Raheem Sterling has spoken out about what he feels the incoming Chelsea manager should do after assuming the role in the summer.
The England Three Lions forward made the switch to Stamford Bridge after a trophy-laden career with Manchester City in the summer of 2022. This allowed him to be closer to his family, who are all London-based.
His debut season has gone wrong on so many levels, however, and as one of the marquee signings the club made this season, he has enjoyed a portion of the blame, unfortunately. Injuries have also prevented him from giving his best in every game and he has had to work with three different managers in under nine months.
The latest is Frank Lampard, who stepped in on a short term basis to handle the club after Graham Potter was sacked in March. Lampard has not won a single game in that time and a loss in their upcoming tie against Bournemouth on Saturday could create more problems for the team.
Sterling is hoping his team can muster enough to get back into the top ten come May 28 but is also hoping that the new manager who the club’s owners are working to bring in can effect a few specific changes to the side.
Having played for several seasons under Pep Guardiola, the best manager in the world at the moment, the 28-year-old knows a thing or two about how successful managers operate.
“I’m not one to tell the club what to do but from what I can gauge from where I was previously, organisation is the most important thing,” Sterling told Sky Sports. “Having a manager that has the final say on everything and it being his way with everyone having to follow that.
“Successful teams always have a manager that comes in, brings his blueprint and everyone follows. If there are people that don’t follow, then they are not part of the team and that is how brutal it needs to be at a high level.
“It’s a fine line between winning, coming second and being in the position we are now. It’s about everyone being on the same page from my experience.”
Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino is the likeliest to lead Chelsea from the start of next season until the owners deem him unnecessary, as is the culture at Chelsea.
However, it does sound like Sterling misses Guardiola and hopes that he can get similar management while he plays for Chelsea.
