Paul Lake on Raheem Sterling

Former City captain Paul Lake looks at where record City signing Raheem Sterling may fit in tactically this season…

Where and how do you see Raheem fitting in this season?

“You can see that Raheem is going to be a key player for us and he is a perfect fit with his pace, skill and imagination.

"I think he will be a bridge between Jesus Navas and Samir Nasri because, for me, he brings a bit of both of their games and I believe him to be the perfect signing having seen how well he linked with Suarez and Sturridge when they were on the top of their game a couple of seasons ago.

"With the level of players we already have, I think he will flourish at City and it is a really intelligent signing.”

Does his style put you in mind of any other players?

“He does. As I say, there are parts of his game that are similar to Navas and Nasri, but he’s got a few more tricks up his sleeve than they have. He also puts me in mind of Crystal Palace winger Yannick Bolasie so if you could mix all three together, you’d come somewhere close to Sterling.

"With the speed of thought he has and a low centre of gravity, he has so much intelligence and once he realises that he has the ability to change and game and be a match-winner, there will be no stopping him. His potential is huge.”

His understanding with Luis Suarez almost brought Liverpool the title in 2013/14 – can he repeat that form alongside Sergio Aguero and how can he benefit other City players?

“Raheem has a frightening turn of pace and he will bring a new dimension to our attack because we will be able to counter attack at lightning speed. We won’t have to rely on Yaya Toure driving the ball out or playing passes over the top to Sergio Aguero.

"With the quality he has around him, I think he’ll take his game to the next level and I think you’ll find players like David Silva and Aguero will be excited by his arrival because his style and ability will get them on their toes due to his inventiveness and explosive pace, especially during the transition from defence into attack. I think he may also help Yaya get back to the form he showed in 2013/14 when he drove us to the title.

"His arrival will have a positive effect on all our creative players and he has an excellent work ethic, too. I think he sees this move as an opportunity to be part of something really special at City.”

There were a couple of decent Liverpool posters on 606 who were honest enough to admit they have lost another good player - and realize that they can't afford to keep losing players like Suarez, Torres, Mascherano etc., and expect to be seriously challenging for a top 4 spot.  At least they are glad they lost him to us as they know we are decent fans