Sterling may deserve anger but also deserves respect!

Liverpool fans are widely known, at home and abroad as some of the most accommodating and fair fans around. This was no more evident than in the recent charity game at Anfield where old hero’s Suarez and Torres, who wasn’t nearly at the club long enough and both left under a cloud, were cheered and greeted with warmth and adulation.

So is it fair or unjust that a current, young player who has been one of the clubs better players over the past few years is being abused on social media by his own fans?

Sterling’s ongoing contract saga has angered the Liverpool faithful. Talk of him turning down a £100,000 a week contract has prompted fans to call him greedy, money hungry and now even questioning his commitment, along with his ability and potential.

Though the ill-advised BBC interview that the club say they knew nothing about and did not authorise, was a terrible move. But does he deserve all the abuse? After all, Sterling is only 20 and I’m sure many of the “fans” abusing him have made far worse mistakes as a 20-year-old, that will luckily never capture the media’s attention.

The fans have more then voiced their opinions on social media and forums stating things such as “how dare he turn down such a contract, he’s just greedy” or “if he really wanted to play for Liverpool he would have just signed” or “he should just be happy to play for Liverpool” or even “he doesn’t want to play for Liverpool and we don’t want him either, we should sell him”. I must say I laugh at the sheer ignorance of those statements.

Fans have to remember, (well the rational minded, non neanderthal fans) though it is their beloved club, it is still the players job and livelihood. Sterling did not grow up in the City like Gerrard or Carragher nor did he grow up as a Liverpool fan, this is his job and all he’s trying to do is make the best decision for his future. Whether he loves the club or not.

It’s funny how fans are taking their own love as a fan, their mediocre paid jobs, plus their low-level, playing experience and comparing it to Sterling’s situation. Saying what they would do if it was them and what he should do, then using it as a basis to criticise him. SMH

Don’t get me wrong, I agree that Sterling has gone about this in the wrong way, but we all know the media often stir the pot and you can’t believe everything you read.

Plus the club have to also take some kind of responsibility.

Sterling stated he would like all contract negotiations to be put on hold until the summer, so what does Liverpool do? Offer him a contract. That did Sterling no favours, even if it was a huge contract.

Though I think Sterling’s agents or advisers have steered him wrong, you must say Liverpool’s contract negotiations have been somewhat suspect. Gerrard said if Liverpool had offered him a contract he would have signed it instead of heading to LA. There is now talk of issues with Henderson and Skrtel’s contract negotiations.

Liverpool have also reported to have been in contract talks with Willan, Salah, Knoplyanka, Remy and even Mikitarian in the past few years and not completed a deal.

So can you blame Sterling for taking his time about his future when even an icon like Gerrard can become surplus to requirements?

Not to mention seeing the likes of Torres and Suarez leave, then Liverpool bow out at the first hurdle in Europe’s premier club competition.

Gerrard almost left the club in 2005 for Mourinho’s Chelsea, barring some pockets of bad vibes from the fans, their wasn’t a massive backlash, only a bigger hope of him staying.

Wayne Rooney handed in a transfer request in 2013 by 2015 he was captaining the team and 300,000 a week richer.

15-year-old Norwegian wiz kid Martin Odegaard left his home town club and practically pimped himself out to top clubs around Europe, for in the end a six figure deal to Real Madrid.

Theo Walcott turned down several offers from Arsenal and let his contract run down to a mere 6 months before signing an estimated £100,000 a week deal.

These are just a handful of many examples and I don’t recall any of them receiving the type of abuse from their own fans Sterling has. It’s pretty embarrassing.

Some might say he hasn’t done anything to warrant any support. In his three short years he’s gone from being a fresh-faced 17-year-old, the second youngest to ever to play for Liverpool, too one of the main men in the team.

He’s also the 2014 European Golden Boy winner and a full, established England international with 14 caps and 1 goal at the age of 20. Not many at that age can say that. Certainly, hardly any English players in history can match that.

Obviously Sterling is not the finished article and he has a lot to learn. But it’s crazy that some are saying he can go as Liverpool have a better player/replacement in Jordan Ibe.

Though I think Ibe is a tremendous prospect and has a bright future, he has only been involved in SEVEN games this season. There is no way you can compare those seven games to Sterling’s over 100 games for the first team and say he’s a better player yet.

Fans have very short memories. This season, Sterling has played attacking midfielder, lone striker, left and right wing, left-wing back, left back (v United when down to 10 men) and right-wing back. I even remember him filling in at right back last season.

How many other players have had to fill in so many roles at such an age? Not to mention when he was moved to lone striker, Liverpool were struggling and had three, more experienced strikers on the bench but still Sterling was the option. He’s filled in that position very well, scoring a few goals, creating a few and putting in loads of work.

So regardless of the contract saga that’s been ramped up by the media, I ask any fan to name five players at the age of 20 that has made such an impact, at such a big club, in such a pressured league, playing in that many different positions?

Sure his performances may have tailed off recently but when the likes of Coutinho, 22 (who I must admit has really found his form this year) was still finding his feet, when Sturridge (25) was out injured, Lallana (26) was fighting injury and form. When Gerrard (34)  was struggling in the holding role, when Mignolet (27) had loss of confidence, when Sakho (25) wasn’t being rated and Lovren (25) was struggling. Sterling was one of the few silver lining’s in the team.

It’s quite annoying that the likes of Torres and Suarez who left Liverpool high and dry, can be welcomed back with open arms. But Sterling who still is a Liverpool player, still wearing the shirt and hasn’t actually said he wants to leave Liverpool yet, is receiving such abuse.

As an individual he has a right to think about his future and make the best move for him, no matter what. I’m sure in everyone’s job (though it is a world away from being a professional footballer) if you had an opportunity to renegotiate your contract, you would want to get the best deal for you, regardless of where you are.

So while Sterling is a Liverpool player, while he is wearing the Liverpool shirt and representing the team week in week out. He may well deserve a bit of anger for the way he has gone about things, but for me, he certainly deserves no less than everyone’s respect.