Raheem Sterling has been criticised for his recent performances, but Graham Potter has now leapt to the defence of the Chelsea attacker.
Raheem Sterling has failed to score in his last few outings, and there have been suggestions that the player is focused on the upcoming World Cup and is not committed to performing at a high level for his club.
However, Graham Potter claims that Sterling is a quality player, and his commitment is not in doubt. The Chelsea manager also suggested that the team will need to improve as a whole, and one individual cannot be singled out for underwhelming performances.
“It’s something we have to look at not by zooming into one person but as a team,” said Potter (h/t Tribal Football).
“We can do better but if we do better as a team then individuals will benefit from that so that’s where the work is.”
The 27-year-old winger has scored just three goals in ten Premier League matches so far. And it is clear that he has not been able to live up to the expectations so far. He arrived from Manchester City to improve Chelsea dramatically in the final third. But Sterling has fizzled out after an impressive start to the season.
Raheem Sterling last 4 games:
•0 goal
•0 assist
•0 chance created
• 1/7 successful dribbles pic.twitter.com/Mw7xa6Yge1— Lefty (@CFCLefty) October 16, 2022
Potter believes that Sterling has the ability and the quality to transform Chelsea in the final third. And it remains to be seen whether the England international can recapture his peak form soon. The Chelsea manager admits that the World Cup starts in three weeks, and that is likely to have a subconscious effect on the mind of the players. But he added that Sterling’s professionalism and commitment cannot be doubted.
“Raheem has the flexibility, ability and quality to play in a number of positions. It’s not straightforward with us losing the players we have so we’re trying to constantly find the right balance and the right solutions but he can help us in a number of positions.”
“I don’t think it affects their performances, they’re fully focused but they’re also human beings so somewhere subconsciously you’re thinking that in three weeks’ time there’s a World Cup.
“I guess because of how close it is after the games finish, normally you would have a build-up phase and a bit more time but we’re going from competition phase to playing the World Cup within a week.
“It’s incredible how it is but we can’t do anything about it. We just have to help the players as best we can and make sure they’re not in dangerous situations for their own health.”
The Chelsea winger will hope to make his mark in the marquee event with his country later this year. And regaining his confidence and form with Chelsea will only help him in Qatar. The England international managed to impress during UEFA Euro 2020 last year, and he should be a key player for Gareth Southgate in the World Cup as well.
As for Chelsea, they are currently fifth in the Premier League table and will hope to close in on Arsenal and Manchester City in the coming weeks. A club of their stature should be challenging for the title, and Potter will need his top players firing on all cylinders in order to bridge the gap to the toppers.
