Claudius wrote:

Theo is not a big game player. This is a guy who had fewer than 10 touches of the ball before being subbed out towards the end of the game recently.

Please tell me you're not dismissing Theo as a big game player because of how he did against Leicester City.
EDIT: Serious question. I'm pretty sure that was his last start but I could be wrong.

Claudius wrote:

We point to one or two instance of his big game (like the Milan run to set up Ade) and turn into a generalisation. 

Ignoring the fact that he has scored at Old Trafford, The Etihad, Stamford Bridge and White Hart Lane. As well as against Barcelona.

I'm not a Theo fan and I'd drive him to Anfield myself if I could bring Sterling back with me, but your post was filled with some top, top quality revisionism.

Captain wrote:

A fit and healthy Walcott is a potent weapon and a quality footballer.

I agree. But a fit and healthy Theo is a rare thing.

We can't carry Theodore anymore. We could live with his shortcomings when we were shit, and barely made the top 4, but we're now gunning for the title and hopefully the CL soon. Fuck his stats, they're useless when he can't pass and move or dribble - which top team has such a player? None. We have to play as an unit, and the first criteria should be that you're a clever footballer with top class technique, then the goals will follow suit around the team.

Sterling is overrated, but he's already a much better footballer than Theo at the age of just 20. He'll become world class soon enough, and if we could get him then we shouldn't hesitate for a second. Although it's a joke how much money he's demanding, so we'll stay away most probably.

The thing is, he can pass and move and dribble. He has phenomenal pace, balance and agility and he bangs goals. Walcott is a long way from the kid we bought from Southampton.

But anyway, we have a Walcott bashing thread, so the conversation can stay there.

How can you say Sterling is overrated and then seconds later say he's on his way to world class?

I don't remember anyone saying he was world class yet. Just he's got potential to be.

Bosscielny wrote:

How can you say Sterling is overrated and then seconds later say he's on his way to world class?

I don't remember anyone saying he was world class yet. Just he's got potential to be.

What's wrong with that? He's on his way to become world class, that doesn't change the fact that he's overrated atm.

Pool fans rate him as one of the best or even as the best player in the league. That's overrating him.

Captain wrote:

The thing is, he can pass and move and dribble. He has phenomenal pace, balance and agility and he bangs goals. Walcott is a long way from the kid we bought from Southampton.

But anyway, we have a Walcott bashing thread, so the conversation can stay there.

He can move, but pass and dribble in tight spaces? Not so much. He wouldn't stand a second at Real, Barca, Bayern, etc for that reason alone.

Why not keep Theo and sign Sterling?!

why would you have Welbeck, Sanchez, Ox, Walcott and Sterling for the wide berths? It's overkill when we still need to invest in another central midfielder and an alterantive to Giroud at 9. That's why one would let Theo go. Keeping Theo and Ox at the same time with their history of injury just seems a bit mad to me. All the players are also very fast which negates Walcott's one true strength.

I'd be livid if we replaced Theo with Sterling. If we're replacing the former then it needs to be with proven quality like Reus not another project, might as well give Gnabry some minutes in that case.

Sterling is a decent talent but extremely overrated imo, he started and finished virtually every Liverpool game this season and has something like 5 goals and 5 assists. Dodgy character to boot and I'm pretty sure he'll break down soon seeing how Liverpool run him into the ground. I'm almost certain Gnabry would provide a similar return given the playing time, especially playing a lot of those games centrally.

Sterling is an absolutely phenomenal talent and more to the point, however little the stats say he is contributing, he is contributing a lot more than our supposed top young talents. As far as I can see, he is absolutely running the show there. And while it's natural to go through quieter spells as a young player, he's always still a massive threat. 

I'm mostly skipping over the comparisons between Walcott and Sterling, and that's because there aren't any worth discussing. Sterling's completely different class. We know Liverpool will never sell to us (probably unless it's a near world record fee). But since we're talking about hypothetical trades, obviously the Walcott+cash for Sterling swap would be a hell of a result for us. To be honest, the only thing that would stop me making an Ox for Sterling or Wilshere for Sterling swap is blind faith and my Arsenal biased view. If we paid £60m+ for Sterling and he was the only signing we made for 2 years, I'd be ecstatic about it. This is going to be one of the best players in the world for the next 10 years. But as I said Liverpool don't like us, they want to catch us and I think they'd rather sell to Chelsea, Man City or abroad. 

jones wrote:

I'd be livid if we replaced Theo with Sterling. If we're replacing the former then it needs to be with proven quality like Reus not another project, might as well give Gnabry some minutes in that case.

Project?

I'd say Sterling is more of a guaranteed success for us in the league here than Reus.

Gnabry has shown nothing to suggest he's even close to Sterling.

Just another youngster that fans want to hype for later 'told you so's'.

Theo a big player player? Sorry but i doubt what football you watch est?

He is almost the first one to disappear when the going gets tough. Look at how much he gets subbed!

Anyway i doubt we are gonna get Sterling or even that he wants to come. He just wants a bigger paycheck and we are happy to oblige like Rooney, Milner etc in past

I'm in Theo's camp, and off the top of my head can remember big matches vs Chelsea (5-2 win), Barcelona (who were afraid of him), Shaktar (a personal favorite when he took it early) and vs Udinese.

jones wrote:

I'd be livid if we replaced Theo with Sterling. If we're replacing the former then it needs to be with proven quality like Reus not another project, might as well give Gnabry some minutes in that case.

Sterling is a decent talent but extremely overrated imo, he started and finished virtually every Liverpool game this season and has something like 5 goals and 5 assists. Dodgy character to boot and I'm pretty sure he'll break down soon seeing how Liverpool run him into the ground. I'm almost certain Gnabry would provide a similar return given the playing time, especially playing a lot of those games centrally.

You claim Sterling is overrated whilst massively underrating him in your post. Sterling is brilliant. Comparisons to Gnabry are absurd.

I agree with Jonesy tbf I think Sterling is over rated, like every English youngster who is half decent.

Indeed. Harry Kane will never hit 20 goals a season in his life again and Sterling will fade into background soon enough and we'll call him Raheem Wright-Phillips.