Thanks for saving my time. I'm not inclined to engage anyone who thinks Kane shouldn't start for England. Such people could be considered a danger to themselves or others.
Is Sterling the best english player at the moment?
- Thread starter TsuWave
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We'd survive. I doubt that replacing him with Sancho, who has a higher ceiling and can finish, would make a perceptible difference in all but the shortest of terms. I predict it'd improve us, if anything. I don't want Sterling gone: I merely want to emphasise how wrong you are.
Our highest scoring game in qualifying (7-0) was the one from which Sterling was banned (not that a single match makes a good sample size, but it does disprove by counterexample the idea that our team is dysfunctional without Sterling). Kane and Sancho were predictably dominant in that game. Kane more so than Sancho. After all, Kane is our actual best player.
He's easily one of the worst natural finishers I've seen at the elite level. He only scores 25 a year because he plays in a ridiculously well coached Guardiola team with his back post tap ins from De Bruyne. No way he'd be scoring more than 12-15 at another club.
People on this board were working themselves up into a frenzy accusing dissenters of everything from "having an agenda" to racism when he performed this way in Russia. "But he's got world class movement!!" they say, to which one can only say it means sod all when you miss from 2 yards out. He's got form with this too.
He does have other substantial qualities (whether or not that makes him a "great" player is up for debate) but finishing ain't one of them. Sort of a reverse Theo Walcott.
Based on absolutely nothing. That being said, Man City, according to whoscored, do create the highest amount of key passes (15.4), so it's only natural that you'd expect anyone's scoring rate to drop at another team.
Racism? Wish you'd stop making things up. It was the same team that Walker, Young, Lingard, and Alli in it. I'm black and when people were calling for Sterling to be dropped, not once did I mention it was to do with race. Maybe you're the one with the issue.
He is clearly the best at the moment along with Kane. However there is some super talent coming through the ranks
Kane, Sancho, Rashford, TAA, Henderson, Maguire I would say are better players overall. Sterling can score his tap ins at City and miss a few, but it would be harder in other clubs.
He is England's second best player behind Kane.
He is the best player England have had since he left Liverpool. Even with less than impressive finishing he is the most potent threat the English team have and they are toothless without him aside from set pieces probably.
Greenwood and Rashford improving may change that though.
Greenwood and Rashford improving may change that though.
He's finishing is dross and it will be a factor in the next couple of years in the England side with the likes of Rashford, Sancho and Greenwood being competition
I find it silly to suddenly downplay the entire career of a player based on one blunder, much the same way Gerrard was reduced to a piece of ridicule after that one infamous slip against Chelsea.
I don’t know, England won 7-0 last time he wasn’t in the team but carry on.
Not keen on semantics but if we are going to nitpick who was that win against?
Faced with any average team or slightly above England struggles and Sterling is usually the only one who looks dangerous. Seen that scenario enough in 2019 to know he is England's best player and yet the most criticised.
Based on years of missing sitter after sitter. I'm not saying he's Joselu, but let's be honest Sterling running through on goal against your team in a decisive moment is hardly the scariest thing. He lacks that air of inevitability Aguero or Drogba used to bring with them.
Who's accusing you in particular?
Not sure how you work that out. England have only played two good opponents in 2019 and he played in both those games. He was fairly anonymous against Holland but was pretty good against Switzerland. He also played in the loss against Czech Republic and was underwhelming. He was sensational along with the rest of the team in the other qualifying games but they won 7-0 without him and there were no games where he didn’t feature and England struggled in 2019.
Attacking options for England are pretty great
Sterling (PL 4th top scorer)
Kane PL (PL 5th top scorer, crazy recent record for England)
Sancho (up with the likes of Messi, Neymar & Mbappe for goals and assists per 90 this season)
Rashford (best season so far)
Greenwood (great debut season, crazy performance against his xG)
Saka (same number of goals and assists for Arsenal as £75m Pepe in his debut season)
Vardy (PL top scorer)
Ings (PL 2nd top scorer)
Its not the attack that we really need to worry about even with a couple of key players missing.
Yes the main issues are midfield and defence. Oh and picking the right GK
I've never felt better about defending Kane against the unending chorus of "he's done" and "he's decline[d|ing]" over the past couple of years. I've consistently blamed his dips in form on an inability to get back to full match fitness due to a series of unfortunate events (injuries compounded by poor recuperation time) rather than any kind of loss of technique. And it seems like I was totally right.
I even defended him from his own club's fans. I feel entitled to enjoy the vindication a little. Let this be a lesson on avoiding recency bias. Or something, I don't know.
I even defended him from his own club's fans. I feel entitled to enjoy the vindication a little. Let this be a lesson on avoiding recency bias. Or something, I don't know.
A G E D
When I watched England in the WC 2018 even making the SF I thought they weren’t impressive losing to Belgian twice scrapping past Columbia and losing to Croatia but looking at there front 3 and team I always wonder(even in nations league) why they aren’t miles better. Anyway Kane is probably still the best
What’s clear, is that if we can get the right combination, and they are in form - Kane, Sterling, rashford, DCL and Greenwood with Grealish in midfield could be brilliant.
Problem is, Southgate said he sees Grealish competing with the first lot (it's just an excuse) and will likely not pick him as a result.
I agree though, very exciting time to be an England fan. With the form Kane and Rashford are in, you'd think they'd strike up a similar partnership to what Kane has with Son.
Kane the false 9 is the best thing since sliced bread....
Agreed apart from bold. I feel Ings is superior to DCL.
It gives us great options.
Raheem Sterling has won more penalties than any other player in PL history.
Congrats Sterling on winning the biggest diver in the history of PL award.
Congrats Sterling on winning the biggest diver in the history of PL award.
Yes.
Harry Kane?
Kane and Grealish are so far ahead this season.
Yep Sterling has fallen behind those two this season
Based on this season I'm not sure Sterling is even the best Englishman at City
He's not (as of this season)
I think he is in his head too much recently. But he's still a quality player. Does the basics well, remains a dribbling threat.
He has quite an ordinary record in finals for England. Could argue that sample size is not large enough where he has featured in like 10-11 games and contributed 0 goals and 2 assists. His qualifying record is quite good though.
Kane comfortably.
Not this season no. Kane's gone (back) up a level and Grealish has overtaken him for me.
He really really loves United.
No. AWB is.
He's having an awful season
Shouldn't be starting in the summer for England, not the form Grealish is showing
Shouldn't be starting in the summer for England, not the form Grealish is showing
He's being a bit stubborn sticking with facing Wan Bissaka despite him having his number, against United he should swallow his pride and switch wings like CR7 did against us when he realised Cole had him.
AWB makes a wee boy out of him again
He's been fluffing his lines in those games since 2014.
Shaw, Grealish, Rashford and Kane all better probably.
Shaw, Kane and Grealish are ahead of him.