Pep Guardiola has detailed the two things Raheem Sterling needs to solve Manchester City’s striker problem. The Blues boss has made light of not having a goalscoring front man for the past year, with Sergio Aguero injured last season and then a move for Harry Kane failing in the summer transfer window. Guardiola said Sterling can play in any of the three front positions, but hinted that he struggles in front of goal when his confidence is low, and questioned his focus on finishing when the chances come his way in that central role.
Pep Guardiola said: “He has all the skills to play in any of the three positions up front. He is so dynamic, he has the sense to arrive at the box, of course he scores goals, sometimes it’s the confidence. He can play left or right, started the first season playing on the right and then after on the left and as a striker he has played some minutes. He has played number 10, and as a striker he will always have chances. Every game we create chances, (he needs) just to be focused to convert all of them. He is an exceptional player. He is in the national team, what a Euros he had. There are no doubts about that. He is playing with the top, top players as well, alongside him and sometimes I decide for the other ones, but the moment I don’t play Phil (Foden) the press say ‘Oh Phil deserves to play’, when Jack doesn’t play, ‘You have to play Jack’. When Riyad, ‘Riyad was the best player in the league in the last four or five months’.”