phips wrote:Foreverinbluedreams wrote:phips wrote:PrezIke wrote:We aren't selling Raheem because we need English players on the squad list. If by some miracle we got Neymar, Sterling would rotate with our other attacking mids like he is already.
i cant see Sterling ever starting for Pep in big matches unless there are injuries to the squad or he vastly, vastly improves. he's basically Navas right now.
You don't think Pep had any say in our pursuit of Sterling then?
Basically Navas? He's already scored more goals in his first season with the club than Navas has done since signing in 13/14.
if he did, which is likely, then he probably okayed the move based on potential which is what everyone did. i dont think anyone thought Sterling was worth that much or was close to being as good as the price tag made him out to be (of course the English aspect raised it too). that being said, i dont understand how anyone can think he's been a success this season. obviously he hasn't been a failure but i dont think he's been a success. my thought was that when Pep gets some players in and combines them with who he keeps from this current City side Sterling will be coming off the bench. just my thought.
as for the Navas quip, that was more about being basically all pace and energy. yes he's scored some goals (aside from Sevilla how many of them were vs. shit opponents?) but he has looked absolutely toothless in the attacking third.
not saying he should be sold or that he will never improve. all im saying is that based on current form i find it hard to believe he will turn into the type of player Pep wants and trusts to be in his starting 11 vs. big sides. again, Sterling could improve drastically next season and prove me completely wrong; heck, i want that to happen.
He was worth the price since that's what the market dictated. He is English, we needed more English players who we are willing to play regularly in the side and to get younger. He also has the potential to become world class, and we likely weren't his first choice destination, Premier League teams pay higher rates now with all of the money in the league, and we are one of the richest clubs in the world, so we also pay a premium.
When folks keep repeating the price was not what he was worth, it's as if you suggest we have no clue how to spend on players. It's called taking a risk that you think is worth it, and can afford it. The same applies to Mangala.
If we didn't fork out that money for Sterling then he stays at Liverpool and/or goes to Arsenal or Chelsea, both rumoured to be interested, as was he. We needed a pacey more direct player, which so many of us identified last season as well. The prices for players now are what they are for reasons. Was 29 year old recent big money move flop Jackson Martinez worth £32m or 28 year old Ramires £27m?
We paid £30m or something like that for Fernandinho at 28, actually but I don't hear any complaints about that now, yet more than a few of our fans were not pleased with the money spent.
My take? Why care so much about the cost of players? It's not your money. I trust our chairman, Txiki and Soriano to know how to manage the club and the money we use in the transfer market, even when they flop. We are not careless spenders and one of, if not the best, run team in the world right now, so goes how we continue to jump up in popularity and financial growth compared to our rivals.
Sterling may come of the bench next year, yes. So he will have to fight for his place in the side. He had to know that coming to a club such as ours. He wanted that to get a chance to play with and become the best. It's far too soon to act like he is going to become the next Balo.
P.S. - You can even balance the money spent on Sterling with the ridiculously low fee we paid of £8m for Delph.
