Raheem Sterling is a star in the making. Ever since breaking
out as a young teenager and scoring 5 goals in an FA Youth Cup game against
Southend United, Sterling’s talent was palpable to everybody. He became the
talk among every Liverpool fan and this resulted in him making his debut at the
tender age of 17. He even became Liverpool’s youngest ever goal scorer after
scoring in a league game against Reading. He was the shining light in a poor
first year for Brendan Rodgers.
Sterling became the youngest ever scorer Source - kopleft.com |
However, Sterling’s promising start went downhill after
sometime. He found it tough to deal with the growing pressure put on him and
had numerous off the pitch problems. At one point, he was almost farmed out on
loan to bring in Mohammad Salah. However, fate intervened and the Salah deal
imploded and Sterling transformed into an integral part of a team that almost
challenged for the elusive title. He reveled in playing at the tip of the
diamond formation that Brendan Rodgers had devised for the Reds. This season,
he has grown into a regular starter and was even regarded as the main man in a
team short of stars.
Sterling came to his own last season Source - Guardian |
Recently, Sterling has made the news, but for the wrong
reasons, with an issue surrounding his contract. If the media is to be
believed, Sterling is reluctant to sign a new contract because of wage issues.
Various media outlets have covered the story and some sources have even claimed
that Sterling wants 150,000 pounds per week. There has also been a recent
interview with the BBC surrounding this situation. While it might be debatable
whether Sterling deserves those wages or not, what is for sure is that the
figures he is asking for are astronomical. Is he really good enough to earn
those wages?
The first point to be considered is that wages as high as
150 thousand are reserved for the very best players that make the most
desirable impact on a team. Is Raheem Sterling the best player on the Liverpool team? Can he be depended to bail
the team out when they are in trouble? It doesn’t seem so. For starters,
Sterling tends to fade way in big games. For example, in the Champions League
game against Basel, Liverpool needed someone to bail them out and Sterling hid
behind Steven Gerrard’s shadow. Another example of this is the Europa League
game against Besiktas where Sterling was completely anonymous. If he wants to
earn the bug bucks, Sterling has to provide.
Sterling has blown hot and cold Source - Express |
The next area into consideration is his goal scoring and
genuine impact on the team. While plain goals and assists may not paint the
whole picture, it is an undeniable fact that Sterling does not score as much as
he should and his chance conversion is not the best. Sterling has played close
to every game this season and has only 10 goals in all competitions with many
of them in an attacking position. An old and declining Steven Gerrard has the
same number of goals as him. In fact, there was a long period in
October-November, where Sterling did not even register a single goal. He is
definitely a player that blows hot and cold. Can Liverpool really afford that?
Thirdly, there are age and off the pitch factors that have
to be taken into consideration. While it has become a common adage to say, “If
you are good enough, you are old enough”, the fact of the matter is that it can
have a harmful effect on the dressing room if a player of Sterling’s age is
given such high wages. Issues like seniority and hierarchy should not exist but
do in the dressing room and if Sterling is rewarded with a new contract, others
might either feel jealous or treat Sterling with derision. It could lead to turmoil
in the back. Politics is defined as “activities
aimed at improving someone's status or increasing power within an organization”.
With backstage politics in Liverpool, Sterling might have trouble dealing with
the status quo at Liverpool.
Additionally, very few players around the world, regardless
of club, are paid that much money, especially at Sterling’s age. Players like
Julian Draxler and Hakan Calhanoglu are definitely talented but earn nowhere
near the amount of money Sterling wants. Calhanoglu, for example, only earns
60,000 euros but that does not make him any less talented. There is also the
fact to consider that Sterling has achieved next to nothing in the game, yet.
He has little European and international experience and this is his first full
season in the Premier League. He is nowhere close to being a world-class
player, no matter how much fans want to deny it. Lastly, if Sterling is to be
paid that much, he instantly becomes an ambassador for the club and will he be
prepared to handle the responsibility that comes with it. These are all issues
that have to be considered.
Hakan Calhanoglu has the talent but not the astronomical wages Source - WhoScored.com |
Liverpool is a club trying to get back on its feet and these
kinds of issues are things that the Reds have to deal with to be taken
seriously. If they think that Sterling is part of their future, they should pay
the money but if they do not, they should let him go. Chelsea did that with
Andre Schurrle, Kevin De Bruyne and many others and Liverpool should do the
same. There should be no if’s, but’s or maybes. These debacles should not occur
in the future as it makes the club looks like amateurs. The Raheem Sterling
contract issue has gotten out of hand and it is the club that should make a
unanimous decision on what to do. A club of Liverpool’s stature should not be
forced to lie down and be played around by agents.
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