The league cup penalty winner vs Chelsea in 2019 and opening the score vs Real Madrid back in the summer. Others? There aren't.

[johnny crossan]

Johnny,
I agree as to the role of Sterling and I also agree that, that role has more chance of breaking down because of the areas he usually has to operate...but...
...Whilst some time ago he was doing this with an acceptable of success, recently he has not.

Because we are blessed with the likes of Gundogan, KDB etc, in most games up now, there has always been someone who has given us the magic and we have continued winning. But this has somewhat papered over the cracks and at least partially hidden athe issue.
Now as we reach a very crucial part of the season in the cup comps particularly, we will be meeting a far better standard of team. especially in the CL and we can not afford any weakness if we are to succeed.

We clearly saw the difference the other night when replaced by Foden. Foden was more directly forward and more successful. Foden created a far better threat to their defence than Sterling.

I just don't agree with you about Foden either John. Great talent but a different skillset & different strengths - travelling with the ball in tight areas, finding space and passing are all ahead of Raz, but he has not got his acceleration, physical strength on the ball or his endurance - some of that might come but right now Sterling is the better fit as a wide striker.

[Bluemoon4610]

Steffan made a right cock up in the 1st half coming out for the ball. Luckily Laporte bailed him out. I thought Laporte was our best defender today. Reading the thread Sterling rightly gets a lot of stick but nothing said about Bernardo who loads were saying was better without Kev- well not today. A lot of running produced nothing of note.It all changed when Kev came on. The main man again

Is that the one where he slid out and the ball rebounded back towards the goal? If so, he never cocked up imo. The replay showed the ball being cleared by Zac, but striking Richarleson's arm for the rebound. If Laporte hadn't cleared it and Richarleson scored, VAR would have disallowed it for handball (assuming they didn't cheat...). Mind you, he didn't have much else to keep him awake.

[branny]

In the 60th minute of the Capital one cup final 2016, David Silva squared the ball to Raheem
Sterling, centre goal, 8 yards out. The keeper didn't have to make a save because he missed the target. Five years on, would we be confident that he'd put it away? I wouldn't because of the numerous piss easy chances that he's missed since in games when we've needed them to go in. That's a big problem when you get to the business end of the season.

[salford city]

Sterling should not start in the chumps league at present. We all know the standard will be higher and we also all know that our conversion rate needs to be better - this will not happen with sterling or jesus for that matter. Yes we have only lost one from a million or so, but the prem is mostly shite and we dominate every team which does hide our inefficiency in front of goal
I imagine, providing everyone comes back from the int'l break that Pep will reset us back up with the fluid false 9

[Hazy2]

Out of form or not you have your basics to always rely on Raheem does not have the basics Derby a yard out, scousers league cup final Roy many to mention. Very good player but limited and can only play in straight lines, unlike the players around him who receive it any circs and thrive.

[johnny crossan]

Out of form or not you have your basics to always rely on Raheem does not have the basics Derby a yard out, scousers league cup final Roy many to mention. Very good player but limited and can only play in straight lines, unlike the players around him who receive it any circs and thrive.

Very unfair, he has all the basics although I agree his finishing composure is more variable than it should be. For someone with such skills, power and pace his consistency needs to improve and that is presumably well known to him and Pep. History tells us it will.

[Hazy2]

Out of form or not you have your basics to always rely on Raheem does not have the basics Derby a yard out, scousers league cup final Roy many to mention. Very good player but limited and can only play in straight lines, unlike the players around him who receive it any circs and thrive.

Very unfair, he has all the basics although I agree his finishing composure is more variable than it should be. For someone with such skills, power and pace his consistency needs to improve and that is presumably well known to him and Pep. History tells us it will.

Ok he had work to do, it does not explain how he freezes 1v1 misses simple bread and butter chances,I have backed him and will support him, but form does not account for lack of ability to do the simple thing well when needed, it’s his job mate, and possibly the fine line between the best players and the slide on your arse merchants after a harder to miss chance to somehow suggest that was tough which Raheem does every time he misses a simple chance. See the Derby !

[carl_feedthegoat]

Manchester City are now reportedly leading the race for Aston Villa star Jack Grealish ahead of the summer and should he join Pep Guardiola’s side, it could well be bad news for Raheem Sterling.

GOOD !!!!


This is what pisses me off....if he focused on what he gets paid for then maybe we wouldn't be slagging him off all the time.

Raheem Sterling has revealed that he is aiming to launch his own fashion line later on in 2021, and has provided Sunday Times Style readers with an exclusive insight into what the clothing brand will aim to pursue through their designs and ranges.But it now seems as though Sterling is now looking to make statements in the fashion industry, further strengthening his overall personal brand and marketability as a professional athlete.

[City64]

There is simply no justification in making excuses for Sterling’s slump in form . Yet another prime example last night as soon as he got hooked we became a better team and we won the game . He isn’t going to get any better as a player, best all round solution is for him to move on . He owes us nothing and we wish him well .

[patrickblue]

Do people really think Grealish is a better player than Sterling?

[Mase]

Do people really think Grealish is a better player than Sterling?

Every time I’ve seen Grealish he hasn’t wowed me. He’s only a year younger than Sterling - That puts things in to perspective in my opinion.

[zuricity]

btw draw for FA Cup Semis is at Half Time in the rags game today . We are Ball number 1 , Soton 2 , Chavs 4.

[CTID Hants]

Do people really think Grealish is a better player than Sterling?

Big fish little pond springs to mind with Grealish

[PeterParker]

btw draw for FA Cup Semis is at Half Time in the rags game today . We are Ball number 1 , Soton 2 , Chavs 4.

I want the rags so, so, so much.
Baldie needs to make amends.

[CTID Hants]

btw draw for FA Cup Semis is at Half Time in the rags game today . We are Ball number 1 , Soton 2 , Chavs 4.

I want the rags so, so, so much.
Baldie needs to make amends.

They've got to get passed Brenda's boys yet....

[branny]

Do people really think Grealish is a better player than Sterling?

Do you think Sterling would be as influential as Grealish is if he was playing for Villa?

[carl_feedthegoat]

Do people really think Grealish is a better player than Sterling?

Yes..and hes doing it in a shit AV team....put sterling in the Villa team and he would be PAP SHIT bad.

His stats for Villa are brilliant...excellent player and Id have him in a heart beat.