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Football News: Raheem Sterling why oh why!

Raheem Sterling why oh why!
Image from: theclassical.org

This Raheem Sterling situation has spiralled out of control over the last few weeks, with both sides making a complete mess of the whole thing. Not one person involved is coming out of this looking clever.

The only way to be fair is to try and give all sides of the argument, but everyone has to accept they are getting this all wrong. This should have been dealt with inhouse, quietly, and the lad either signs or goes, but with none of this public, frankly embarrassing, bickering.

First off you have Raheem Sterling, a lad brought in from QPR, so not a local lad with an innate affection for Liverpool, who arrived as a teenager for just over half a million pounds. He got a new contract with a pay rise taking him to around a third of the wage of Glenn Johnson.

Just think of that for a moment, a lad who is being called 'the best young player in Europe' by his manager, is being paid less than a third of an unwanted fullback. Would you not feel that is a little insulting, that even when the club do make you an offer, it is still less than the wage Johnson is being paid?

Added to that is he wants to do what is right for his career, not just money, but trophies and to play in a position that suits him, rather than just being shunted out of position because the manager does not trust any of the numerous strikers he has brought to the club in the absence of Sturridge. Rightly or wrongly, he does not feel his development is best served by being used all over the pitch.

Personally I think that is something that could help him improve for his long term future in the game, but I do understand that he wants to play where he can play to his best and ensure his England future. The trophies issue is one that is difficult to argue with, Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers look further away from trophies than they have under any manager in the last 50 years, apart from Roy Hodgson.

His agent, on the other hand, is just making a complete fool of himself, with his public pronouncements and proclamations. His job is not to be in the limelight, lapping it up and getting himself publicity. His role is to be out the back, out of sight, getting the best deal for Raheem and Raheem's future, not just his own wallet.

Sadly it is clear that the agent has little interest in anything other than money, even at the expense of a players long term future. Aidy Ward has done everything he could to make sure that Liverpool FC have no choice but to sell Sterling for as much as they can get.

I really can not defend the agent's actions at all, they are just not good for football, Raheem or Liverpool, in any way. The only thing that will benefit is his wallet, but I hope other young players will have the sense to see that they should steer clear of him and find a better agent.

Liverpool FC have not been blameless in this affair either, disappointingly. No longer does the club look to keep everything inhouse and done quietly and efficiently with no fuss. It is not just the manager, Brendan Rodgers, putting public pressure on Sterling to sign, with his proclamations about what a great deal he was being offered, but also the club captain, Steven Gerrard.

That did nothing but turn a young lad into a public enemy in Liverpool and lead to him being booed in match after match, as well as at the club awards dinner. That was extremely unhelpful and does nothing to help the club's public image, as well as the harm it has done to Raheem's reputation.

The club have made a total mess of this situation, playing it out in public like this, instead of doing it all quietly. Now they have reduced his sale value, in the event that he is to be sold, and put him in an awkward situation even if he decides to sign a new contract.

The only real beneficiary of this whole sorry episode are the media, who have been able to make days of headlines out of the whole thing, with very little effort on their part. It has handed them story after story on a plate, with Sterling and Liverpool FC both being turned into a joke, with Aidy Ward the pantomine villain pulling all the strings.

The sooner it is over the better, as far as I am concerned, the main problem is what to do now. I do feel Liverpool need to hang on to Sterling, if possible, as it shows a lack of ambition to let a lad go at such a young age. Having said that, I would only keep him if he changes agent, and I would want the club to never deal with Ward or any player he represents ever again.

Written by Tris Burke May 22 2015 13:32:10