Player Focus: Has Sterling Developed Accordingly Following City Move?

“I want to continue my development and win trophies,” Raheem Sterling said back in November. The England international secured his controversial switch from Liverpool to Manchester City last summer in his bid to win silverware. It’s somewhat ironic then that it’s against Liverpool that Sterling will compete for the first domestic honour of the season when the two teams clash in the Capital One Cup final later this month. 

While City could still feasibly secure the quadruple this season, it’s fair to say Sterling’s big money move to the Etihad Stadium hasn’t gone entirely according to plan. Six points behind league leaders Leicester City and with tough trips to Chelsea and Dynamo Kyiv in the FA Cup and Champions League respectively three days apart, City’s best chance of silverware undoubtedly comes at Wembley against the Reds at the end of February. 

However, even if Sterling secures his winners’ medal this month, there is reason to suggest his game has not developed during his time in Manchester. Given Manuel Pellegrini will depart City at the end of the season, as was confirmed at the beginning of the month, the Chilean may not have focused on the development of the young England international as he would have done had his future at the club been guaranteed. 

Nevertheless, Pep Guardiola will have the chance improve Sterling when he takes charge, with the Spaniard favouring versatile attackers despite the youngster somewhat flattering to deceive since his transfer. Sterling’s WhoScored rating this term (6.92) is his lowest in his four full Premier League seasons as he struggles for consistency in the final third. 

His performances have evidently dipped, particularly following a bright start to the season, with four of his five league goals and one of his two assists coming in his opening eight Premier League appearances for his new team. However, since the turn of the year, Sterling has struggled to match the standards his price tag has set. 

For the reported £44m spent initially to sign him from Liverpool, City have every right to expect a better return on their money, though this in turn could be down to Pellegrini’s deployment of the youngster. Sterling’s best quality is his ability to carry possession forward, with the wideman developing a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of ‘dribbling’ as a result. However, while he was granted the attacking freedom to showcase his dribbling talents with Liverpool, a more disciplined system in place at City means he’s been unable to exhibit this weapon in his arsenal as frequently. 

An average of 1.5 dribbles per league game is his lowest in his four full Premier League seasons, though this in turn could be due to the fact that teams sit deeper when they play City, meaning there is less space for Sterling to exploit. However, during his time with Liverpool, he was more often than not the club’s primary creative threat, particularly once Luis Suarez departed for Barcelona and taking into account Daniel Sturridge’s injury concerns. 

At City, though, this is certainly not the case, given Pellegrini can call on David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and, to a lesser extent, Samir Nasri, three players who boast a stronger end product than Sterling. As such, the onus is to have Silva and De Bruyne on the ball as often as possible in order to pull the strings in the final third. As a result his average of 1.4 key passes per game - also his worst return in his four full Premier League seasons - is modest. 

Nonetheless, an average of 29.5 passes per game suggests the 21-year-old, however, shows he’s capable of retaining possession in a way Pellegrini demands. This allows for Silva and De Bruyne to provide the spark for the side, though in their absence, it’s crucial Sterling now step up to the plate against Spurs on Sunday, a game they will look to win to launch themselves back into the title race. Indeed, he created the necessary chances against Leicester - no player played more key passes (4) - but against a Foxes outfit that looks to sit deep and hit teams on the counter attack, this came as little shock, especially considering City enjoyed 69% possession. 

He is unlikely to be granted similar time and space on the ball this weekend given Spurs’ high pressing approach under Mauricio Pochettino. However, there is still plenty of time for Sterling to become a more rounded attacker. Of course, there remains work to be done if he is to realise his potential, with his final delivery leaving a lot to be desired. Only Marc Pugh (3.7%) has a worse cross success rate than Sterling (5.3%) of the 130 players to attempt 25 or more crosses in the Premier League this season. 

It’s feasible to suggest that Sterling has not progressed in the way many expected, but given his age; he’s still something of a diamond in the rough. With Guardiola at the helm next season, Sterling will play under a manager who works tirelessly to improve players, while the Spaniard’s tactical acumen will only benefit the youngster. He may not have developed as he had hoped following his switch, but there is ample time for Sterling to make good on his promise, particularly once Guardiola takes over the reins.

Have you been impressed by Raheem Sterling following his move to Manchester City? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below