How Raheem Sterling Fits into Mikel Arteta's Tactics at Arsenal!

It looks weird doesn't it? Raheem Sterling in an Arsenal shirt. It appears to be one of those where you expected at some point for him to play for Arsenal Football Club but with him being at Chelsea you thought that ship sailed and you couldn't quite believe it. Now as we know Raheem Sterling has signed for Arsenal for the 2024-25 season on a loan deal. I don't know how you lot are with it people but in truth I think it's a good contingency plan. It's a deal our sporting director Edu openly said was not part of the summer transfer plans. Where you look at it, the Athletic said Benjamin Sesco and Nico Williams were our targets. Much like a lot of the goalkeepers we're linked with, we failed to get those things in people. One must say you know again I do think this will be a good signing and please allow me to humour you lot. Now it's fair to say Raheem Sterling's time at Chelsea has not gone to plan since he completed his £15m move from Manchester City roughly two seasons ago. He has scored nine goals and ten assists respectively in those two campaigns. When you look at it in isolation it is bad for someone of Raheem Sterling's quality but for a winger it's not necessarily such people. Last season however he netted fewer than 10 people and the last time he did that was actually 2012-2013 I believe. I do also believe last season where you look at the Premier League he only got eight and there's been years where you'd have to go back several years where he's barely touching five. So it was really a poor two seasons by Raheem Sterling's standards considering he's been playing at the highest level since 17 years of age people. Of course you know his move to Chelsea was designed kind of like you're seeing with Arsenal to get him regular football and to help him look at their project. As we know Enzo Maresco has said he's not in their plans, Jadon Sancho and Pedro Neto have arrived and it appears that Modric, Felix, Nkunku and many other options are preferred at Chelsea ahead of him. Then you look at it he also lost his place in the England team, unable to add to the 82 caps he has for England and someone that's been to European competitions and World Cups for England. So life is coming fast at Raheem Sterling and he appears from a footballing perspective not quite feeling sorry for himself but down on his luck. Now he has a reunion with Mikel Arteta. You would imagine Mikel believes that Raheem Sterling is capable of getting back to those numbers he produced at Manchester City. Where you look at in the five consecutive Premier League campaigns at a certain point he got between seven and twenty-eight goal involvements which we could definitely do. I mean let's be honest if Pakaio Saka isn't making the difference, Trossart did it last season or Kai Havertz then we're kind of in trouble. Yes we got 91 goals but it is a bit of a peculiar situation. The manager has also said he's an outstanding character and you look at Raheem Sterling, all the nonsense from the likes of Piers Morgan, assassination of his character, the talking points that are said. I do think he has a resilient character which you don't have the career Raheem Sterling has had for the teams he's played for and everything he's achieved if you do not have that and he has got longevity. Now at 29 years of age turning 30 this is probably the most important season in Raheem Sterling's career or maybe an exaggeration. I think naturally he could be a positive influence among the squad people. I mean he's not expected I suppose with Arsenal fans to start every game but I think there is a greater discussion to be had there. There are obviously several question marks where you look at Raheem Sterling signing beyond the obvious. The first would be where he plays. He could obviously provide competition slash deputise for Pakaio Saka or if Saka's form isn't there he'd play on the right. I wouldn't want to see it but he can play in the hole behind Martin Odegaard and we have complained about the lack of options there summed up by letting Smith-Rowe and Fabio Vieira depart. He can occupy the false nine position and he can play on the left so he does have versatility and in his way does provide depth to the attacking options. For me I'd prefer him to be on the left-hand side. I think Kai Havertz is one of the first names on the team sheet and he's picked up where he left off last season doing the business. Pakaio Saka in the last three games I wouldn't say he's playing amazing but that's by Pakaio Saka's own standards he's still significantly better than a lot of his teammates. So the striker position is sorted, right wing is sorted, the left-hand side seems to be open season. Martinelli's form is woeful. While it's harsh to just judge one player on one start which Trossart got against Brighton, in my opinion Trossart is seen as a rotational option. So it seems like the left-hand side could be open season in that regards people and that could obviously be a spring in Raheem Sterling's step if I'm completely honest. And I mean you'd imagine if a team plays a high line and they get into a foot race Raheem Sterling could make those late runs from in to out, out to in and he'd be a great signing in that regards. I genuinely think this is a better signing than people giving credit. Yes the context with how our summer panned out towards the end, the lack of signings, not getting our first choice targets. People say Raheem Sterling's damaged goods and he's a Chelsea reject and Sterling will have to prove people wrong. But I think the late runs into the box are his bread and butter. He's pivotal in the opposition's box. You look at the vast majority of his goals are scored in the opposition's area and we need someone, we need greater influence. So I think he could help people and it's the space in behind that attracts me people. As I said the late runs from out to in, from in to out you know you look at a couple of the screenshots on screen with what you saw at Manchester City with Kevin De Bruyne and him. Could we not do this similar thing with Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz and also Raheem Sterling which we've kind of shown people and I think you know again Sterling could be a killer on the transition. He provides stability. Again if teams are dumb enough to play a high line we could kill them on the transition. I think with Kai Havertz dropping deep into midfield, Saka and Sterling in theory can make late runs. I think in theory again it needs to be put into practice but in theory this is a much better signing than I think people are giving credit for. Sterling's long been a huge threat in 1v1 situations and scenarios. He's got the ability to effectively press and counter press and that's evidently improved people. You know you look at most of his appearances for Manchester City they came on the left hand side. I think his shooting is frustrating and he does miss a lot of chances and I definitely don't want him to take three kicks but I think there's been an improvement. You do not have the career at Manchester City make the appearances he's made at Manchester City if you're not a good player. Don't forget when Pep Guardiola walked through the door at Manchester City people said Raheem Sterling is one of the first to leave and you look at the goals and consistent appearances it's fair to say they were wrong. In terms of what Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola demand people they demand their wide attackers to stretch the pitch, hold their positions during build-up play and when the time is right cut inside and exploit the opposition and cause damage people and that is where I think Sterling can help Arsenal greatly if I'm completely honest with you and he's skilled and he knows that if I'm brutally honest. When the opportunity is there he'll make those diagonal runs, he can help with build-up play, his link-up play is definitely not the best but it's not the worst and again you look at his role at Manchester City it was closer to that of a second striker rather than a traditional wide player. He would often move into positions between the line to link play and his main focus when City have the ball is try to be on the finishing cusp of the moves in the final third of the pitch or the final phase of action which I think again that's what you want Sterling to do. Again people Pep Guardiola was always appreciative of the value of Sterling and the impact he had people and as a reminder of his importance since the manager's appointment in Pep Guardiola's case at the time no player had made more Premier League appearances for Manchester City than Raheem Sterling. He ranked fifth at a point people for Premier League goal involvement since he made his debut for Liverpool as a 17 year old in 2012 and he's still out here in 2024. Yes he's seen as not being the guy for Chelsea but if you playing for Chelsea football club at 29 years of age means you're finished I'm not sure. He's got his tally at the time people of 165 in brackets, 109 goals and 56 assists placed him only behind Harry Kane, Sergio Aguero, Mohamed Salah and Jamie Vardy. That tally is very impressive apologies when you factor how he failed to hit double digits for goals in a season until 17-18 people when his 17 goals represented a 157% leap from the previous campaign. There was a period where he you know maintained those numbers and his career best was a return of 20 in the 2019-20 campaign. For me he's good in tight spaces, he's a threat in behind, he can score goals, he knows what Mikel Arteta wants and he can counter press and high press and he's obviously got a point to prove a chip on his shoulder. For me I'm all for this. One game while nobody really remembers what he really did at Chelsea where Arsenal fans are concerned, one game would be a game last season I believe or maybe even the season before against Liverpool ironically also one of his former clubs where if you look at the way Pochettino set up in that game he placed him in behind Liverpool's midfield three. Sterling constantly left Robertson with a dilemma and a decision to make. Does he push towards Raheem Sterling which frees up Rhys James or does he focus on Rhys James making those run forwards which allows Raheem Sterling to get between the lines? In that game Chelsea made sure to find either Sterling or James directly to deny Liverpool's midfielders the time to shift across which evidently can affect them and you know our manager Mikel Arteta this is right up on the street he probably knows Mikel Arteta probably knows Raheem Sterling more than he knows himself. The most effective of those roles once again against Liverpool in this game was Sterling's positioning on that right hand side people if I'm honest and one thing that when I think of Sterling I think of movement, think about it. What is Kai Havertz praised for? Movement. Saka is a transitional king and is learning how to be more devastating centrally and things of that nature. Sterling's game is also based off running behind and causing damage so I'm not suggesting the first choice front three is going to be Kai Havertz, Saka and Sterling. I'm just saying that would be a good scenario if we've got those three Gabriel Jesus getting back to his business, Trossart doing his thing and banging on the door and whoever else I haven't mentioned we're laughing. For me there's many things to like about Sterling he's the same age as me obviously him being Jamaican born it obviously helps there's that he grew up in North West we're a team of the culture and Raheem Sterling is a player of the culture let's be honest people we all know Raheem Sterling is one that we support beyond the obvious because we know how the tabloids have tried to do him dirty and I've watched Raheem Sterling grow up from the QPR skill schools on Soccer AM to the Victory Shield to watching him come through at Liverpool before Brendan Rodgers assassinated his character and leaked things to the press to him becoming a household name at Manchester City to him evidently being at Chelsea and still actually employed by Chelsea but he's been loaned to Arsenal for a year and he's a London player as well people so there's a lot to like I will never write off a player before giving him a chance do I think Raheem Sterling is an inspirational signing 100% I don't but it's a signing that I definitely don't think is bad people I guess it's the way and the premise in which Raheem Sterling arrived on deadline day in which has given fans more of the hump there's people doubting his ability so you could argue there's a point to prove he knows Mikel Arteta I'm sure he wants to win a trophy it's not an assurance that he's going to get regular football at Arsenal but he's shown before he wants football so he's coming to put a place down and lay down a marker and while you know it's a while to go until the 2026 World Cup I'm sure he wants to get back in England contention especially with Southgate leaving people so between him looking like damaged goods the Chelsea exile there's a lot to like about him there's a lot to like about him from a footballing point of view and the mentality you know as I said he's dealt with a lot of things off the field he's dealt with a lot of critics and doubters his whole life much less within football so I think he's got the character required to not only turn the situation around but also thrive at Arsenal you know I don't believe he's coming here to sit on the bench and we've got to remember this is not the Raheem Sterling show this is not a rehab centre he is going to have to earn his place I don't think you can define Raheem Sterling as a consistent marksman throughout his career people but he does have a respectable 173 goals I believe in 159 games or something of that ilk at the time of writing Arsenal will be getting a player who will be motivated to change public perception and prove if Mikel Arteta can reignite the fire within Raheem Sterling and bring him back towards his best this transfer may be yet seen as a stroke of genius as a master stroke now naturally worst case scenario of heat but worst but best case scenario he is one of the signings of the season he's essentially going back to Chelsea and he might have put himself in the shop window or Chelsea might say you know what I've made a mistake let's bring him back in people you know when you look at Mikel Arteta's time working with Raheem Sterling he ended up with 55 league goals across those three campaigns from a you know a non-penalty exg of 45.4 many of those goals as well as the 23 Premier League goals he managed in those final two seasons at City came from making intelligent runs now as much as we talk about the football what is Mikel Arteta focused on a lot it's what we do without it this is where Raheem Sterling thrives and you look at his pedigree you can say what you want about this individual four Premier League titles 82 England caps played for Manchester City Liverpool now Arsenal as well as Chelsea he's giving the Nelko a run for his money I know people as well as PFA young player nominations and many others at one point he was the most expensive English player so there's plenty of things he can teach to his teammates at Arsenal on a temporary basis and there's many things he can give us people you would have seen he was at the game versus Brighton no doubt he'll be joining a manager that he knows very well and will hit the ground running and there'll be a number of familiar faces in and around the Emirates in terms of his current teammates for the campaign with that being said though people let me know your thoughts on Raheem Sterling joining us what do you make of this where do you think he'll play leave a comment and also where you look at the 2024 summer signings with David Ryer's loan move being made permanent with California Mikel Moreno Neto the goalkeeper from Bournemouth joining on loan on deadline day in addition to Raheem Sterling what do you make of it what would you rate it out of 10 for me I would give it a 6 I think we've got some good depth and we've technically addressed the areas we wanted to but I don't think we've married the depth I still don't think we have enough players I wanted to go into the season with 17 players people that we really trust I don't quite think that's the case there's been a mixed bag where where outgoings are concerned I think the net spend balance looks positive and there you know you look at the Eddie and Kettyer and Smith Road deals they were great I know Aaron Ramsdale's stock's been hit for example but I don't believe Ramsdale is worse a keeper than when he arrived at this football club than when he's leaving but that's my thoughts let me know your thoughts on Raheem Sterling at Arsenal do would you start him against City and actually Spurs do you think he'll be a success and don't forget to let me know your thoughts on the summer transfer window as a whole with that being said you lot stay safe stay blessed like comment and subscribe peace