Sterling set for crucial campaign (ESPN article)

by Dave Usher for ESPN

Not much seems to have gone Liverpool's way these past few weeks. Luis Suarez left for pastures new and the transfer of the man identified to replace him, Loic Remy, fell through on medical grounds. Several key players -- including new big money signings Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic -- have missed valuable playing time through injury and another expensive recruit, Dejan Lovren, was prevented from joining up with his new teammates on their tour of the US after being denied a visa.

All things considered, results and performances have been encouraging for the most part, although the second half capitulation to Manchester United in Miami ensured an otherwise successful trip ended on something of a sour note. Despite the numerous setbacks, there have been positives for Kopites to take from preseason, with the displays of Raheem Sterling at the top of the list.

The teenager is in absolutely scintillating form at the moment and looks set to take the Premier League by storm this year. It shouldn't come as too much of a surprise if he does, as he was arguably Liverpool's best forward for much of the second half of last term and was one of the few to emerge from England's pitiful World Cup campaign with his reputation enhanced. Rather than simply "carrying on where he left off", however, the 19-year-old looks set to elevate his game even further.

His performance against Manchester City in Charlotte was electrifying; he led the City defenders a merry dance, scored one terrific goal and was later denied a brilliant second by an incorrect decision from a linesman. It was a fantastic individual display full of direct running, skill, composure, tenacity and searing pace. There was one moment when he knocked the ball past Gael Clichy, gave the full back a five yard start and then just blew by him like an express train. Clichy is no slouch but he was left eating the teenager's dust.

He took that form into the United game and in the first half Phil Jones and company were made to look incredibly foolish at times by the young England man, who has well and truly put a disappointing 2013 behind him now and is fulfilling the promise shown when he first broke into the senior side.

There's a Suarez-shaped hole in the Liverpool attack and while it would be both unrealistic and unfair to expect Sterling to fill that, it's certainly not unrealistic to suggest he might just be the Reds' most important forward this year.

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