Chelsea manager Graham Potter is not concerned by the lack of goals from Raheem Sterling
Speaking to the media ahead of the next game against Brighton and Hove Albion (h/t Football.London), Chelsea boss Graham Potter is not concerned by the lack of goals from Raheem Sterling for both club and country.
To put that question into context, Sterling has scored four goals and provided two assists in 15 appearances in all competitions this season so far.
However, the last time he scored a league goal was back in August, against Southampton in a losing cause while his last Champions League goal was in the middle of last month against RB Salzburg.
Moreover, the former Manchester City star did not score a single goal during England’s Nations League campaign, despite playing and starting five of the six games.
Talking about his dearth of goals and emphasizing the player’s overall quality, here’s what Potter had to say. (h/t Football.London):
“I would say no and no. Raheem’s quality speaks for itself. Sometimes the team doesn’t function as well and the forwards can suffer for that. Rather than zoom into the individual, I always say it’s better for me to think about the team, how we can attack better, how we can create more space for Raheem, more chances. It’s not just him, it’s across the team we can do better.”
At City, where he was a star playing in a team that creates buckets loads of chances, Sterling scored 53 goals in 126 appearances in the league and Europe in the past three seasons. That is an average of a goal every other game. Right now, at Chelsea, he is averaging a goal every four games.
But, as Potter mentioned, the 27-year-old is a quality player who is currently playing in a team that is not functioning to the best of its capabilities. There is a reason why we saw a change in the manager at the club last month.
So, it might not be completely fair to ask questions about a player who has a pedigree of delivering on the highest stage, both at the club and country levels.
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Furthermore, Potter has used Sterling in quite a lot of positions, including twice as a wing-back in the two games against Salzburg. So, even the manager may take time to find the best slot for the player so that he brings his best on the field and contribute to the team.