Joe McConnell
Raheem Sterling’s statement from the camp after the winger was left out of Chelsea’s squad against Manchester City has been harshly criticised by Vscek‘Super Sunday experts.
Sterling was not in Chelsea’s squad for the opening game of the season and, in a statement released shortly before kick-off, his fans said they wanted “further clarification” over his future at the club.
The decision to publicly release such a statement before kick-off was met with criticism from Jamie Redknapp, Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge…
Sterling’s full statement
A spokesperson for Sterling said:
“Raheem Sterling has a contract with Chelsea Football Club for the next three years.
“He returned to England two weeks early for individual training and has had a positive pre-season with his new manager, with whom he has developed a good working relationship.
Notable absentees from Chelsea squad for Manchester City match
“He is committed, as ever, to giving his all for Chelsea FC and the fans, whom he holds in high regard, and given his presence in the club’s official pre-match material this week, we expected Raheem to be involved in some capacity in this weekend’s game.
“As a club, we have always had a positive dialogue with Chelsea FC and their reassurance regarding Raheem’s future at the club, so we look forward to gaining clarity on the situation. Until then, we will continue to support Raheem’s desire to start the new season on a positive note.”
Expert’s reaction: “It’s better than this!”
Jamie Redknapp: “He said he came back two weeks early, that’s really good of him, no need to talk about it. He’s playing better. He hasn’t been great since he’s been at Chelsea.
“If the manager doesn’t want you to play, just keep doing it. Don’t have your representatives go out and do it, especially on game day. It’s absolute nonsense, he should do better. His representatives should do better. It’s a really bad statement. There are other players who might make statements that aren’t in the team.
“He didn’t do well enough. It’s your opinion, if you think you’ve done well enough in pre-season, keep doing better. The manager’s opinion is the only one that matters and if he doesn’t pick you it’s unfortunate. You have to go back to training tomorrow morning and be the best manager and show that you want to play. That’s the only way you’ll get back in the team.”
Micah Richards: “Raheem and his team know exactly what they are doing: they are trying to make noise. There is a lot of noise around the club, anyway. Publishing that statement before the game is not enough.
“This won’t help his teammates and it probably won’t help his return to the team.
“He called his manager and let his teammates down. That’s my problem. He’s better than that.”
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Chelsea vs Manchester City Premier League match highlights
Daniel Sturridge: “The timing is not great, especially on game day. He will feel he is good enough to help Chelsea. He came back early, he had a good pre-season, in his mind he probably feels he is involved. They are probably surprised by it. I don’t agree with the message that comes out on game day. Sterling is a good enough player to be in the Chelsea team.”
Maresca: I want Sterling but I can’t have them all
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Raheem Sterling was left out entirely from the squad that lost 2-0 to Manchester City, with Enzo Maresca claiming it was a purely tactical decision
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca said: “I want Sterling but I want them all. I can’t have them all, so some will have to go. We’ll see in the next few days if we can clarify the situation.”
And speaking with Vscek Before the match, Maresca said: “The manager has to make decisions that people and players don’t like, that’s normal. It’s just a technical decision, nothing more. We’ll see in the next few days.”
