Last Saturday following the injury to Manchester Utd’s Tom Cleverly, 18 year old Raheem Sterling was called up to the England squad for the crucial world cup qualifier against Poland.
England manager Roy Hodgson went on record this week stating that players such as Sterling have earned their place in the squad on merit and suggested that the 18 year old would be capable of providing the same sort of impact that debutant Andros Townsend made against Montenegro.
As an LFC supporter, I’m a huge fan of Sterling’s, having seen him run rings around opposition defences at U21 level and witnessed his outstanding start to the season last year, following the debacle of Liverpool’s summer transfer window.
However, I feel that his call up to the England squad is an entirely pointless exercise, one that the young talent simply hasn’t earned as of yet and a further indictment of how England’s international set up needs an overhaul.
If we dare to compare ourselves to Spain for a brief moment, we can see that all those who receive a call up to the first team have had to earn their place through considerable work and proven consistency.
Both Isco, Koke and Thiago who have recently graduated to the 1st team squad have had to showcase their prodigious talents throughout their time with the U19s, U20s and U21s before even being contemplated as viable options for Spain’s premier outfit.
Even Swansea striker Michu has had to provide 3 years of excellent form to finally earn his first international call up, whereas one can only postulate that had he been of English descent his journey would’ve been far quicker.
Although Spain have a far richer bed of youth talent than England at present, that should not excuse the international set up against the premature call ups of youngsters simply to satisfy some sort of misguided pr campaign.
Players need to earn their way in to the team by proving themselves worthy over a longer period of time, not just by performing well for a few weeks.
Despite Sterling’s exceptional performances when thrown into a threadbare Liverpool squad at the start of last season’s Premier League, the young winger stagnated considerably, largely down to being over relied on by Rodgers in his debut season with the reds.
Such stagnation is both understandable and acceptable. Sterling is 18 and his progression into the club’s first team would ideally have been a far more gradual process, considering his tender age and need for both tactical and physical development.
Although the winger has expressed huge gratitude to Rodgers for granting him his chance to play in the first team, I’d argue that Sterling is now suffering from an unjustified weight of expectation that the Anfield crowd have placed upon his shoulders.
Having seen so much of Sterling in Liverpool’s first team (33 appearances to date) Liverpool fans often wrongly demand too much from a player who is still so early on in his development both physically, technically and mentally, as his off the pitch tribulations can attest.
So far this season Sterling has featured mainly as a second half substitute, often brought on by Rodgers to rectify a tactical imbalance in his side or to see if the pacey winger can have an impact on a game the Reds’ are struggling to threaten in.
Sterling has undoubtedly struggled to make an impact so far this season and looks to be suffering from the lack of defined role Rodgers has given him, demonstrated most recently by him being deployed as a right wing back against Crystal Palace.
Despite Liverpool’s relative control in the game, Sterling looked very uncomfortable in a role largely foreign to him and was easily pressed into errors by Palace’s forwards.
Simply put, the way Sterling is currently being managed is both unfair and potentially harmful to his evolution as a player.
In a piece detailing the considerable set up Spain have in place for their youngsters and the clear stages of progression that are laid down for them, Karl Matchett stressed the importance youth coaches place upon this stage in a player’s career.
Nearly all youth coaches agree that between the ages of 18-21 a player must undergo an essential transformation in terms of both their tactical, mental and physically development. If this process is hindered in anyway, then the progress of the individual may be stalled considerably or at worst prevented all together.
Within the same piece Matchett goes on to mention a Spanish talent whose handling should serve as a blueprint to LFC in their management of their own prized young asset.
Barcelona starlet Gerard Deulofeu is currently on loan at Liverpool’s Merseyside rivals Everton, a deal that is seemingly tailor made for the young forward to aid him in his development as a player for the future.
Having made 68 appearances for Barcelona B, racking up 27 goals in the process Deulofeu was in relatively similar position to that of Sterling at the end of last year’s domestic season.
Too good to stay at Barcelona B without the fear of stagnation, yet too young in both age and development to be promoted to the first team, Deulofeu was in need of regular first team experience at a team that suited his style of play.
Following the appointment of Martinez at Everton this year, Barcelona decided to send their young star on loan to the blues as part of a deal they viewed as being tailor made for the development of Deulofeu.
Playing under a Spanish manager with a philosophy that revolves around possession, at a club not under pressure to compete for honours (relatively speaking), Deulofeu should thrive and already has fans excited from his cameo appearances in the opening 7 games.
Whenever Sterling represents Liverpool at U21 level the same problem is evident, the young winger is too good to consistently play in such a league and yet doesn’t appear to be progressing from his bit part roles in the first team.
Sterling should arguably have followed his talented teammate Suso out on a season-long loan that guaranteed regular playing time in an environment of considerably less scrutiny and pressure.
Given the signs that Suso is flourishing in Almeria, one hopes that Sterling may soon find himself in a similar situation and that LFC are already exploring the option of a tailor made loan for their Jamaican born winger.
Though the title of this piece may seem to be a rather exaggerated question, it stems out of fear that LFC appear to be unintentionally mismanaging a talent that has been regarded as the jewel of their academy for the past few years.
Sterling does have one crucial commodity on his side however, time, and lots of it.
The young winger possesses huge natural talent and showed last season that at his best, he possesses a maturity on the ball that belies his tender age.
LFC must ensure that the their academy gem must not be neglected and unless Rodgers gives him a clearly defined role in the 1st team, Sterling should be sent out on loan to truly begin to harness his potential.
