RADIO
As Raheem Sterling sits with his new teammates in Australia, Liverpool football club are sitting in clover. The 49 million pound transfer (approximately 77 million Dollars) now makes the Jamaican born English international the world's most expensive player of 21 years of age or under.
The transfer saga surrounding the 20-year old midfielder's future had reached a point of tedium when City chieftain Manuel Pellegerini finally committed to put the drama soaked issue to rest by bravely signing him to a five year deal at the Etihad Stadium.
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However, from the outset this whole deal has had an unfortunate flavor and has smacked of high commerce and the allure of pockets full of Sterling - that is to to say, British Pounds.
Undoubtedly, Liverpool are laughing all the way to the bank having received such a huge sum for a player who last season was more average than he was astounding. Much was made of the player's weekly wage bill, which will now be 180,000 British Pounds a week, and following the completion of the transfer, Sterling was quick to thank his agent for making it possible. We think he thanked Liverpool and Brendan Rogers as an addendum but it seemed more like a simulated dive than an action of sincerity.
Unfortunately, It's probably too easy to castigate the greed of any player plying his trade now in an industry saturated with wealth. Ultimately, and most importantly, once the season starts, City fans and faithful will relegate to the recesses of memory the business side of this deal and will simply want this fellow to make a difference on the field. Therein is the 49 million pound question. Can he do just that?
Two years ago when Liverpool had Luis Suarez and an in-form Daniel Sturridge playing, it seemed that Raheem Sterling was beginning to emerge. Last year, after Suarez packed up for Barcelona, Sturridge spent most of it injured and Steven Gerrard's potency began to dissolve, most looked to Sterling to take up the reins and lead. He didn't.
In 52 appearances for Liverpool last season he notched up 11 goals and 10 assists. In the Premiership he played 35 times and had 7 goals and 7 assists. These numbers are hardly astounding considering that even aging Steven Gerard scored nine goals, although admittedly four of those were from the penalty spot. Despite this underwhelming statistic however, other metrics lend themselves a little more favorably towards the 20-year old.
Sterling's gift is his ability to run at players with wicked pace with the ball at his feet. This will inevitably result in fouls and free kicks. Last season he was the second most fouled player in the Premier league, after Eden Hazard, drawing nearly 100 fouls from opponents. He made 233 dribble attempts - the league's third highest - and managed to beat opponents on 103 occasions, which was the league's fourth highest. Manchester City will be looking to exploit that.
Free kick maestros, Toure and Aguero will relish the opportunities that will emerge from Sterling getting hacked down and with Aguero and probably Wilfred Bony leading City's attack, Sterling's assist ratios are likely to improve.
Raheem Sterling isn't a leader but can lend a flexibility to City's formation and attack that perhaps Navas and Villa cannot. He has played right wing back, winger and center forward but he will likely be used as a winger ordered to run into spaces with the ball.
The pedigree of talent surrounding him at Manchester City should help the young player improve his game. He will surely benefit from the wizardry of Aguero and the tutelage of Toure but he will have to produce a season of soccer sorcery to justify the tab he has already run up. If he doesn't, the media knaves will be out for him and the knives will surely be out for Pellegerini.
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