TheCanonburyCaniggia
Well-Known Member
I worry how the manager keeps playing him in every position but his best. Week in week out he is moved around. It is concerning.
It’s almost as if a shape change was required, no?Lest we forgot, it was actually Phil who brought Sterling out of cold storage and gave him the chance to play, Beale barely played him, even when he was available. Sterling's curse at present, is his versatility and adaptability. It's neither his, nor the managers fault really. It's the state of the squad and the injuries we've had to endure this season.
Clement would most likely, would prefer to play Sterling in positions that suit him best. But our lack of anything resembling depth, has led to him being shifted about on a near weekly basis.
Our two best options on the wing at present, are a guy we signed to be a full back in the summer and a guy we signed to share the burden at centre forward in January. Neither player has been able to play their natural/best positions for months due to injuries and imbalance in the squad. If that doesn't sum up the present state of our squad, then I don't really have anymore words left on the matter.
The fact we have two fit wingers and neither of them are, or have been good enough for months, means that Sterling has to play on the wing. Cantwell was tasked with playing there at the beginning of Clement’s tenure and it caused friction. So, we can't just drop Sterling to midfield at the moment.
We're lucky that the lad can , given the injuries we've had.I worry how the manager keeps playing him in every position but his best. Week in week out he is moved around. It is concerning.
Obviously we've been hampered with injuries and Clement hasn't had much to play with but Sterling absolutely should have been in midfield on Saturday. His athleticism, power and defensive abilities wouldn't have necessarily changed the outcome but I think it would have given us a far more balanced midfield and would have stopped them just waltzing through us at will. To enable this Ridvan should have been LB and McCausland on the right side of midfield. I'm not looking to criticise Clement as he has done really well considering what he came in to but I think most of us thought deploying this set up was glaringly obvious. Not sure what outcome he expected with the team he fielded but it was entirely predictable imo. It was so obvious they would over run us in midfield.
We will waste Sterling's talent if we just use him if and when required. He should be given a starting position and the team built around him. He's barely put a foot wrong since Clement arrived.
Good / decent technique along with desire, a bit of pace and work rate allow him to play most positions. his position is RB, play him there and we have an ever present deputy who is not just approaching, but is past his best who can be the replacement should Sterling ever be injured or required to plug a hole elsewhere.He's moved about cause he can actually play a bit.
We need his energy in midfield. But at the same time we can't have barisic at left back if ridvan is Injured. But we have nobody on the right hand side of midfield and he does well there. But it would be better if he was in the middle cause our midfield is awful.
If he played under Walter smith he'd be an excellent utility player. At the moment he's one of our best.
It’s almost as if a shape change was required, no?
4-4-2 diamond was required weeks ago given the injuries to wide players and us being over run in midfield.
Putting square pegs in round holes has contributed to this collapse.
What is his best position? I know he's supposed to be a right back, but the few times he's played there he's looked worse in that position than when he's played in the centre of midfieldI worry how the manager keeps playing him in every position but his best. Week in week out he is moved around. It is concerning.
Its clear he would bring so much missing physicality to our midfield so I have been frustrated watching him on the wing. He is good enough to do a job in most positions but we need to start using him correctly. For me he is, behind butland, our most valuable asset and we need to treat him as such.I worry how the manager keeps playing him in every position but his best. Week in week out he is moved around. It is concerning.
I wouldn’t feel sorry as Sterling appears to be someone who appreciates just to be able to play.Once again we surrendered the midfield
Sterling in my opinion would have made a big difference there
I actually feel sorry for him as he is moved about from right wing, left back and centre back because he is versatile to make up for players who can't play their own position
I wouldn’t feel sorry as Sterling appears to be someone who appreciates just to be able to play.
His attitude and effort is spot on.
I would though love for us to be able to buy players who can also play, and allow Sterling to settle into one position.
Yeah I’m very impressed with him.Fantastic attitude.
For me, both visits to Parkhead he's been out MOTM. Likewise, the cup final.
Great mental strength & composure.
Yeah I’m very impressed with him.
I have always told my two sons, that in life people can take away everything you have and own, apart from your attitude and effort, those two things nobody can take away. Have right attitude and put all the effort in, all things will work out well.
Sterling is the perfect example.
Cheers Grigo. They’re now men and have definitely stuck to that way. I’m proudGreat message to children RUK.
End of season, crunch game. Surely starting him then replacing later would have been better?Ridvan obviously wasn't fit enough to start or he would have.
End of season, crunch game. Surely starting him then replacing later would have been better?
Absolutely, he is a far better option than Barasic. Even half fit. The horse has well and truly bolted with Barasic, I'm really surprised Clement started him.No, doubt he could give us a full half.
Absolutely, he is a far better option than Barasic. Even half fit. The horse has well and truly bolted with Barasic, I'm really surprised Clement started him.
Absolutely, he is a far better option than Barasic. Even half fit. The horse has well and truly bolted with Barasic, I'm really surprised Clement started him.
Got enough for 15 minutes against Killie, followed by a full week of training.Ridvan obviously wasn't fit enough to start or he would have.
Aye very possibly Grigo, in such an important game surely it would be better to get him on from the start then replace if he's struggling as the game goes on? Maybe not. I'm not a football manager but it makes some sort of sense to me.Surely that was down to Ridvan's inability to play 45/60 at this stage ?
It's the only acceptable reason ?
Got enough for 15 minutes against Killie, followed by a full week of training.
There were no reports of any further injury in training - he should have started.
Aye very possibly Grigo, in such an important game surely it would be better to get him on from the start then replace if he's struggling as the game goes on? Maybe not. I'm not a football manager but it makes some sort of sense to me.
i dont think you need to build a team around himWe should be building a team around this guy. Has the proper Rangers attitude.
It's a rock and a hard place for Clement, I get it. Easy to look back now and criticise, if it had worked out we would be praising him for starting Borna. Deep down we just knew the type of performance we would get from him though. Timid and unreliable. The same as pretty much every old firm game he has ever played, give or take.I'm with you CLMGC.
It's a tough call, because it's so clear the improvement Ridvan is compared to Barisic nowadays, but if we have Ridvan to start in the final, that's what matters now.
It's a rock and a hard place for Clement, I get it. Easy to look back now and criticise, if it had worked out we would be praising him for starting Borna. Deep down we just knew the type of performance we would get from him though. Timid and unreliable. The same as pretty much every old firm game he has ever played, give or take.