Sterling actions reflect badly on him, but suit all parties

[tlw content]

Raheem Sterling has reportedly told Liverpool he does not want to be included in the club’s pre-season tour to Australia and Asia as he looks to force through a move to Manchester City.

 

The Reds are due to fly out to Bangkok on Sunday but the wantaway winger has informed Brendan Rodgers that he thinks it’s in everybody’s best interests if he is not in the travelling party. He may have a point, although that won’t cut much ice amongst the club’s supporters who see this as further evidence of Sterling being a bad apple.

 

Sterling is not the first to act in this manner and he won’t be the last. Only last summer Dejan Lovren pulled a similar stunt to force Southampton into selling him to the Reds and Liverpool are no doubt expecting Christian Benteke to make enough waves at Aston Villa that the Midlanders will soften their stance and listen to offers below their £32.5m valuation.

 

It doesn’t reflect well on Sterling of course, but it’s become apparent in recent months that he doesn’t particularly care how he is perceived, he just wants to get his own way.

 

He is desperate to force a move away from Anfield but despite bold claims from his agent that every club in Europe would want him, only City are showing any genuine interest in him with everybody else being put off by the Reds’ £50m valuation. For all the talk of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United, City are the only ones showing a serious desire to sign Sterling.

 

The Telegraph this week reported that Sterling is in line for around half of his agent’s cut from the deal, which would work out at around £4m. Little wonder then he doesn’t seem overly concerned about the 65k a week he’s been missing out on since he rejected Liverpool’s last offer of around 100k a week.

 

Liverpool’s public stance is that they are happy for him to stay and will only sell for £50m, but having already spent more than that amount on new players this summer the reality is that they almost certainly need to move Sterling on if they are to be able to also land the top goalscorer they desperately need.

 

With Roberto Firmino now on board and the Times’ Tony Barrett reporting that Barcelona’s Pedro and Real Madrid’s Denis Cheryshev are being considered as replacements for Sterling, there seems little point in keeping a de-motivated player who is unlikely to even make the team, even if his current 35k a week salary does not put too much of a dent in the club’s coffers.

 

Teaching Sterling a lesson by having him spend a year out in the cold and possibly missing out on the European Championships next summer is an appealing prospect to many fans, but the club would surely be cutting off their nose to spite their face if it meant being unable to sign a striker because of it.

 

From City’s perspective, it makes sense to get the deal done as quickly as possible to allow Sterling to settle in before the season kicks off. It doesn’t suit anybody for this to be allowed to drag on and if Sterling refusing to join the club’s tour speeds things up then that’s surely best for all parties, even if his reputation takes a further battering as a result.

 

 

 

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[RoboRiise]

Your word processor appears to have auto-corrected the word 'bell' to 'apple' in the second paragraph but other than that, good piece.

[StevieMax]

Taking Sterling will piss him and City off as it pushes back the effective transfer date.  So threatening to make him go might force City's hand in coming back with the £50 Mil.

[dave u]

Phoned in sick today! Aidy pulling out all the stops now. What's he got lined up for tomorrow, a note from his mum saying he has to be excused because the dog ate his boots?

[Josef Svejk]

Phoned in sick today! Aidy pulling out all the stops now. What's he got lined up for tomorrow, a note from his mum saying he has to be excused because the dog ate his boots?

 

An interview in The S*n?

[Spy Bee]

An interview in The S*n?

I wouldn't even be surprised.

[Dr. J]

Don't care. Only thing that matters is getting the most for him as quickly as possible.

[bonesman]

Apparently some of our fans are racially abusing the lad online, this is not the way forward..

[niallers]

Ban him from all our facilities if he's refusing to honour his part of the contract and fine him in accordance with the presumed terms therein. This petulance cannot be accepted. I'm not trying to bite my nose off to spite my old face either. Fuck him and his gimp of an agent.

[s(k)aturation]

Let him rot in Australia.

[ZonkoVille77]

I can't wait to see Emre Can lift the little cunt into row 26 next season.

[Russ Atmosphere]

I can't wait to see Emre Can lift the little cunt into row 26 next season.

 

We're fucked.

[Bobby Hundreds]

I think Rodgers should phone him up and say "Young Jordon Ibe... He's a wonderful guy, You Raheem Your'e not so wonderful... Pack a belt, bring a colouring book.

 

That will tells  him.

[Section_31]

[A_S]

Just fuck off now please. Please.

[magicrat]

Apparently some of our fans are racially abusing the lad online, this is not the way forward..

 

Fans ?  Jesus wept , lets never forget we have our share of utter bellends claiming to be Reds

[Redder Lurtz]

City are getting a right piece of work aren't they. Fuck him and fuck them, they're well suited.

[Stickman]

I can't wait to see Emre Can lift the little cunt into row 26 next season.

 

 

Can needs to start watching a few clips of Agger's on Torres....an all time classic...(apologies for the music)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhLNAIeG-ts

[s(k)aturation]

I remember Suarez not wanting to go to Australia a couple of years ago... but I personally saw him turn up, albeit looking a bit sulky, and do his duty.

 

Then he came back and tore the EPL a new arsehole in one of the best seasons I've ever seen from a player.

 

This little prima donna on the other hand is destined for splinters in his arse, courtesy of the City bench.

[Grinch]

The only thing that matters now is getting as much as possible and not wasting it.  When you factor in QPR's cut, agent fees and signing on fees, it could well end up a straight swap for Benteke.  

 

Unfortunately it looks the most likely scenario at the minute.  A huge opportunity wasted.

[bonesman]

Were it all began..

 

[ZonkoVille77]

he's fucked.

[Redder Lurtz]

This is about as unprofessional and primadonna-esque as it gets really. For him to come out with a "I'm not greedy" interview without the club's knowledge, then to let his agent mouth off about not signing for however many million pounds, then to let slip that it's the manager he doesn't want to play for... Then calling in sick for training. What a prize cunt. The little shite is poison and the sooner he starts fucking up Pellegrini's shower of millionaire cunts the better.

[Horus]

Brendan needs to invite him to go and see Tinie Tempah with him, then take someone else. That'll learn 'im.

[RoboRiise]

Apparently some of our fans are racially abusing the lad online, this is not the way forward..

 

No it's not, anybody doing that is an even bigger twat than he is.

 

 

Phoned in sick today! Aidy pulling out all the stops now. What's he got lined up for tomorrow, a note from his mum saying he has to be excused because the dog ate his boots?

 

He will turn up for the official team photo with 'slave' written on his cheek.