Mikel Arteta is waiting for the right time to unleash Raheem Sterling
boss insists he is ready to unleash despite the on-loan winger being dubbed one of the ‘flops of the season’. The England star is yet to find his best form at the Emirates Stadium.
Sterling has only played 146 minutes this campaign. His only goal came in a rare start in a Carabao Cup victory over Bolton.
But Arteta accepts responsibility for Sterling’s slow start since arriving on loan from on transfer deadline day. His chance to shine could come in Wednesday’s crunch clash with .
“I would like to see him more to be fair and this is down to me. He’s trying his best,” Arteta said after beat West Ham 5-2 on Saturday.
“His application and commitment around the team has been exceptional and now it’s time for me to five I’m more minutes.”
That is despite Sterling being dubbed one of the ‘flops of the season’ by former striker Stan Collymore. The 29-year-old has been accused of not delivering on his promise to work hard for the club.
“Raheem Sterling has been a massive disappointment,” Collymore told the . “He came in and said he was going to give the club his best work, but that hasn’t happened.
“He’s arguably stunk the place out so far and he’s definitely one of the flops of the season having promised to do his best work at .
Raheem Sterling has been called one of the ‘flops of the season’
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“He’s an experienced player who has won everything there is to win, he was expected to push the dressing room up another level and he hasn’t done that.”
Sterling’s game time has so far been limited as he catches up to speed after a disjointed pre-season with . He played in a couple of the Blues’ friendlies before being banished from the first-team squad by .
Having joined , where he was excited to reunite with former assistant coach Arteta, Sterling has found the likes of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli selected more often on the left wing. is undroppable on the right.
Sterling can therefore hope to make an impact against United at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. ’s form has considerably improved in recent weeks, with huge victories over Sporting CP and West Ham. How Sterling makes his way into an in-form team remains to be seen.