The penny is dropping with Man City forward Sterling, says Murphy

The former England international believes the Citizens forward is starting to add end product to his game for club and country

Former England international Danny Murphy believes ‘the penny is dropping’ for Raheem Sterling after facing criticism over his end product.

The 21-year-old has always been blessed with blistering pace and directness to his game which makes him difficult for defenders to contain.

He has, however, struggled at times when it comes to making the right decision in the final third.

According to many, Sterling has not always displayed the composure expected of him, particularly showing problems when playing a final ball to a team-mate or a composed finish.

Murphy believes those wrongs will be righted, with Manchester City and England benefiting from the showings of a more mature performer.

Sterling has netted five times for his club in all competitions this season, while providing two Premier League assists.

He is now looking more like the exciting talent that helped to carry Liverpool so close to title glory in 2013/14, with Murphy among those to recognise that he is taking a more considered approach to his play at the business end of the field.

There is a confidence to his game which has been difficult to maintain in the past, with inconsistencies having contributed to rather erratic form.

The ex-Liverpoool midfielder said in the Evening Standard: “He took a lot of stick for some of his performances at Euro 2016 and it is tough to deal with that. In the past, I have criticised him for his poor end product. That is why I was reluctant to go overboard even when he played well.

“He was brilliant playing behind Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge in the 2013-14 season at Liverpool, when they nearly won the title. Because the other two were so good, though, it was hard to judge the long-term significance of Sterling’s performances.

“But all of a sudden, he looks to have moved on a level or two. He is strong and powerful and goes past players, which is easy for him because his balance is so good. 

“Now - and this is the key - he is making the right decisions with his final ball. Instead of trying to score at the near post, he is knocking it square to give a team-mate a tap-in. He isn’t trying to overcomplicate things, so it seems the penny is dropping.”