RIndeed, Sterling’s detractors should know better than to discount him. No one will be surprised at the winger’s reaction to being booed during Chelsea’s disastrous home defeat to Wolves earlier this month. It was Sterling who regained his place in Mauricio Pochettino’s starting XI last weekend, scoring against his former club and thwarting Manchester City’s title bid.
Adversity is nothing new for the 29-year-old. Ms. Sterling is a victim of racial abuse. Although he has been a pioneer off the pitch, there is still a sense that some are waiting for his downfall. Nine years after his move from Liverpool to City, the idea that Sterling is driven more by the size of his bank balance than by his hunger to succeed on the pitch persists.
Fortunately, Sterling has enough experience to keep things in perspective. He was undaunted by the jeers that greeted his substitution during the Wolves game. Sterling, who is in contention to start in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Liverpool, knows it’s territory and will face Pochettino in the FA Cup fourth round replay against Aston Villa three days later. Even when the manager removed Sterling, he didn’t throw a strop.
The competitive spirit came to the surface. Chelsea bounced back against Villa, with the front three of Nicholas Jackson, Cole Palmer and Noni Maduke performing well in a 3-1 win, and it was easy to see Sterling being sidelined. After all, did he really fit into Chelsea’s youth project? He arrived after a rough first summer with owners Todd Boley and the Clear Lake Capitals, but it’s hard to imagine them targeting his profile now. My spirit has changed. Chelsea did not sign any players over the age of 25 last summer.
But Sterling has worked hard to maintain his influence. His dedication was underlined when he came on in the 79th minute against Crystal Palace last week and played a key role in Conor Gallagher’s winning goal. After that, after Maduke was left out of the squad against City, he became an integral part of Pochettino’s counterattack plan, and was spectacular as he calmly slotted home the lead after a deft pass from Jackson, past Kyle Walker. marked the performance.
Sterling didn’t seem to be coasting. He has not lived up to expectations since joining Chelsea, but he is determined to make the move a success. He understands that the club is at the beginning of a rebuild. Everything went very smoothly on and off the pitch, a far cry from the frictionless environment he experienced at City.
Now is your chance to change the story. Sterling has won five League Cups with City, so playing against Liverpool at Wembley is nothing new for him. Even so, the dynamic movement is interesting. This was the first men’s final for Chelsea’s owners, and Sterling said the win would be comforting given all the criticism the club has received over the past two years.
Sterling could have taken the easy route and went to Saudi Arabia last summer. When Chelsea bought him for £47.5m and handed him a contract worth around £300,000-a-week, he was hailed as Chelsea’s ‘flagship’ player. But Thomas Tuchel, who envisioned building an attack around Sterling, will soon be gone. Sterling, plagued by a hamstring injury and often playing out of position, struggled. People expected him to finish the season with nine or more goals. Todd Boley even tried to give him a pep talk in the dressing room after the defeat to Brighton.
Mr Stirling did not take Mr Bailey’s intervention badly. He returned to preseason in better shape. There is also talk that he spent time supporting Chelsea’s young players and showed his leadership skills. He has looked after Palmer since the playmaker moved from City.
But what matters most is Sterling’s form. Although he has made an encouraging start to the season, he has not done enough to convince manager Gareth Southgate to include him in the England squad. Other wide players have also moved up the ranks, with Sterling, who has not played for his country since the World Cup, looking increasingly unlikely to feature at Euro 2024.
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All he can do to convince Southgate to return is to keep playing well. Sterling isn’t perfect. He has been patchy this season and has been frustrating at times with his decision-making. But he is enjoying life under Pochettino. The Argentine gave Sterling the freedom to play off the cuff and used his speed against high defences, reinforcing Sterling’s belief.
A trusted manager can help. Sterling’s freedom and confidence will allow him to maintain his ability to destroy any full-back. This season he has played well against big teams and has put up decent numbers. He has scored six goals and provided three assists in the league, with his goal against City surpassing Steven Gerrard’s 120 Premier League goals.
I don’t think he’s a player slowing down. One theory is that Sterling, who relies on speed, is suffering from the kind of burnout often seen in players who break into the first team at a young age. Lots of miles on the clock. He is no longer the teenage sensation who became a regular at Liverpool 12 years ago.
But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sterling has matured and become more rounded. The past 18 months haven’t been easy, but Stirling doesn’t believe the end is in sight. All he’s ever known is pressure. Chelsea will be hoping he can get through this on Sunday.
