Pochettino must repeat Thiago Silva decision and DROP Sterling

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 17 Mar 2024 15:30 GMT
• 4 min read

When Chelsea signed Raheem Sterling from Manchester City in 2022, the west London club believed they were adding a world-class, Premier League proven goal-scorer capable of leading their new era.

Over 18 months later, Sterling is yet to live up to the billing.

For a player with such experience at the highest level of club and international football, Sterling has been a disappointment.

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His first campaign at Stamford Bridge was okay, but he’s taken a step backwards in 2023-24.

Sterling’s record of eight goals and seven assists in 36 games this season is fairly encouraging, however his performances on the pitch paint a slightly different picture.

The FA Cup win over Leicester City was an almost perfect depiction of Sterling’s Chelsea career and he almost cost the Blues. Moments of real promise, as seen by his assist for Cole Palmer’s goal, overshadowed by poor misses and unconvincing decision-making and execution.

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Against the Foxes, Sterling missed a guilt-edged first-half chance when he miscontrolled a Nicolas Jackson pass inside the penalty area, before blocking Mykhailo Mudryk’s follow-up shot. Then came his biggest error.

After winning a penalty, he demanded to take the spot-kick instead of Cole Palmer - Chelsea’s usual penalty taker.

Palmer has scored all five of his penalties this season, but Sterling stepped up and saw a poor effort saved by Leicester goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk. As a result, the 29-year-old has now missed five of his career penalties, scoring only four. Sterling’s record from the spot certainly begs the question as to why he demanded to take the penalty instead of Palmer.

Minutes later, Sterling then produced an awful finish when faced one-on-one against Stolarczyk, with the ex-England international skewing his shot well wide after being played through on goal by Moises Caicedo.

In the second-half, Sterling blazed a 75th minute free-kick so far over the crossbar it nearly cleared the stadium, with Palmer once again disregarded, before he was withdrawn for Noni Madueke.

Raheem Sterling to be dropped?

For a player with such experience, Sterling is arguably Chelsea’s most inconsistent player and simply can’t be relied upon on a regular basis. Mauricio Pochettino is clearly a big fan, but Sterling has lost the full support of the Blues fanbase and several boos were aimed in his direction when he was taken off in the 86th minute.

Thiago Silva has been an unused substitute in each of Chelsea’s last three games and he hasn’t featured since the 3-1 win over Crystal Palace in mid-February. The Brazilian has been dropped by Pochettino and the former Tottenham Hotspur manager must consider doing the same with Sterling given his recent form.

It was recently reported that Sterling was singled out by Todd Boehly after a defeat last season, with the American billionaire demanding the former Man City winger to display more leadership on the pitch.

That hasn’t happened and Sterling looks indecisive and completely lacking in confidence. Unless he can turn things around, his Chelsea career may be over soon.