Sterling, Barkley, Carroll, Bentaleb, how will they handle the plateau?
3 min read
Play the game for 5 minutes, have potential and you are worth £48 million! No afraid not, Raheem Sterling isn't worth anywhere close to £48 million.
What actually has he done? Very little, it's all potential, it's all what he could do in the future but he wouldn't be the first not to progress, the game is littered with them. When I was growing up Arsenal had Charlie Nicholas. A talented player without a shadow of doubt yet inconsistent and he failed to live up to his billing.
I'm convinced he could have been a world star had he the right mental approach to go with his talent, but alas he was forever a frustration, not that a Spurs fan minded that. Media hype about a player was not quite to the level it is today, especially in this country where any player with talent is the greatest thing since sliced bread it seems.
A bench of ordinary players are superstars, put them together in an England team and we see the true level of their talent. Wayne Rooney is a prime example, a huge talent wasted at Manchester United because he played here there and everywhere.
Phil Jones, an excellent centre-half with Bolton I believe (Blackburn I'm informed) used a a bit part player in midfield, right-back or centre-back. He should have been a centre-back at the Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Ledley King level, a standout centre-back, instead, now, who is he?
Shaun Wright-Philips had pace, that's all he did have mind, yet he left for Chelsea presumably for money and never did anything, other than run in fast straight lines. Now I'm not saying Raheem Sterling is the next Wright-Philips, he is a far far better player but to my mind he certainly shouldn't be going anywhere away from Liverpool yet. Brendan Rodgers is doing an excellent job with him, let him continue.
Ross Barkley rightly stayed at Everton and this will be a season where he needs to push on, when he recovers from his knee ligament injury. Tottenham of course have our own youngsters and older youngsters if I can call them that, players like Ryan Mason who will sparkle and then possibly plateau for a bit before pushing on again. Not potential superstars but they face the same problems.
Nabil Bentaleb is on that plateau at the moment after appearing from nowhere, Tom Carroll hasn't pushed on to fulfil the potential everyone thought he had, he can't get in the Swansea team at the moment. Players hit this point and then it's a question of their mental approach. Can they kick on in the manner of a Ronaldo or Bale or forever remain a frustrating Charlie Nicholas figure?
Going to a bigger club is not always best for a players development and valuing a player like Raheem Sterling at £48 million does him no favours at all, it just heaps pressure on him. People will forget he's just a kid and expect magic every week. Every little piece of skill will be blown out of proportion by the media and fans.
Spurs fans talked about Carroll as the next Modric but in 2 years he's gone nowhere, he has talent but talent isn't enough. Does he have the talent you can't see, the talent between the ears? For Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley and Tottenham's youngsters it is all about their mental approach now.
What actually has he done? Very little, it's all potential, it's all what he could do in the future but he wouldn't be the first not to progress, the game is littered with them. When I was growing up Arsenal had Charlie Nicholas. A talented player without a shadow of doubt yet inconsistent and he failed to live up to his billing.
I'm convinced he could have been a world star had he the right mental approach to go with his talent, but alas he was forever a frustration, not that a Spurs fan minded that. Media hype about a player was not quite to the level it is today, especially in this country where any player with talent is the greatest thing since sliced bread it seems.
A bench of ordinary players are superstars, put them together in an England team and we see the true level of their talent. Wayne Rooney is a prime example, a huge talent wasted at Manchester United because he played here there and everywhere.
Phil Jones, an excellent centre-half with Bolton I believe (Blackburn I'm informed) used a a bit part player in midfield, right-back or centre-back. He should have been a centre-back at the Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Ledley King level, a standout centre-back, instead, now, who is he?
Shaun Wright-Philips had pace, that's all he did have mind, yet he left for Chelsea presumably for money and never did anything, other than run in fast straight lines. Now I'm not saying Raheem Sterling is the next Wright-Philips, he is a far far better player but to my mind he certainly shouldn't be going anywhere away from Liverpool yet. Brendan Rodgers is doing an excellent job with him, let him continue.
Ross Barkley rightly stayed at Everton and this will be a season where he needs to push on, when he recovers from his knee ligament injury. Tottenham of course have our own youngsters and older youngsters if I can call them that, players like Ryan Mason who will sparkle and then possibly plateau for a bit before pushing on again. Not potential superstars but they face the same problems.
Nabil Bentaleb is on that plateau at the moment after appearing from nowhere, Tom Carroll hasn't pushed on to fulfil the potential everyone thought he had, he can't get in the Swansea team at the moment. Players hit this point and then it's a question of their mental approach. Can they kick on in the manner of a Ronaldo or Bale or forever remain a frustrating Charlie Nicholas figure?
Going to a bigger club is not always best for a players development and valuing a player like Raheem Sterling at £48 million does him no favours at all, it just heaps pressure on him. People will forget he's just a kid and expect magic every week. Every little piece of skill will be blown out of proportion by the media and fans.
Spurs fans talked about Carroll as the next Modric but in 2 years he's gone nowhere, he has talent but talent isn't enough. Does he have the talent you can't see, the talent between the ears? For Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley and Tottenham's youngsters it is all about their mental approach now.
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