Gareth Southgate to hold talks with Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling over his poor form
Speaking to the media (h/t Evening Standard), England manager Gareth Southgate will hold talks with Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling over the player’s poor form ahead of the World Cup.
Southgate intends to look in the eye of the 27-year-old and find out what is going on with him. The Three Lions manager is also considerate of the fact that the change in club and managers haven’t helped the former Liverpool star.
After moving from Manchester City to Chelsea in the summer, Sterling made a promising start but has been up and down with his performances in the past month or so. The Blues not playing well and the change in manager in September do become key factors.
Here’s what Southgate said when asked about Sterling and his form (h/t Evening Standard):
“The first thing is always to sit and talk to players and look them in the eye and find out what is going on. Raheem has had a change of club and his scoring at the start was very good.
“He has had three managers in a short space of time if you go back to [Manchester] City. There is a lot to take on for a player when they move club.”
Sterling is in the final 26-man England squad to feature in the World Cup. Although there have been calls for him to not start the first game against Iran, he has got the experience of doing well in tournaments for the Three Lions even after stuttering form in club football.
It is difficult to judge the 27-year-old’s form and make a definite argument on it. As Southgate mentioned, he has had three different managers in a short space of time – two of them at Chelsea. So, he still might be unsure of what his best position is with the Blues.
For Sterling, the World Cup could be arriving at the right time. He can move away from club football and play in a tournament that will be watched and followed by billions across the world. Sometimes, a change of scenery can help a player bring his form back. This could be that for the Englishman.
More Chelsea News:
- Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel sends warning to current boss Graham Potter
- Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher honoured and proud to be selected in the England World Cup squad
- Gareth Southgate believes selecting Reece James for the England World Cup squad could have been arrogant
Before he does that, there is an important league game away at Newcastle United coming up. Chelsea need a win after four without it in the league. It would be tough to get that though against a flying Magpies side, especially when they are at home.