Raheem The Goal Machine ?

[sinkov]

Ten World Cup qualifying games, against mostly piss poor opposition to be honest, and only two players spent more time on the pitch, John Stones and Harry Kane, than Raheem Sterling. To me, for most of the time he seemed to be running around like a headless chicken, no connection between brain and feet, contributing little, but what do I know, Gareth kept on picking him and playing him. So what was the end result of those 557 minutes of playing time ?

Two goals.

Bukayo Saka, with just 300 minutes playing time scored more, Harry Maguire playing centre-half scored more. Four players, Calvert-Lewin, Lingard, Ward-Prowse and Abraham, all with much less time on the pitch, all scored two each as well, in fact those four scored eight goals with just 697 minutes between them on the pitch, compared to Raheem's two in 557 minutes.

So if he wasn't scoring himself, then he must have been contributing usefully by setting up others to score instead mustn't he ? Err, no he wasn't, just one assist in those 557 minutes, Foden, Alexander-Arnold, Kane, Lingard, Mount, Shaw, James and Sancho all credited with more assists than Sterling, with the exception of Kane, all from less time on the pitch than Sterling.

Pep has seen through him, he's only started him four times this season, but despite the 557 minutes producing just two goals and one assist, for Gareth he's still an automatic selection, I struggle to work out why.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

He missed an absolute sitter yesterday against Everton, it was more of a Joelinton miss than Joelinton could miss.

Maguire was woefully dreadful against Watford on Saturday and helped get his manager the boot, no wonder we win nowt when we play against the elite international teams.

Southgate out.

[kritichris]

Ten World Cup qualifying games, against mostly piss poor opposition to be honest, and only two players spent more time on the pitch, John Stones and Harry Kane, than Raheem Sterling. To me, for most of the time he seemed to be running around like a headless chicken, no connection between brain and feet, contributing little, but what do I know, Gareth kept on picking him and playing him. So what was the end result of those 557 minutes of playing time ?

Two goals.

Bukayo Saka, with just 300 minutes playing time scored more, Harry Maguire playing centre-half scored more. Four players, Calvert-Lewin, Lingard, Ward-Prowse and Abraham, all with much less time on the pitch, all scored two each as well, in fact those four scored eight goals with just 697 minutes between them on the pitch, compared to Raheem's two in 557 minutes.

So if he wasn't scoring himself, then he must have been contributing usefully by setting up others to score instead mustn't he ? Err, no he wasn't, just one assist in those 557 minutes, Foden, Alexander-Arnold, Kane, Lingard, Mount, Shaw, James and Sancho all credited with more assists than Sterling, with the exception of Kane, all from less time on the pitch than Sterling.

Pep has seen through him, he's only started him four times this season, but despite the 557 minutes producing just two goals and one assist, for Gareth he's still an automatic selection, I struggle to work out why.

Good analysis sinkov, the facts speak for themselves. Perhaps he is being picked for his actions off the pitch, he's very politically in vogue at present.