Raheem Sterling must be growing accustomed to the abuse by now. The undercurrent of dissent which had grumbled unnervingly around Anfield over the latter weeks of the campaign had given way recently to something more vociferous, whether overtly expressed at Liverpool’s end-of-season awards ceremony at the Echo Arena or within the Britannia Stadium as his side sank without trace on the season’s final afternoon. His life plays out with boos ringing in his ears these days and Dublin, across the Irish Sea, provided no respite.
These are troubled times for Sterling. All that zest and effervescence the young man had displayed heading into last summer’s World Cup seems rather distant, the memories of his scuttling runs at back-tracking opponents, not least against Italy in Manaus, fading with every peripheral display. Back then his form had been a joy, his quality all too obvious, but the enthusiasm appears to have sapped away. The 60th game of his season was another plod, a mess of penalty appeals, complaints after tussles with Hull’s Robbie Brady and a substitution midway through the second period which felt like a mercy.
The local support, acknowledging Liverpool’s fan base in Dublin is particularly numerous, had poured scorn on his every touch, the boos ringing out whether he was losing possession or picking himself up tentatively from the turf. They did not forgive him his desire to leave Anfield and could not ignore the impasse between club and player over new contract terms, an offer of a five-year deal worth £100,000-a-week having been rejected and the prospect of further negotiations with his agent, Aidy Ward, apparently slim. Manchester City and Manchester United are hovering but for all his suitors, Sterling is also pursued by the furore wherever he goes.
Roy Hodgson suggested he will still be selected against Slovenia next Sunday but the England manager also acknowledged the player is suffering. “He’s going through a bad time publicly and you can’t expect him just to shrug off the criticism he has been receiving, not least from the local media in Liverpool,” the manager said.
That rather ignored the reality that the interview in April, in which Sterling denied being a “money grabber” and insisted his ambition was merely to win trophies, had been conducted with the BBC – and much to his employers’ frustration.
“It has become national pretty quickly,” continued the manager. “He does ever so well and tries to shrug it off, and let his football do the talking. He needed this game to realise that, if he is going to get it out of his system, he’s going to have to work harder still and get a thicker skin than he has at the moment.
“But I have no reservations [about using him in Slovenia]. I trust Sterling. But players are not robots. He’s done some fantastic things for us and today he didn’t hit those heights, but it’ll take a lot before I and the English national team turn away from Raheem Sterling.”
The frustration is that the talent remains, just below the surface, even if the 20-year-old’s qualities – pace, close control, skill and attacking instincts – have been blunted by outside pressures. “Six months ago he could beat any defender in the world,” said Paul Scholes. “He has great skill, great pace, but just looks like his confidence is shot to pieces.”
A few weeks’ break from the daily grind is unlikely to revive him if he is reporting back to Melwood next month with nothing determined over his future.
There has to be a resolution, a transfer away or a new contract to stay even with two years to run on his current deal, if he is properly to recover. He needs to be free of the controversy to thrive, otherwise no one will enjoy the best of him any time soon. The closest he came to making a positive impact here was an optimistic tumble over John O’Shea’s leg just after the hour mark which was treated dismissively by the official from Northern Ireland, Arnold Hunter.
The injection of pace and urgency on the flank was supplied by Andros Townsend here, with Theo Walcott just as eager for the ball over the meagre eight minutes he was granted on the turf. Both players might expect to challenge Sterling for a starting place against England’s nearest challengers in Group E even if the Liverpool forward’s malaise was actually reflective of his team’s collectively lacklustre display.
Hodgson’s side may now be 10 games unbeaten but, after recent praise of the quality on show in Scotland or the unlikely recovery in Italy, this did not feel progressive. Indeed, the occasional flash of quality from Jack Wilshere aside, the visitors were left clinging to vague promise offered up by Ross Barkley in his own cameo after replacing the Arsenal midfielder.
The Evertonian was involved in more opportunities – with three shots and two passes which provided team-mates a glimpse of goal – in his 24 minutes than any other England player. Admittedly, he lost his footing as he attempted two of his own efforts, but it was that kind of sloppy afternoon.
The hope is that a competitive game in Slovenia ekes more quality from Hodgson’s charges. Whether Sterling will find a brief respite in Ljubljana remains to be seen.
