Raheem Sterling

[chara]

Without all the Media gleeful use of the incident to source another round of Chelsea bashing put downs let's look at Raheem's time at Chelsea in a realistic light..as I see it,,my opinion only...not a definitive analysis!

Possibly when he arrived, the collective, we expected the Citeh/England peak performer which in itself was a false representation of his contributions,,,in many ways he was an old fashioned winger in the sense they put on dazzling displays destroying FB's and defences..but usually a selective memory on the part of the fans,,,those best forgotten games when the FB had the winger in his pocket and every cross either sailed on to the far corner flag or flopped down far short of the danger area were more common..some honourable exceptions but the old memory banks are littered with "part time" tricky wingers.

Raheem's performances at Chelsea have covered everything from moments of sublime skill to moments of wondering if he had a football brain and understanding of the game.

Never was the going to be what we fooled ourselves into thinking (hoping)he would be .

He's now 29 ?,,,, at that age the truly top players by now are looking to, and are, adjusting their game to take into account the inevitable physical decline in Top Class football terms,

Once the pace is gone,,and the signs are there for all to see he becomes a squad filler and goodness knows Chelsea have no shortage of those.

Cold football decision..as per Mr Shankley..better he go a year too early than a year too late,,and that year too early reference  is being kind.

 

[xceleryx]

Not really read too much into the whole situation that's unfolded in the media over the last few days. 

My thoughts on Sterling pretty much reside as follows;

I was happy to have initially signed him as I thought he'd help inject some goal scoring ability into our attack, unfortunately he's been a bit hit and miss. For a player that's cost us as much as he did, but more importantly gets paid the money he does, he's not really delivered as much as I'd have liked to see. 

His days looked a bit numbered last season, and with a new manager and system, coupled with what he's offered and the stage of his career that he's at, I can understand why we'd possibly be looking to move on. If he was on half the money I'd see him, but for £300k+ per week I'd be wanting performances that carry the side on a weekly basis, or at the very least make the team and those around him better. 

Just hard to see where he ends up given the wages he's on and will likely want, Saudi is virtually the only place that seems likely and I just  don't think Raz wants to end up there. I guess we'll see what happens, even if that's a temp move elsewhere on loan for the season or something. Hopefully he values playing time over money and shows a willingness to drop his demands to encourage more potential suitors. 

But yeah, not pressed either way.

[Sleeping Dave]

I can’t see Sterling foregoing £50.7m over the next three seasons. 

Why should he? I hope he skins those Americans for every last penny. Maybe that’ll teach them a lesson. Then again, the Lukaku saga seemingly didn’t. So who knows. 

[Thiago97]

6 minutes ago, Sleeping Dave said:

I can’t see Sterling foregoing £50.7m over the next three seasons. 

Why should he? I hope he skins those Americans for every last penny. Maybe that’ll teach them a lesson. Then again, the Lukaku saga seemingly didn’t. So who knows. 

This is pretty much where I am at. I don't agree with the statement before the game, its a little petulant and full of its own self importance, but I do agree that someone needs to make a stand against these dickheads running the show. If that is to the detriment of Chelsea with a 300k wage per week right now, then I can get behind him and that that stance, even if Sterling is not doing it for the overall good of Chelsea.

I hope he either sits tight and sticks two fingers up to this lot for the remainder of his contract. Or he leaves to another PL team and absolutely rips it up for someone else.

This lot need showing up for what they really are. They need to have their whole strategy and decision making to be shown up and ridiculed, in hope that they leave the club , or at least start learning from their mistakes and running the football club in a fit and proper manner (seems unlikely though)

Any player being forced out over the remainder of the month, due to accounting reasons like Conor, Chalobah, Chuk, Sterling, Casadei........I want them all to absolutely tear it up at their new clubs and really turn the emphasis and focus on these people who are making a mockery of our football club.

[Mark Kelly]

55 minutes ago, Sleeping Dave said:

I can’t see Sterling foregoing £50.7m over the next three seasons. 

Why should he? I hope he skins those Americans for every last penny. Maybe that’ll teach them a lesson. Then again, the Lukaku saga seemingly didn’t. So who knows. 

Yeah.

If we're REALLY lucky we'll get relegated , have top sell everyone , free fall through the  divisions and go out of business , that would be excellent , for one second we'd have "our" Chelsea back just before we blink out of existence . 

[Chelsea_Matt]

13 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

Yeah.

If we're REALLY lucky we'll get relegated , have top sell everyone , free fall through the  divisions and go out of business , that would be excellent , for one second we'd have "our" Chelsea back just before we blink out of existence . 

A little extreme, Mr K, if I may say so. ClearSnake have done - imo - so much damage that imo we’ve been set back a decade. What is worse - again, imo - our expectations as fans seem to have plummeted into apathy. And that, for me, is incredibly dangerous. ☠️🙃😬

[Ham]

2 hours ago, Sleeping Dave said:

I can’t see Sterling foregoing £50.7m over the next three seasons. 

Why should he? I hope he skins those Americans for every last penny. Maybe that’ll teach them a lesson. Then again, the Lukaku saga seemingly didn’t. So who knows. 

 

1 hour ago, Thiago97 said:

This is pretty much where I am at. I don't agree with the statement before the game, its a little petulant and full of its own self importance, but I do agree that someone needs to make a stand against these dickheads running the show. If that is to the detriment of Chelsea with a 300k wage per week right now, then I can get behind him and that that stance, even if Sterling is not doing it for the overall good of Chelsea.

I hope he either sits tight and sticks two fingers up to this lot for the remainder of his contract. Or he leaves to another PL team and absolutely rips it up for someone else.

This lot need showing up for what they really are. They need to have their whole strategy and decision making to be shown up and ridiculed, in hope that they leave the club , or at least start learning from their mistakes and running the football club in a fit and proper manner (seems unlikely though)

Any player being forced out over the remainder of the month, due to accounting reasons like Conor, Chalobah, Chuk, Sterling, Casadei........I want them all to absolutely tear it up at their new clubs and really turn the emphasis and focus on these people who are making a mockery of our football club.

That will only hurt the club. The owners won't miss his wages. They won't be hit financially.  It's a PSR hit. 

Why would you want the club to suffer?

 

 

[Mark Kelly]

49 minutes ago, Chelsea_Matt said:

A little extreme, Mr K, if I may say so. ClearSnake have done - imo - so much damage that imo we’ve been set back a decade. What is worse - again, imo - our expectations as fans seem to have plummeted into apathy. And that, for me, is incredibly dangerous. ☠️🙃😬

My issue is , getting bent out of shape over it achieves nothing , there is literally nothing we can do about it , Clearlake are locked in for ten years , they're not leaving , they've invested heavily into the playing staff not just for now but for the future , we can argue about the strengths and attributes of the players but that's about it , until those so incensed with it stop going they won't even notice .

We've played one game under Maresca against the best team in the league and lost despite not playing terribly but it's just one game 

there are rumours abounding that we are about to get another transfer ban due to the previous regime breaking the rules , maybe , just maybe Clearlake are buying now to stave off the pain of not being able to buy in the future and getting grief based on the previous owners "crimes" 

I think people should stop paying attention to monetised overseas based cretins on Twitter for their opinions, ( not you obvs)

My expectations haven't plummeted into apathy but constant bellyaching on this site about things we have no control over and even if we did would have no legal redress when the owners are locked into the ownership for another 6-7 years is pointless and drags everyone down . 

[Chelsea_Matt]

2 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

My issue is , getting bent out of shape over it achieves nothing , there is literally nothing we can do about it , Clearlake are locked in for ten years , they're not leaving , they've invested heavily into the playing staff not just for now but for the future , we can argue about the strengths and attributes of the players but that's about it , until those so incensed with it stop going they won't even notice .

We've played one game under Maresca against the best team in the league and lost despite not playing terribly but it's just one game 

there are rumours abounding that we are about to get another transfer ban due to the previous regime breaking the rules , maybe , just maybe Clearlake are buying now to stave off the pain of not being able to buy in the future and getting grief based on the previous owners "crimes" 

I think people should stop paying attention to monetised overseas based cretins on Twitter for their opinions, ( not you obvs)

My expectations haven't plummeted into apathy but constant bellyaching on this site about things we have no control over and even if we did would have no legal redress when the owners are locked into the ownership for another 6-7 years is pointless and drags everyone down . 

A lot I agree with as always, Mr K.

But I do think it’s important to call Clearlake out - AND give credit for their (few) successes eg flogging off players to Saudi. Can’t really think of anything else.

Look. Obviously it would be amazing if things were different and their tenure had started well, but imo they’ve made SUCH a mess, and imo so unnecessarily, it’s infuriating and depressing given the importance of Chelsea to so many of us here. 👀💯🎯

[Mark Kelly]

13 minutes ago, Chelsea_Matt said:

A lot I agree with as always, Mr K.

But I do think it’s important to call Clearlake out - AND give credit for their (few) successes eg flogging off players to Saudi. Can’t really think of anything else.

Look. Obviously it would be amazing if things were different and their tenure had started well, but imo they’ve made SUCH a mess, and imo so unnecessarily, it’s infuriating and depressing given the importance of Chelsea to so many of us here. 👀💯🎯

Watch this place go on radio silence once we start winning . 

When you're winning everything looks great , we're not currently so everything looks terrible . 

The squad is a really good squad and it's the youngest in the league which will hopefully grow together into a great one.

Someone on here , can't remember who complained that there was no togetherness in the squad and the very next thing I saw was an instagram post of some of the players all laughing and huddled together saying how the vibes were great and how much the players liked each other. 

I agree that they have made mistakes , but not as many as many of us outside the club believe , I think they're a lot more savvy than we give them credit for.

Only time will tell . 

[paulw66]

2 hours ago, Sleeping Dave said:

I can’t see Sterling foregoing £50.7m over the next three seasons. 

 

Nobody is asking him to. We might have to part-subsidise that if we can find a buyer who can afford some, if not all of it.

Either way, doesn't excuse throwing the toys just because he was left out of one squad.

2 hours ago, Sleeping Dave said:

 Then again, the Lukaku saga seemingly didn’t. So who knows. 

Now they are at fault for Lukaku?  

[Bison]

Just now, paulw66 said:

Nobody is asking him to. We might have to part-subsidise that if we can find a buyer who can afford some, if not all of it.

Either way, doesn't excuse throwing the toys just because he was left out of one squad.

Now they are at fault for Lukaku?  

Some reports suggest Sterling has been offered out to Juventus and he has also been informed that he's not going to feature much, if at all, this season. I doubt this is based on being left out of one squad.

And no matter how bad Sterling can and has been for us, he is still 10x the player rubbish like Mudryk will ever be. So the idea this was just some technical decision doesn't wash.

[Mark Kelly]

12 minutes ago, Bison said:

Some reports suggest Sterling has been offered out to Juventus and he has also been informed that he's not going to feature much, if at all, this season. I doubt this is based on being left out of one squad.

And no matter how bad Sterling can and has been for us, he is still 10x the player rubbish like Mudryk will ever be. So the idea this was just some technical decision doesn't wash.

Personally I think Sterling would be ideal for Marsesca's "system" but I believe the willingness to get him off the books is two-fold , firstly his wages are astronomical in comparison with the rest of them and secondly , early on in his tenure Boehly apparently took him to task saying he was dismayed at what contribution he was making in comparison to his cost and wages and this is what is driving it now , two seasons of mediocrity combined with the cost of having him here. 

[Bison]

2 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

Personally I think Sterling would be ideal for Marsesca's "system" but I believe the willingness to get him off the books is two-fold , firstly his wages are astronomical in comparison with the rest of them and secondly , early on in his tenure Boehly apparently took him to task saying he was dismayed at what contribution he was making in comparison to his cost and wages and this is what is driving it now , two seasons of mediocrity combined with the cost of having him here. 

Sterling has been underwhelming but he was still our third top goalscorer last season. And if the option is between Sterling or Mudryk, that is a no-brainer for anybody who isn't being disingenuous. Mudryk was seemingly only in the matchday squad because he earns less than Sterling.

[Chelsea_Matt]

46 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

Watch this place go on radio silence once we start winning . 

When you're winning everything looks great , we're not currently so everything looks terrible . 

The squad is a really good squad and it's the youngest in the league which will hopefully grow together into a great one.

Someone on here , can't remember who complained that there was no togetherness in the squad and the very next thing I saw was an instagram post of some of the players all laughing and huddled together saying how the vibes were great and how much the players liked each other. 

I agree that they have made mistakes , but not as many as many of us outside the club believe , I think they're a lot more savvy than we give them credit for.

Only time will tell . 

Well so far, for me anyway, it’s been an absolute dumpster fire 🔥 🗑️😬

[Ham]

2 minutes ago, Chelsea_Matt said:

Well so far, for me anyway, it’s been an absolute dumpster fire 🔥 🗑️😬

Yeah I think we're probably too far adrift of the leaders now so best to write this season off and look forward to 25-26.  

[RDCW]

3 hours ago, Sleeping Dave said:

I can’t see Sterling foregoing £50.7m over the next three seasons. 

Why should he? I hope he skins those Americans for every last penny. Maybe that’ll teach them a lesson. Then again, the Lukaku saga seemingly didn’t. So who knows. 

I can understand the sentiment that he has the right to see out his contract, but as to hoping "he skins those Americans for every last penny", hurting the club in the process, that is defective, vindictive and silly. Come to that, what has Lukaku got to do with Clearlake?

You may have issues with Clearlake, perhaps with the USA generally, but when it results in a state of mind which wishes harm on the club you need to think about whether that is genuinely what you want.

[Thiago97]

2 hours ago, Ham said:

 

That will only hurt the club. The owners won't miss his wages. They won't be hit financially.  It's a PSR hit. 

Why would you want the club to suffer?

 

 

I would much rather he shows them up by moving on and hitting 20 goals somewhere else in the PL. It's not really about Sterling as such, its about the impact of situations that really show these owners up. Unfortunately, that does mean the club suffer in some way. What's the alternative though ? We just back the majority of calls they make in hope it turns out ok ? How long does this last...another 2 years......maybe 5 years ? At what point are we meant to push back.

The club suffering along the way is an inevitable by product of all this (we already are suffering), unless it all works out rosy in the end of course. We are already 2 years in and seeing no progress yet, just more and more bizarre decisions. If we start to make progress and they reign it in, and get the club back on the track of a proper big football club, rather than a complete basket case of a club. That's fair enough, but do we really see that happening ? I gave them the benefit early on cos I expected this was just short term quick change over the first 12 months to get ourselves on track ASAP........it's becoming plainly obvious that this is just how the club will be run, and it will likely become even more bizarre in the future, the longer success alludes us.

 

[Chelsea_Matt]

1 hour ago, Ham said:

Yeah I think we're probably too far adrift of the leaders now so best to write this season off and look forward to 25-26.  

Yeah you keep your head in the sand ☠️☠️☠️

[east lower]

39 minutes ago, Thiago97 said:

I would much rather he shows them up by moving on and hitting 20 goals somewhere else in the PL. It's not really about Sterling as such, its about the impact of situations that really show these owners up. Unfortunately, that does mean the club suffer in some way. What's the alternative though ? We just back the majority of calls they make in hope it turns out ok ? How long does this last...another 2 years......maybe 5 years ? At what point are we meant to push back.

The club suffering along the way is an inevitable by product of all this (we already are suffering), unless it all works out rosy in the end of course. We are already 2 years in and seeing no progress yet, just more and more bizarre decisions. If we start to make progress and they reign it in, and get the club back on the track of a proper big football club, rather than a complete basket case of a club. That's fair enough, but do we really see that happening ? I gave them the benefit early on cos I expected this was just short term quick change over the first 12 months to get ourselves on track ASAP........it's becoming plainly obvious that this is just how the club will be run, and it will likely become even more bizarre in the future, the longer success alludes us.

 

Lurching from one plan to another and one coach to another. Roman did the latter, but the plan was clear - win. That was the focus. 

I agree with you that they truly think they can keep ahead of the rules, it always catches up and bites on the backside.

People may say, we haven’t been contenders for the PL for 7-8 seasons. In reality who has apart from Man City, Liverpool had a one off and flirted with being long-term contenders and currently Arsenal are doing the same (and may do it this season unfortunately). Man City built a winning machine, but did it whilst still winning and competing. Even the manager prepping the team, won a PL.

The only thing that saves them now, is we start winning trophies. That’s not happening at major trophy level for a while. Too many vested interests being played out. Might get the Conference League, but I have my doubts on that even.

It’s just a matter of time now and they’ll find a way to exit if they need to. And the fans will be the last thing on their minds, as we are already.

[Sleeping Dave]

2 hours ago, paulw66 said:

Nobody is asking him to. We might have to part-subsidise that if we can find a buyer who can afford some, if not all of it.

Either way, doesn't excuse throwing the toys just because he was left out of one squad.

Now they are at fault for Lukaku?  

Never said they were. I said they were unable to learn from others mistake. Often just as important as to learning from your own. 

I don’t rate Sterling the footballer. I’m not particularly upset if he’s sold either. It’s the way these decisions are made that riles me big time. We get rid of one overpaid winger only to swap him for another overpaid winger. All just to sell one of our top performers last season just because he represents a book profit. No soul left at the club. Just as plastic as the rest of the franchise culture on the other side. 

We are a circus run by a bunch of fucking amateurs. The day they leave will be a day to celebrate. 

[Sleeping Dave]

1 hour ago, RDCW said:

I can understand the sentiment that he has the right to see out his contract, but as to hoping "he skins those Americans for every last penny", hurting the club in the process, that is defective, vindictive and silly. Come to that, what has Lukaku got to do with Clearlake?

You may have issues with Clearlake, perhaps with the USA generally, but when it results in a state of mind which wishes harm on the club you need to think about whether that is genuinely what you want.

I don’t need to wish harm on the club. The current owners are more than equipped to manage that themselves. 

What I hope for is that their arrogant approach to the game will come back and bite them in the bums. Probably the fastest way for these idiots to realise they are way over their head on this one. 

 

[Lump Of Celery]

2 hours ago, Mark Kelly said:

Personally I think Sterling would be ideal for Marsesca's "system" but I believe the willingness to get him off the books is two-fold , firstly his wages are astronomical in comparison with the rest of them and secondly , early on in his tenure Boehly apparently took him to task saying he was dismayed at what contribution he was making in comparison to his cost and wages and this is what is driving it now , two seasons of mediocrity combined with the cost of having him here. 

Seems like Maresca is a puppet "first team coach" with little say on who comes and go, having spent only one season managing Leicester he probably can't believe his luck and will say yes to anything. We've seen how that plays out in the past. The "joined up thinking" structure now in place appears to be more joined up financial accounting procedures rather than collaboratively putting the best squad together from the players on our books.. 

[chara]

Interesting posts here as always.

Cold Raheem view,,,,not justified his purchase price or his wages...nothing to do with the Club overlords except to show they made a bad decision to buy him but as with any transfer it's always a punt..look at Phillips for instance....looked a good Citeh buy but didn't work out..always a risk,

Separate the above from the "statement" and the views on Todd and Co.....they are subjects for a lot of discussion but not the reason for Raheem overall not being a beneficial football transfer.

[xceleryx]

19 hours ago, Sleeping Dave said:

I can’t see Sterling foregoing £50.7m over the next three seasons. 

Why should he? I hope he skins those Americans for every last penny. Maybe that’ll teach them a lesson. Then again, the Lukaku saga seemingly didn’t. So who knows. 

You make it sound as if we gave him his contract on the back of previously earning peanuts, when in reality he was already earning £300k pw at City, got a slight increase from us to compensate taking a sporting step backwards during his "prime years". 

Wonder if you held the same thoughts when the likes of Veron, Shevchenko, Torres, Drinkwater and so on saw their futures here end. All had to be loaned out for years on the back of us subsidising most of it. No doubt you'd have preferred them to have stayed and milked that Russian dry, right