By Nick Akerman, Featured Columnist
Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
414
Reads
0
Comments
Paul Scholes believes Raheem Sterling is a "tough kid" whose willingness to battle through the physical side of the game can be likened to Cristiano Ronaldo.
The former Manchester United and England midfielder also doubted Brendan Rodgers' assertion that the 19-year-old winger needs a two-day recovery period after each match.
Speaking in reference to Sterling's recent decision to tell Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson he was too tired to start the match against Estonia, Scholes believes Sterling is the type of individual "who gets on with it" when playing, per his column for The Independent:
Sterling does not seem the type to me to complain. I see him as one of those brave wingers, a tough kid who gets kicked and then picks himself up again. He gets on with it and does not hide on the pitch, a bit like Cristiano Ronaldo once did at Manchester United. And if he wants to reach that level one day, he will have noticed that the likes of Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta have played up to 70 games some seasons.
Scholes also indicate Hodgson "would do nothing to jeopardise the fitness of the players, whatever club they happen to play for." He suggested Rodgers' recent comments—"Fast players would have a second day recovery while other players can work on that day," per PhilMcNulty of BBC Sport—stem from frustration of Daniel Sturridge being injured during the September international break.
It is reported that Liverpool are "frustrated and angry" with the England coaching staff for pushing Sturridge into a "testing" training session two days after the friendly with Norway, as reported by DavidMaddock of the Mirror.
Instead of allowing the striker to carry out light recovery exercises that are "scientifically tailored by Anfield experts," Hodgson came under fire from the Reds for pushing Sturridge into normal training alongside the rest of the squad.
Scholes suggested the two-day recovery process was generally only utilised for over 33-year-olds during his time at United. He believes Rodgers' problem with Sterling's alleged overuse has its "roots" in the incident with Sturridge, making the situation difficult for both the Liverpool boss and Hodgson.
Raymond Verheijen, who coaches under Netherlands boss GuusHiddink, believes it is the Three Lions boss who should take the blame:
Former England striker Gary Lineker wishes both Rodgers andHodgson would stop using the press to make their point:
The whole situation does appear to make a problem from an issue which needn't be public. Sterling's honesty is commendable; if he felt tired, there's no point risking injury or poor performance. Hodgson's decision to publicly announce his fatigue, however, has placed an unnecessary spotlight on both the player and the training methods used.
He could have just said Adam Lallana was a better fit for that particular match. This wouldn't have saved Hodgson a bashing in the press if Sterling hadn't played and England failed to beat Estonia, however.
By announcing the player's tiredness, Hodgson covered his own back. As it turns out, Sterling's arrival from the bench actually turned out to be an unintentional tactical stroke of luck, as he won the free-kick which Wayne Rooney converted for the win.
Both managers have Sterling's fitness at the core of their interests. Club vs. country rows are frustrating due to both sides usually fighting for the same thing: the fitness of a key player. Sterling deserves no criticism for his part in this and will likely feel the benefits when Liverpool face Queens Park Rangers on Sunday.
With just under seven days to rest before the Anfield tie, the mercurial winger may force both managers to stop talking with a stellar performance.
