* Raheem Sterling s future has been debated over the past weeks.
* Liverpool are very keen to hold on to the Jamaican-born English man.
* He has had to shoulder a lot of responsibilities this season with the departure of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge s constant injury problems.
* Rodgers has overseen an average campaign full of uncertainties and trials.
* Rodgers poor transfer decisions has destroyed the progress they made last season.
* Ex - Liverpool vice captain has constantly criticized Sterling s refusal to sign a new deal.
* Stats reveal the 20 year old has had a good season
* His agent has been a scapegoat in the media.
* Liverpool are very keen to hold on to the Jamaican-born English man.
* He has had to shoulder a lot of responsibilities this season with the departure of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge s constant injury problems.
* Rodgers has overseen an average campaign full of uncertainties and trials.
* Rodgers poor transfer decisions has destroyed the progress they made last season.
* Ex - Liverpool vice captain has constantly criticized Sterling s refusal to sign a new deal.
* Stats reveal the 20 year old has had a good season
* His agent has been a scapegoat in the media.
Over the last weeks of the season one of the hottest topic of discussion has been Raheem Sterling s future at Liverpool. Newspaper reports has it that the England international has rejected the new contracts offered to him by Liverpool. The 20 year old also declared in an interview with the BBC his ambition of winning trophies.
When Liverpool narrowly missed out on the title last season, they were powered by a highly scoring and effective front line led by eventual Player of the year and top scorer Luis Suarez, top scoring Englishman in the EPL Daniel Sturridge and Young player of the year nominee Raheem Sterling. Then Suarez packed his bags for Barcelona and Rodgers first signing was Rickie Lambert, followed by Mario Ballotelli and loan returnee Fabio Borini.
When Liverpool narrowly missed out on the title last season, they were powered by a highly scoring and effective front line led by eventual Player of the year and top scorer Luis Suarez, top scoring Englishman in the EPL Daniel Sturridge and Young player of the year nominee Raheem Sterling. Then Suarez packed his bags for Barcelona and Rodgers first signing was Rickie Lambert, followed by Mario Ballotelli and loan returnee Fabio Borini.
Suarez s departure left Rodgers with over £100m to spend. Sturidge's injury problems were already known to Rodgers but he failed to take care of this problem. The money made was spent on players like Markovic, Lovren, Emre Can, Moreno, Ballotelli and Lambert.
They were supposed to get better, that was his promise when Suarez made that move. They needed reinforcements in the middle of the park. It was clear from last season they needed a deep lying play maker to take over Gerrard s responsibilities and a world class midfielder as a partner. The centre of defence also needed improvement with over 50 goals conceded in the EPL alone. But instead with the signings he made we have seen Liverpool regress this season. Most of the signings have not been up to last season s level talkless of improving the first XI which was the target.
Raheem Sterling has pushed for a Liverpool exit
Compare that to Chelsea and Mourinho. Chelsea finished lower than Liverpool last season. They went into the transfer market concluded their deals early and strengthened the team. In came Diego Costa and Fabregas following Matic s early January return and Courtois back from Atletico on loan. Out went Juan Mata, Andre Schrulle, Demba Ba, Ashley Cole and Fernando Torres.
These moves showed proper planning and shrewdness which Rodgers lacked. The new players went straight into the first XI and they also fit into the template, a 4-2-3-1 formation. The final result was a Premier League title and a Capital one cup.
Rodgers s Liverpool instead started the season uncertain of which formation to play with several players proving unsuitable for the style of play which brought them success the season before.
Signing players like Lambert and Ballotelli (target men) to replace a dynamic, mobile and highly technical players like Suarez and Sturridge was a big failure on Rodgers part. These were players who don't fit into the style of play. They were square pegs in a round hole.
The situation got so bad Sterling even had to play as make shift striker at a stage. He has also played as a wing back when problems developed in these positions.
By the middle of the season it was already looking impossible for them to qualify for the UEFA champions league talk less of doing better than the season before. Later on he stumbled on a 3-4-3 formation but its a formation which has not been used by any successful team for more than the last decade.
Liverpool have spent the whole season dealing with the results of their poor summer dealings. They managed to imitate the failures of
Tottenham with Gareth Bale s transfer. Replacing the outgoing EPL player of the season with squad players.
Tottenham with Gareth Bale s transfer. Replacing the outgoing EPL player of the season with squad players.
Raheem Sterling s main reason for signing so far has been that he wants to win trophies. Liverpool have not won any since Rodgers took over as coach and they have only a solitary Carling Cup since 2005 that's one trophy in 10 years. Neither do they look like improving that tally with Rodgers likely to still be in charge and with the other teams above them getting better all the time.
Ex players like Jamie Carragher have been constantly criticising Raheem while the fans have also turned his agent Aidy Ward who is an easier target into a scape goat as they don't want to wrong the youngstar. They have accused his agent of being behind Sterling s refusal to sign a new deal. Jamie has tried to implore Sterling to stay as he believes it is where he could develop most. He believes Raheem would be moving too early and he wouldn't get into most of the bigger clubs out there.
But he forgets the fact that playing with better players improve players and whether a transfer turns out to be a success depends on a lot of factors that don't change with age like talent, hard work and determination.
Sterling will develop no less under managers like Wenger, Mourinho Ancelloti, Guardiola and Pellegrini than he will develop under Rodgers.
Even Neymar Jnr despite his success this season had issues during his first season with Barcelona.
Even Neymar Jnr despite his success this season had issues during his first season with Barcelona.
His stats for this season despite not playing in a settled position throughout the season has been good.
Jamie talks of his disappearance during the big games forgetting that Rodgers played him as a wing back and striker against Man Utd. He scored against a very good goal against Chelsea this season. Shone very well in all the big matches last season when playing in his best positions behind the striker and on the left flank bar Chelsea home and away.
Jamie talks of his disappearance during the big games forgetting that Rodgers played him as a wing back and striker against Man Utd. He scored against a very good goal against Chelsea this season. Shone very well in all the big matches last season when playing in his best positions behind the striker and on the left flank bar Chelsea home and away.
His stats for this season also revealed that he has created the most chances for Liverpool and one less assist than Eden Hazard. He is also Liverpool s most successful crosser of the ball and is in the EPL top 6 for most dribbles completed and 2nd only to Henderson again with goals contributed. While he clearly has room for improvements he clearly has the numbers to back him up.
He is an ambitious man and it won't be the first time he will be making a risky move as that was what he did when he moved to Liverpool from QPR. He believed that he could make it back then and he was right. If he believes he can make it at a bigger club than Liverpool then he has earned the right to be trusted.
It is his career and folks like Carragher should stop acting like they are the ones who have been making decisions for him throughout his career. If he eventually leaves and they need someone to hold responsible it shouldn't be Sterling or his agent who bear the brunt. It is purely Rodgers fault for not making the team strong enough to convince anyone that their is a bright future ahead.
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