Raheem Sterling

[HighfieldBlade]

can't believe we bid £40m and didn't get him

I can't believe it either.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

To me, this should be a "Twats" thread - this is all of what's wrong with football.

A young, promising, greedy player (lies by saying that leaving LFC is not about money) + an arrogant agent who will drop him at the first sign of fading, going to the richest club in the country for £49 million because they can afford it.

This is not an "in my day" rant, but it does go to show that paying Watford £37,500 for a footballing god was by far the better deal - in the unlikely event of John Harris ever being given £50 million to spend, he'd probably have put it in a Post Office account.

Hang on.
A young, promising player has an offer to join a top premiership side and move from a side shown to be clearly moving in the opposite direction.

Yes it's for more money but why the fuck should he want to stay at Liverpool when they were a shambles last season, especially when he's got the opportunity to play in the Champions League and develop much further than staying. Did you watch Liverpool last season? Do you think they looked a good side moving in the right direction to stay and develop at?
To say this move is purely about money is just plain wrong, and just bitterness coming out of the ex-Liverpool players who have prominent roles within the football media.

Liverpool FC and their fans have a hugely trumped up view of their own importance and position in the hierarchy of current football. They are not currently a big club who top players would love to sign for, they are an also ran, top half team with a run down stadium and a million miles off the likes of Man City, Arsenal nevermind Chelsea both on and off the field. Sure they may have a one off season but they aren't stable, they aren't on a upward trajectory, they can't compete for the best players in the league, so why would a young ambitious player want to stay with them if he gets a much better offer?
City have massively overpaid, but that's what you have to do for young talent and it happens in every major footballing country. However it's got a half decent chance of coming off, and if he does realise his potential with them he'll be worth it.

 

[HighfieldBlade]

Have to agree that £49m for a sulking workshy arrogant little tosser is absolutely stupid money especially as it seems that Citeh were the only ones in for him. They should have told the robbing scousers that it was £25m take it or leave it, not carried on bidding the price up. Even bloody eBay doesn't let you bid against yourself.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Typical Liverpool fans being all mardy because a player wants to move to a better club.

Yes I don't remember Rodwell Sinclair getting even one game for Citeh. Was he the younger brother of Clive Sinclair?

Have to agree that £49m for a sulking workshy arrogant little tosser is absolutely stupid money especially as it seems that Citeh were the only ones in for him. They should have told the robbing scousers that it was £25m take it or leave it, not carried on bidding the price up. Even bloody eBay doesn't let you bid against yourself.

Workshy? Really? This is a kid who uprooted himself at a young age, away from his family to a totally foreign city where he knew no one, in order to make it as a professional footballer at the highest level.
He isn't in any way workshy, he's clearly driven and probably arrogant but never workshy.

 

[grafikhaus]

Can't blame City or Sterling. They've got the money and he's got the (young, English) talent. Good article here by Oliver Holt which puts 'loyalty' in perspective. The gist?

'So these are the things that have been levelled at Raheem Sterling: he’s selfish, he’s disloyal, he’s callow, he’s arrogant, he’s ambitious, he’s immature.

Well, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes and yes. Newsflash: he’s a professional footballer. You know what they say about loyalty: if Liverpool want that these days, they better get a golden Labrador to play on the right wing.

Idealise your heroes if you want to but romanticise them at your peril. The reality is that most players who make it to the Premier League are hard men, emotionally as well as physically.

People like Sterling are survivors. They’re the ones who made the cut. They’re the ones who saw their fellow apprentices in tears when the youth-team boss told them they had no future in the game.

They’re the ones who sat outside in the corridor and saw the shattered hopes trudging past them down the corridor heading for a life in Palookaville. They’re the ones who smelled the fear but escaped the cull.

They learned all about loyalty back then. They saw how a club will dash a dream as quickly as a snap of the fingers. It’s not personal. It’s business. That’s the way the clubs treat it. They have to. Why should the players be any different?

Nobody’s playing a violin for them but, in their world, it’s sink or swim. Trying to make it as a professional footballer is a hard, hard school. There is no sentiment involved. It’s about proving your worth.'

Surely buying young up-and-coming talent like Sterling is a better 'business model' than Man. United's? They buy players who have been drained of all their 'juice' over many years and are on a downward trajectory. You'll never get your money's worth out of Van Persie, Mata or Schweinsteiger (combined fees £74m+) That's right, seventy-fucking-four million. Rather puts Sterling's fee in perspective, no? Throw in £10m for the ludicrously-overrated Chris Smalling and the Reds are just chucking their money away.

Rather than blaming Sterling, the scousers should take a long, hard look at the limited Brendan Rodgers who shamefully berated Sterling for doing 'step overs' in a match (Being Liverpool). 'If you keep doing that, you'll be dancing next to me in the dug-out.' A fine way to nurture young talent. Not.

 

[I should coco]

Workshy? Really? This is a kid who uprooted himself at a young age, away from his family to a totally foreign city where he knew no one, in order to make it as a professional footballer at the highest level.
He isn't in any way workshy, he's clearly driven and probably arrogant but never workshy.

This is the kid who said he was 'sick' and didn't turn up for the first day of training. Hardly suggests a great work ethic does it?

He was a professional footballer at QPR (hence the £9m they get in the sell on) so he already had a career. He only went to Liverpool for more money so don't give me the sob story about pulling himself up by his boot strings.

I hope the money grabbing little toe rag gets whats coming to him fails spectacularly at Citeh but then I'm just a bitter old Blade.

 

[Worksop II]

little toe rag gets whats coming to him

A loan spell at the Lane should sort him out ...

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Don't buy this at all.

And we should be celebrating the "survivors" in a cull of young people?

Even if Sterling is the monster painted in some papers - and it's not a grotesque exploitation and character assassination to provoke reaction and shift units - there are plenty of other reasonable, pleasant young people who make it to the top of the game.

Can't blame City or Sterling. They've got the money and he's got the (young, English) talent. Good article here by Oliver Holt which puts 'loyalty' in perspective. The gist?

'So these are the things that have been levelled at Raheem Sterling: he’s selfish, he’s disloyal, he’s callow, he’s arrogant, he’s ambitious, he’s immature.

Well, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes and yes. Newsflash: he’s a professional footballer. You know what they say about loyalty: if Liverpool want that these days, they better get a golden Labrador to play on the right wing.

Idealise your heroes if you want to but romanticise them at your peril. The reality is that most players who make it to the Premier League are hard men, emotionally as well as physically.

People like Sterling are survivors. They’re the ones who made the cut. They’re the ones who saw their fellow apprentices in tears when the youth-team boss told them they had no future in the game.

They’re the ones who sat outside in the corridor and saw the shattered hopes trudging past them down the corridor heading for a life in Palookaville. They’re the ones who smelled the fear but escaped the cull.

They learned all about loyalty back then. They saw how a club will dash a dream as quickly as a snap of the fingers. It’s not personal. It’s business. That’s the way the clubs treat it. They have to. Why should the players be any different?

Nobody’s playing a violin for them but, in their world, it’s sink or swim. Trying to make it as a professional footballer is a hard, hard school. There is no sentiment involved. It’s about proving your worth.'

Surely buying young up-and-coming talent like Sterling is a better 'business model' than Man. United's? They buy players who have been drained of all their 'juice' over many years and are on a downward trajectory. You'll never get your money's worth out of Van Persie, Mata or Schweinsteiger (combined fees £74m+) That's right, seventy-fucking-four million. Rather puts Sterling's fee in perspective, no? Throw in £10m for the ludicrously-overrated Chris Smalling and the Reds are just chucking their money away.

Rather than blaming Sterling, the scousers should take a long, hard look at the limited Brendan Rodgers who shamefully berated Sterling for doing 'step overs' in a match (Being Liverpool). 'If you keep doing that, you'll be dancing next to me in the dug-out.' A fine way to nurture young talent. Not.

 

[georgebernardshaw]

£49 million. £49 million, for God's sake.

The market says that he will be well paid, but £200,000 per week for any player is taking the piss even in this day and age. The game is going further and further away from the man in the street, if S6 want £800+ for a Championship season ticket then delusion knows no bounds.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

This is the kid who said he was 'sick' and didn't turn up for the first day of training. Hardly suggests a great work ethic does it?

He was a professional footballer at QPR (hence the £9m they get in the sell on) so he already had a career. He only went to Liverpool for more money so don't give me the sob story about pulling himself up by his boot strings.

I hope the money grabbing little toe rag gets whats coming to him fails spectacularly at Citeh but then I'm just a bitter old Blade.

He was 15 when he signed from QPR, and you think he moved only for the money rather than career development? - Do you think he would have made 95 premiership appearances at 20 if he'd stayed at QPR?

So to clarify;
Anyone who has a reported sick day or wants to move clubs are workshy?
He would have developed better by staying at QPR and not making nearly 100 premiership appearences (something he wouldn't have done at QPR) but only moved for the money?
You hope his ambition to be the best player he can be ensures he falls flat on his face?

Heaven forbid that someone wants to be the best they can be and is willing to do what's necessary to get there, it's must be entirely down to greed.

The question that no one seems to either want, or be able to answer, is why should he stay at Liverpool if he wants to be a top player?

 

[Bert]

It's an outrage that Brendan Rodgers spoke to Sterling like that about his step overs. Bert is horrified that young footballers can be spoken to like that by their bosses.

 

[Bert]

He was 15 when he signed from QPR, and you think he moved only for the money rather than career development? - Do you think he would have made 95 premiership appearances at 20 if he'd stayed at QPR?

So to clarify;
Anyone who has a reported sick day or wants to move clubs are workshy?
He would have developed better by staying at QPR and not making nearly 100 premiership appearences (something he wouldn't have done at QPR) but only moved for the money?
You hope his ambition to be the best player he can be ensures he falls flat on his face?

Heaven forbid that someone wants to be the best they can be and is willing to do what's necessary to get there, it's must be entirely down to greed.

The question that no one seems to either want, or be able to answer, is why should he stay at Liverpool if he wants to be a top player?

Was Gerrard a top player?

 

[Rudders]

Was Gerrard a top player?

Gerrard was a top top player
(said in Scouse accent by Jamie Carragher)
and world class cheat (me)

 

[BushBlade]

Hang on.
A young, promising player has an offer to join a top premiership side and move from a side shown to be clearly moving in the opposite direction.

Yes it's for more money but why the fuck should he want to stay at Liverpool when they were a shambles last season, especially when he's got the opportunity to play in the Champions League and develop much further than staying. Did you watch Liverpool last season? Do you think they looked a good side moving in the right direction to stay and develop at?
To say this move is purely about money is just plain wrong, and just bitterness coming out of the ex-Liverpool players who have prominent roles within the football media.

Liverpool FC and their fans have a hugely trumped up view of their own importance and position in the hierarchy of current football. They are not currently a big club who top players would love to sign for, they are an also ran, top half team with a run down stadium and a million miles off the likes of Man City, Arsenal nevermind Chelsea both on and off the field. Sure they may have a one off season but they aren't stable, they aren't on a upward trajectory, they can't compete for the best players in the league, so why would a young ambitious player want to stay with them if he gets a much better offer?
City have massively overpaid, but that's what you have to do for young talent and it happens in every major footballing country. However it's got a half decent chance of coming off, and if he does realise his potential with them he'll be worth it.

That ^^^^^^^^

Liverpool offered Sterling £100k a week after he'd just played three months as Liverpool's main man, with Sturridge injured and Suarez gone. Yeah, it's more than I'll ever earn but sturridge is on £150k per week.
Whoever you are, if your mate who does the same job as you was getting a third more than you, it wouldn't inspire much loyalty towards your employers. If he's worth £50m, then he's worth the wages a £50m player is on these days.
He's not even from Liverpool, why should he care? They don't win anything anymore and took the piss over his contract. Of course he wants to go to a better club.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Was Gerrard a top player?

Undoubtedly a top English player but during the prime of his career Liverpool were a top 4-5 club, winning cups and looked to be progressing. I wouldn't say he was a top world player though.
When Gerrard was coming through at Liverpool they were considered a top club, winning the FA, League and UEFA cups in his first real season.
For his first 10 seasons Liverpool only finished outside the top 4 on 2 occasions when they finished 5th, one of those was when they won the European Cup.
In 2003 he was very close to joining Chelsea because he wasn't happy at the progress they were making (greedy git) but didn't in the end due to whatever reasons you care to believe.
If he had moved to Chelsea he would have progressed, played at an even higher level, and yet I believe he would have been considered a world talent, as it is he started slipping down the league with Liverpool. I also believe he would have had a much more highly thought of England career if he'd taken the move to Chelsea and he'd have certainly won a league title further increasing his claim to those at the top.

Compare that to Sterling and Liverpool now whereby in the last 6 seasons Liverpool have only finished higher than 6th once. It's not even close to being comparable with where they are now.

 

[I should coco]

So to clarify;
Anyone who has a reported sick day or wants to move clubs are workshy?
He would have developed better by staying at QPR and not making nearly 100 premiership appearences (something he wouldn't have done at QPR) but only moved for the money?
You hope his ambition to be the best player he can be ensures he falls flat on his face?

Heaven forbid that someone wants to be the best they can be and is willing to do what's necessary to get there, it's must be entirely down to greed.

The question that no one seems to either want, or be able to answer, is why should he stay at Liverpool if he wants to be a top player?

I would suggest that saying you're sick when you just don't fancy turning in, is indeed 'workshy' regardless of profession.

Do you REALLY think he 'wants to be the best' as I think he just wants as much filthy lucre as he can get as quickly as possible. i really can't see him being at a 'big' club by age 25.

He made it clear that he wouldn't stop at Liverpool as £100k per week was not enough. I am amazed that you are defending him and I don't know if you actually believe all the tosh about him wanting to win things. He's only 20 and could have given LFC another 2-3 years to try and win trophies while he improved as a player but he chose the quick move and instant riches. He will payer fewer games at Citeh than he would have done at LFC so quite how this will help to improve him, I don't know.

BTW, 'someone wants to be the best they can be and is willing to do what's necessary to get there' so throwing a sickie is justified then in the Grand Plan to be the best player in the world? Don't make me laugh.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I would suggest that saying you're sick when you just don't fancy turning in, is indeed 'workshy' regardless of profession.

Do you REALLY think he 'wants to be the best' as I think he just wants as much filthy lucre as he can get as quickly as possible. i really can't see him being at a 'big' club by age 25.

If he wanted that why not take the contract from Liverpool last year and still force the move?

He made it clear that he wouldn't stop at Liverpool as £100k per week was not enough.

No he said he won't sign regardless of the terms on offer. Plus 100k per week is less than other first teamers, bearing in mind Rogers himself said he was the best young player in Europe.
If that's the case why not pay him as such?

I am amazed that you are defending him and I don't know if you actually believe all the tosh about him wanting to win things.
He's only 20 and could have given LFC another 2-3 years to try and win trophies while he improved as a player but he chose the quick move and instant riches. He will payer fewer games at Citeh than he would have done at LFC so quite how this will help to improve him, I don't know.

Him moving to win things is certainly more believable than moving for the money. Why should he give LFC another 2-3 years, he's been their for 5 and they've consistantly sold their best players and have slipped down the league. Now they're miles off the top 4 and highly unlikely to win any major trophy. At City Sterling will be working with some of the best players in the world, with the likes of Aguero, Silva, Toure, and Kompany in order to learn and develop. At Liverpool he has Jordan Henderson, Joe Allen, James Milner and Daniel Sturridge, it's a complete no brainer.

BTW, 'someone wants to be the best they can be and is willing to do what's necessary to get there' so throwing a sickie is justified then in the Grand Plan to be the best player in the world? Don't make me laugh.

He phoned in sick, as per protocol, he was then checked by the club doctor and didn't return to training the next day.
If he had "thrown a sickie" he would have to have conned the club doctor otherwise he would have been looking at being fined at least 2 weeks wages.
There hasn't been a single report which has said the doctor or club confirmed the illness wasn't genuine.
So what actually happened was he was ill, phoned in work, checked by a doctor, took a day to recover and returned on the following day. Sounds perfectly normal behavior to me when ill from work.

 

[I should coco]

He phoned in sick, as per protocol, he was then checked by the club doctor and didn't return to training the next day.
If he had "thrown a sickie" he would have to have conned the club doctor otherwise he would have been looking at being fined at least 2 weeks wages.
There hasn't been a single report which has said the doctor or club confirmed the illness wasn't genuine.
So what actually happened was he was ill, phoned in work, checked by a doctor, took a day to recover and returned on the following day. Sounds perfectly normal behavior to me when ill from work.

No you're right and he was far too ill to go in.

Perfectly normal for first day back I suppose and presumably covered in depth in The Lancet?

Him moving to win things is certainly more believable than moving for the money.

I think you want your bumps feeling.

Do you honestly believe he is looking to amass a load of winners medals so that in years to come he can bounce the grand kids on his knee and show them all the trophies he won?

I'll stick with the 'toe-rag' viewpoint thanks all the same.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

No you're right and he was far too ill to go in.

Perfectly normal for first day back I suppose and presumably covered in depth in The Lancet?

So the Sterling, is in cahoots with the club doctor in order to throw a sickie behind the clubs back?

I think you want your bumps feeling.

Do you honestly believe he is looking to amass a load of winners medals so that in years to come he can bounce the grand kids on his knee and show them all the trophies he won?

I'll stick with the 'toe-rag' viewpoint thanks all the same.

I think he could have earnt more money signing a new contract with Liverpool last year. He didn't do that, so if money was his only aim why not? He also said he wasn't signing for Liverpool no matter what they offered him per week. Your argument isn't logical and falls down at the first hurdle.
Let's see where he would win more EPL and Champions League titles Man City or Liverpool? Personally it's seems to be a no brainer which is the superior team and the one most likely to be challenging for top honors.

 

[georgebernardshaw]

To be fair, Bob, it's more likely that Man City will pay £200,000/week than Liverpool

 

[I should coco]

Let's see where he would win more EPL and Champions League titles Man City or Liverpool? Personally it's seems to be a no brainer which is the superior team and the one most likely to be challenging for top honors.

I'm not arguing that Citeh are more likely to win things than Liverpool, that's a no brainer. I'm saying I don't believe that is his main motivation for moving.

What was all the nonsense with the Football Focus unauthorised interview and the claptrap from his agent? He is being badly advised here and long term Man Citeh is not the place for a young player learning his game, to be. Why do you think Berahino dumped the same agent?

I think he could have earnt more money signing a new contract with Liverpool last year. He didn't do that, so if money was his only aim why not? Your argument isn't logical and falls down at the first hurdle.

Thanks for the lecture in logic but he was playing a game and trying to look like the injured party but it backfired spectacularly, when Liverpool fans found him turning down £100k per week as not enough.

Toe-rag it is and for ever shall be.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I'm not arguing that Citeh are more likely to win things than Liverpool, that's a no brainer. I'm saying I don't believe that is his main motivation for moving.

What was all the nonsense with the Football Focus unauthorised interview and the claptrap from his agent? He is being badly advised here and long term Man Citeh is not the place for a young player learning his game, to be. Why do you think Berahino dumped the same agent?

I've no idea why Berahino dumped his agent, and neither do you. I'm not following your logic though that his totally mercenary yet turned down a massive payrise to stay at Liverpool, and wouldn't sign regardless of what they offered this season even before Man City placed a bid. It doesn't make sense.

Thanks for the lecture in logic but he was playing a game and trying to look like the injured party but it backfired spectacularly, when Liverpool fans found him turning down £100k per week as not enough.

Toe-rag it is and for ever shall be.

Play the injured party by turning down more money, which is supposedly the one things he's interested in. #doesnotcompute.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

To be fair, Bob, it's more likely that Man City will pay £200,000/week than Liverpool

But he didn't know that last season, and he could have signed the deal at Liverpool and still forced a move this summer if money was his only motivator.

 

[wizadry]

Sterling won't get much game time at Man Shity, that's why Delph has turned them down and good on the lad for telling Man Shity to fuck off. Sterling might get some trophies but he'll still be a twat, a rich one at that. Infact where is that thread

I think a toe rag thread should be started up, it could grow to many pages

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Sterling won't get much game time at Man Shity, that's why Delph has turned them down and good on the lad for telling Man Shity to fuck off. Sterling might get some trophies but he'll still be a twat, a rich one at that. Infact where is that thread

I think a toe rag thread should be started up, it could grow to many pages

That does only work on the assumption that Man City are spending £50 Million on a player and won't play him, which is also pretty ridiculous.
Delph I could see it, for £7 million they can bench him and the board won't care, but if they do it with Sterling there will be serious questions asked.

I actually think this move means he'll get more game time, because they can't be seen to bench him, but the proof will be in the pudding and injuries permitting I think he'll play 35-40 games this season which is on par with the top players at City.

 

[South London Blade]

Sterling and Gerrard have a lot in common.

They are both Cunts.

 

[HillmortonBlade]

can't believe we bid £40m and didn't get him

I've had a look and he's done nothing in League One, no good for us. Sign up Billy.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

A loan spell at the Lane should sort him out ...

He'd not get in the team.

Oops, sorry wrong Nigel

 

[Dalelane01]

Reading all comments on this thread .the point is i work in a large hotel and have been offered a transfer to front of house no transfer fee involved but wages rise from £7.00 per hour in kitchen to £8.50 per hour in reception if i move am i being greedy?disloyal? What should i do? Well if i was in raheem sterlings position i would have had my bags packed weeks ago course hes going to accept terms with man city just as i am going to be greedy and accept my transfer to reception CANT WAIT FOR MY MASSIVE PAY RISE.

 

[Kev Gee]

We've no chance of getting him now the massive have the rich Thai guy.

They also have 5 million fans.