Raheem Sterling can expect a vicious reception from the 3000 travelling Liverpool fans this weekend, as Jurgen Klopp’s men, the side he left contentiously, travel to the Etihad in search of three points.
When Sterling swapped Merseyside for Manchester last summer, the capture of the 20-year-old was the product of a controversial and drawn-out transfer saga which filled back pages for months before everything was signed and sealed. What won’t help the bitter reaction the Englishmen will no doubt endure come Saturday tea-time was the way the transfer was handled – most notably by the winger’s agent, Aidy Ward.
After saying the winger wouldn’t even sign for “£900,000 a week”, you could tell the move was being forced in an ill-conceived manner. What ensued was a series of poor excuses and even a ‘sickie’ pulled by Sterling to avoid Liverpool training and other club duties, which only helped build resentment around Anfield towards the Sterling camp.
At £49 million pounds, City have executed what can only be described as a risk. For the England international is a raw talent and is yet to cover himself in glory in front of goal, despite netting six in all competitions for the Blues so far this season. Physically he has no problem. He’s fast, agile, has a dogged strength about him and hasn’t proved injury-prone…yet. Technically, the youngster has good feet, dribbles well and can cross too – as seen on Tuesday night for England’s second goal vs France.
Finishing, for a player who gets himself into the best of positions and plays so far up the pitch, is paramount – yet thus far he has shown profligacy in his end-product. Manuel Pellegrini told press not so long ago that Sterling was staying behind after training sessions and doing extra work on that aspect of his game, so he isn’t short of self-awareness in that sense. What was good about capturing his signature was, glaringly, his age.
Sterling is a player City could have for another 10 years and football is an evolutionary concept, meaning his potential will only elicit excitement and ardency amongst City fans.
Even at 20 years old the ex-Liverpool man is showing maturity and his performance in Seville in the Champions League exhibited a coming of age for the youngster, as he scored, was involved in the second and ran his full-back and Sevilla captain, Coke – ragged all night.
This weekend is massive for the Jamaican-born man, and to score against his former club would silence the boo-boys and highlight his ability ,which has been questioned widely, to be decisive in the crunch games. With the returns of Sergio Aguero and David Silva to the starting XI, Sterling can only improve as the likely-link up with the former duo will be something City fans are salivating at the mere thought of.
