asajoseph wrote:
Squallkid, fair enough, though I can't really say I know what most pundits are saying about Sterling, let alone what they're writing on RAWK. The end product is a reason to think you might not play him right now, but you can't write a player off for it when they're 17, and playing in your first half season of regular first team football - especially when his end product has always been pretty good at lower levels.
For me, he's at roughly the same level as Ox - which is pretty high.
I don't like comparing players against their peers of the same age group.
For me if you're in the first team then you should be judged by the standard of a first team player regardless of how old you are.
It's a valid excuse as he is only 17 but if he has a major flaw in his game then send him out on loan to let him iron it out and get used to playing football.
Liverpool are making the same mistake we did, bringing through too many young players and then when the pressure really hits, they won't be able to cope.
I like Sterling, I really do but I'm keeping my powder dry until he does it against a big team like Wilshere v Barcelona or Chamberlain V Man Utd. That is the true test of a young player's potential, not the way he does a few dribbles against Norwich and Sunderland, but how he performs against top class opposition.
