22 Jun 2015

'Terrific': After £45m offer, Liverpool legend claims 'outstanding' attacker will replace 'Sterling'

The Raheem Sterling transfer saga rumbles on, and unlike many fans (it seems), I'd love to see Liverpool sell The Mercenary to the highest bidder this summer (currently Man City with a £45m offer). The Reds will not miss Sterling in the slightest, and the money from his sale will allow the club to buy one or two attacking players of infinitely superior quality (and end product). That might not even be necessary, though, as LFC legend John Aldridge insists that Sterling's replacement is already at Anfield.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo on Sunday, Aldo raved:

“Liverpool have a ready-made replacement for Sterling in Jordon Ibe. He’s a terrific player [with] more potential, than Raheem had at that age. He’s a big strong lad, very direct and a better finisher than Raheem".

Ibe being allegedly superior to Sterling is a popular argument these days, but I'm not so sure it's true.

As much as I want Liverpool to dump Sterling ASAP, Ibe has shown very little so far to suggest that he'll develop into a player who'll score/create more goals than The Mercenary.

It shouldn't be hard - Sterling's goals/assist ratio is not the greatest, and last season, he contributed a paltry 7 league goals in 35 apps (11 in 52 overall), which is eminently replaceable.

When it comes to specific, measurable impact, though, Ibe has made little real impact on Liverpool's results since coming into the team, yet he's still overpraised like he's some kind of world-class superstar.

To date, Rodgers has described Ibe as:

* 'Brilliant'.

* 'Wonderful'.

* 'Absolutely sensational'.

* 'Absolutely outstanding'.

Add on fawning praise from the likes of Aldo, Redknapp, Carra, and several other ex-Reds, and you have Sterling MK 2: A decent, developing player who's achieve *nothing* yet is lionised like he's Lionel Messi.



The praise is undeserved, though. Last season, Ibe contributed a miserly one assist and no goals in 17 appearances for Liverpool, and if he's going to replace Sterling, he'll need to improve exponentially next season.

It's all well and good being described as a 'terrific player', and a 'better finished than Sterling', but it all means nothing unless there are concrete results to back up those platitudes.

That said, as a 19-year old, Ibe should not be under pressure to score shedloads of goals/assists for Liverpool, but he will be under pressure due to Rodgers' ridiculous overpraise, which will raise expectations amongst fans, and the media.

If Ibe doesn't live up to the damaging 'outstanding' and 'sensational' labels, he'll be criticised, and that won't do him any good.

On a related note: I never criticised Sterling for his goals/assists when he was breaking through, and I argued the same thing: that he should be left alone to develop, with senior players bearing the responsibility (and pressure) for scoring/creating goals.

That all changed, though, when Sterling started getting too big for his boots. At that point, The Mercenary himself changed expectations, and since then, he's abjectly failed to prove that he's worth £100k+ a week. Hopefully, Ibe won't go down the same path.

Next season, I don't have any real expectations for Ibe. It'll be nice if he grabs a few goals/assists here and there, but the senior, more experienced players (Hendo, Lallana, Coutinho, Milner etc), should bear the bulk of the creative responsibility.

Liverpool should *not* have to reply on Ibe next season, and if that's how things turn out, it'll prove once again that Rodgers has catastrophically failed in the transfer market.

Author: Jaimie K


125 comments:

  1. With respect, I think Rodgers has described every player he's ever coached as:


    * 'Brilliant'.

    * 'Wonderful'.

    * 'Absolutely sensational'.

    * 'Absolutely outstanding'.




    I wouldn't put too much stock in what Rodgers says about players.

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  2. Darn, at first glance of the title, thought we'd snagged a £45 million superstar. Grrr! JK!

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  3. This is something I really wish BR would take heed of. Just keep it low key in the press, stop the over praise and telling us all how clever he was changing the 'system' at half time because as per usual the first half was crap.

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  4. I think he has worked on his press conference skills since the Stoke game.

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  5. Agree with JK wholeheartedly on this one. Ibe should just be quietly introduced in some games to gain experience and gradually improve.

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  6. Yeah, confusing headline.

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  7. Keep in mind that there are many here who are now complaining that he hasn't said anything at all in 4 weeks.


    Some such as Logan are using this lack of talking as evidence that he's actually fired.


    Bottom line is that the only way fans will be happy is if the team wins. Doesn't matter what the manager says.

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  8. Its time to get rid of the SPOILT LITTLE BOY RAHEEM - City have offered a fair price NOW DUMP HIM and FORGET HIM and I am 100 per cent certain he will be a FLOP wherever he goes - Take the money NOW.Its B R s last chance and he better use the money wisely SELL HIM TOMORROW - Chelsea etc know he is not worth more than £25 million

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  9. Exactly what BR should realise, just let the results do the talking.

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  10. If Sterling was in Argentina his value would be £8 million TOPS And that is a FACT

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  11. Tell me few things
    1) why he is a spoilt little boy?
    2) why will he flop?
    3) how come you say thay city have offered a 'fair' price if he is not worth more than 25mn??

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  12. I reckon Aldo may be right although both players strengths are entirely different, Ibe I believe is better technically, arguably stronger and his desicion making is a lot better than sterlings. The thing sterling has over Ibe is his blistering pace however his decision making leaves a lot to be desired at times and his final ball is often lacking. I wouldn't want to put too much pressure on Ibe but I am very excited about watching his development at An field as he is a cracking player.

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  13. I blame Argentina.

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  14. I actually wish he didn't have to give press conferences.

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  15. That's what I meant.

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  16. I think Ibe is not as good as Sterling technically as well as in terms of decision making. Sterling is slightly better in terms of finishing too. However, am looking forward to see Ibe develop too and hope he taps on the opportunity arising from Sterling's departure.

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  17. I dissagree. You say we will not miss sterling in the slightest. He was our top scorer till Gerrard overtook him in the last few days and he took pens... Why are people happy to see him leave, calling him a mercenary... How about we keep these players and build the team around them instead of selling them once they come good. He prob only asked for the same wage that players like Balo was on, while he warmed the bench... And you just know we will pi$$ that transfer fee up the wall.

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  18. All pace and little fundamental ball playing technique would suggest that once again, RAY is RIGHT.

    Make a good, if a little basic, campaign slogan, that.

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  19. We will miss him but 100k was a very, very fair offer for someone of his age, and also know it will get renegotiated in two years anyway.

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  20. Great comments, hopefully Ibe will eclipse him.

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  21. Oh my god, thank you...sooooo true.

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  22. I'm happy to see him leave because. £45-50m is a sh*tload of money, he doesn't want to play for us, he's really not that good & wouldn't even need replacing in our squad

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  23. Raheem Sterling has no end product! I'm not saying he has no potential or that he will flop... He can't cross a good ball, can't make a 30 yard pass and definitely can't shoot! And the offer is fair because we're Liverpool fans and we want good money because he came thru the youth ranks and has shown a little potential, also that golden boy award raised his stock. No doubt

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  24. Thing is, he's got such a massive ego, he just can't help himself.

    Remember this classic:

    "You don't train players, you train dogs; I educate"

    Thinks he's better than every previous manager ever who was happy to take "training" sessions.

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  25. But did is he going for financial reasons?? His agent said that he wouldn't sign for 600k a week so I believe that's there some other underlying reason.

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  26. A tad rich calling sterling a mercenary when we may get 50m for him yet onlyoffered him 100g a week surely his wages must shadow his fee,I wonder if burnely fans are calling wings a mercenary or rising above it and wishing him luck......good luck sterling where ever you go

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  27. I was just replying to "He prob only asked for the same wage that players like Balo was on, while he warmed the bench." from #lfc.


    But yes your right, he doesn't want to be a red.

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  28. I am sure whatever you just said is out of pure frustration. Sterling is one of the best 19 year old in Europe and his end product was pretty good last season. This season however we struggled as a team due to poor management. Anyway, if Sterling didn't ask for transfer then am sure 99% of people who are slating Sterling her would still have lot of postive to say about him. Right now..his transfer saga has clouded our rational judgement for the player.

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  29. I hope to see Sterling have a great career. Super professional for such a young player.

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  30. We got around 70 mill for Suarez... And what did we do with that money? In reality it would have been cheaper to keep him, possibly win the league and let his contract run down... As for him not being that good, he's only 20/21 years old

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  31. Crikey, you wait all weekend for an article and then four come along at once!

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  32. I think the point was we offered that once we had pissed him off with our joke wage offer of 30 or 40k... And I know that's a lot of money to us for for prem players its not... He wants to go cause we didn't strike while the iron was hot.

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  33. Good luck to the kid he always got stuck in and didn't roll around like a baby when kicked,using Jamie's logic every player. Is a mercenary

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  34. Shanks had an ego but he knew why he wanted to succeed at Liverpool, for the fans 1st, then for his own satisfaction of creating the worlds best team.

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  35. He said him self he would have signed a new contact after we finished second. I don't think people realise that we have pissed a lot of our players off... Skrtel/Gerrard

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  36. Henderson, Ibe, Flanagan...

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  37. If.Sterling And balo go this forum is fooked, we really need Rodgers to sign an anti hero .....…can we coax. Vinni Jones out of retirement

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  38. As long as BR is at the helm..we don't need any other anti hero.

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  39. Maybe the club is just too arrogant to assume all players are desperate to play for LFC.

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  40. He's basically a number 10 and we are stacked with them tino,lallana,Marko,ilbe,

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  41. Fine. but these players need to raise their own levels next year to give the same spark RS provided.

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  42. Marko not so much, more a wider guy for me. Balo thinks he's a 10 though, and Milner plays best in an advance central midfield role...as does a Kovacic...

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  43. To be honest he didn't look his best since the transfer saga..

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  44. The Holy Trinity, amen.

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  45. I agree. Either that of the money men haven't got great business sense

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  46. Every successful manager is, to some extent, a megalomaniac.

    Every... single... one

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  47. None of our players were at their best. I blame BR for that.

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  48. Tino and lallana are both quality

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  49. I didn't know about flan but your right man. I forgot those two

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  50. Sir Bob Paisley wasn't.

    My hero.

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  51. I agree on points you make about Ibe having an advantage over Raheem. However, sterling doesn't have better pace..

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  52. If you knew anything about football and teamwork.you wouldn't ask that question

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  53. Wenger & Klopp don't look like one.

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  54. Enlighten me with answers then

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  55. Steady on man, explain yourself, don't just attack posters with unsubstantiated ad hominem attacks. This is a discussion board, not a snipers zone.

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  56. Haha, typed out essentially the same, exact thing!

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  57. Sterling has achieved nothing? Don't lie to yourself. 2 seasons ago when Suarez carried us to 2nd you were all gawking at Sturridge, Gerrard, and especially Sterling. A 20 year old who managed 9 goals and 5 assists at the age of 19, and that's only speaking for stats. What happened to that? Are we getting mad at him for having a clueless agent? Or are we calling for his head because we relied on a 20 year old to score more goals than Suarez?


    Say we get the 45m, no, even the 50m from Sterling. What is most likely going to happen? Simple; we spend the money on more English mediocrity, as you Jamie, are very familiar with. And we replace him with Ibe? Sterling was clearly better at his age (19) so what makes people think Ibe will replace Sterling? Does he have talent? Yes. But age plays a much bigger difference than some might think.


    You can't expect a 20 year old to not want to leave after being booed, degraded and whatnot spewed from people like Aldridge.


    I really hope we come to our senses and keep Sterling. Bring in someone world class who can LEAD THIS TEAM just like Suarez did, and then I doubt we will do as poorly as we did this season.

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  58. I meant the eagerness that looked like it had to do with the contract talks, nothing else..

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  59. Tine Turner couldn't have sung it better herself...

    "...we just need to find the way home..."

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  60. Perhaps not as much as some others... but he had to be to at least some extent.

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  61. I can't believe the amount of hatred for Sterling. The guy haven't said a single bad word for Liverpool or any associated person.

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  62. In fairness, he hasn't exactly said a single good word either.

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  63. Agree wholeheartedly

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  64. To me, they very much do...

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  65. No, he just knew his stuff and got on with it without even so much as a whisper.

    Unfair to compare anyone to Sir Bob, though, he truly was a totally different class of person.

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  66. So we should slate him for that?

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  67. Hmm..perception

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  68. His agent said even 600k wouldn't cut it. There is some other non-financial issues am 100% sure of it.

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  69. It would take too long to really explain, but my point is that when you get up in a bus for an old lady you do it to make you feel better about yourself too, if not mainly because of it, if you know what I mean..

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  70. "We spoke to Liverpool last week about Tiago’s future," Ilori’s father told Portugal’sAntena 1 radio, who also named Sunderland as a potential destination should Ilori fail to crack the first team at Anfield over the next few months. "They have said he will be given an opportunity, and will go on the pre-season tour. There are also other clubs interested, like Sunderland."



    So I guesss it will be a couple of appearances in the shop window for Ilori in preseason.


    Gomez, welcome to LFC.

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  71. He will be given an opportunity. ..sounds encouraging. .!!

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  72. You are right...it would really take too long to explain. Let's fold it. Haha ;-)

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  73. Said the same thing recently. Sterling was expected to lead the line when none of our player could do it.


    Sterling would have improved this past season if he had a player like Suarez helping him. Sturridge and Suarez, partnership that could not be separated. Sturridge was injured the whole season but even when he was fit to play looked rather average.


    Sterling really had his work cut out for him. Expected to replicate what Suarez and Sturridge did last season on his own up top while Balo, Borini and Lambert were on holiday.

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  74. In preseason that is. Ilori meet exit.

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  75. Apparently sunderland are thinking of a season loan, but his dad did'nt sound too enthusiastic

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  76. I'll put it to you this way... (warning: this is going to be a rambling, incoherent response, and everyone in the room may become dumber because of it...) With that said... here goes nothing:


    You and your girlfriend have been together for 5 years. You've essentially grown together as people and she's stuck by you throughout the years in spite of some poor decisions you've made to embarrass yourself and her.


    Now your girlfriend wants to commit long term but you're hesitant. And then you are accused by your girlfriend of looking at another girl. She thinks that you see the other girl as prettier and that you are interested in the other girl, as though she's an upgrade.


    Instead of claiming that you're not interested in the other girl, you state that "well, it would be flattering if she were interested in me".


    Now, you didn't say a bad thing about your girlfriend, but you didn't support her either. And with her predisposition to your feelings of having an interest in the other girl, she takes your lack of support as disrespect.


    So you say, "so we should slate him for that". And my point is that when Sterling had a chance to dispel rumors, to counter the allegations against him as a "mercenary", he went on television and essentially affirmed the rumors, and then his agent opened his mouth too. He didn't say how grateful he is to be at Liverpool, how wonderful the people are, how much he loves the fans. Instead, he said he wants to win trophies and that it would be flattering if a team like Arsenal were to be interested in him.


    He committed a foolish act. And he's going to pay the price for it when he's sitting on City's bench next season. The grass isn't always greener.

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  77. Along with Rodgers?

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  78. He will be given an opportunity AND will go on the preseason tour. I don't think it makes sense to sell him without even giving a chance to play.

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  79. Skrtel, Toure, Sakho and Lovren plus Can.


    You can see where Ilori is going to find his place in the starting eleven this season.

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  80. You heard who the new coaching staff will be as yet?

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  81. Pepijn Linders supposedly


    It's in the Echo

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  82. Konoplyanka please!

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  83. I think he will get a chance in Europa..lets see. In fact I am more interested to see if Coates gets another chance or not. Looks unlikely.

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  84. I blame Glen Johnson.

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  85. It was also Pako and Hyypia. Even Zenden has been mentioned


    But still...

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  86. and I blame the pitch!

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  87. So Ilori is going to stick around for an appearance here and there in the Europa? Surely the kid has more ambition than that?

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  88. JK, you don't half come out with a lovely turn o' phrase, from temps du temps...

    "...yet is lionised like he's Lionel Messi."

    Loving the Leonine leaning ; )

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  89. I blame Glen Johnson for the state of the pitch.

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  90. For Christ's sake Cristiano is not happy about it;)

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  91. You got that right, last two paragraphs especially!

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  92. If he proves himself in those matches then he might get a chance in league too...who knows? I just don't want to see him go without a getting a proper chance.

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  93. Steady fella Hodgson proves you wrong!

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  94. Haha, now that's quality! I can't imagine there's much the Prancing Narcissist would let slide!

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  95. Another laugh out loud monent, brought to you by the good man at, Ash ; )

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  96. Nah, the agent comments were, quite frankly, enough to be have someone hollow out the fish from his fish fingers and poke in some nasty dog poo.

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  97. The bottom line is that I am right!

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  98. You beat me to it;)

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  99. That ship has sailed, I'm afraid.

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  100. Babel would be a welcome addition.

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  101. RAY, how come you never answer any replies to your comments, like ever!

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  102. At want point is Aldo a legend? Very misleading headline!! I see you don't have this you page title. very poor

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  103. Has it? He hasn't committed to anywhere, has he?

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  104. God Johnson, now he's slowing you down? Can he just leave?

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  105. Here's hoping he does

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  106. A lot of ex lfc players & fans are behaving like a jilted ex who are full of bitterness. Sterling's rise is out of the ordinary. From a scrawny 17 year old to a fully established international who by the way was the best English player in the world cup. Wins the young European footballer award. Is the go to man when BR/TC balls up the transfers by not replacing Saurez. Is the only one that can beat a player with pace or offers any real penetrative play. Selling Sterling is bad news for lfc no top team sells their prodigy. Now Ibe is an adequate replacement. Delusional! If Konoplyanka was coming them maybe but Ibe no way.

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  107. No, not yet, but its Andre Ayee all over again. Apparently, we're not interested

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  108. Exactly. If we finish in the top 4 next season, Rodgers will be hailed as a messiah once more

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  109. Every successful person not just manager...

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  110. Now your talking

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  111. If Coates gets a chance I'm off getting mine

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  112. Sense and Liverpool are not good bed fellows

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  113. Can you blame him

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  114. I think he's bettere suited to a false no. 9. Alas, Bredan might surprise us all and put him in defense.

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  115. So Arsenal are close to signing Cech even when they have two established goalkeepers.. Oh well not to fear - we have Adam Bogdan..

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  116. Either that or a very naught boy.

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  117. Ibe is a talented young player who I think has the potential to become a cracking player. We need to bring in proven quality a phrase many of us fans keep repeating over and over again to no avail. I like some of the rumours floating around at the moment and I feel these are the type of players we should be aiming for as they will improve us but I just can't see it happening but it's nice to dream...Firmino, Kovacic, Illaremendi, Nainggolan, Lacazette, Bacca, Rondon, Yarmolenko, Vidal, Keylor Navas, Ochoa, Higuain, Ibrahimovic, Menez, Aubameyang, Van Dijk, Ter Stegen, Pjanic, Son Heung-Min, Abdennour, Reus etc.....etc.... the list goes on as these rumours help sell papers and get views on the web but judging by the recent signings made these seem unlikely but if Rodgers is going to change opinions on him he needs to start by making signings that can make a difference and improve what we already have in the squad. I just don't see Ings, Milner, Gomez and Bogdan having enough of an impact to push us into that top four. Hopefully these players are just the begining of better to come but I am not holding my breath

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  118. Mate, York Hall... ; )

    Whereabouts do you live? In the UK?

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  119. Rodgers track record suggests he will blow the cash when we sell Sterling, I just don't trust his decisions in the transfer market any more

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  120. Jordan Ibe needs to be brought down a peg or two, little scrote, he's young and done absolutely nothing to write home about....grr! sounds awfully farmiliar....Shining light, bloe it out before he starts to believe it...
    Is that your chosen approach to all young talent coming through the ranks?
    I would have to appose it of course.... I prefer positive reinforcement to beating them with a stick... but we all have our approach to life....

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