Reports : Chelsea favourite says Chelsea key player is playing so badly he could miss the World Cup
Pat Nevin is generally very positive, especially when it comes to Chelsea, so when he speaks negatively we tend to listen.
He was on co-commentary duty on BBC 5 Live’s coverage of Chelsea’s 4-1 defeat to Brighton yesterday, and even he couldn’t remain universally optimistic after that.
His focus was on Raheem Sterling, who had another poor game out wide. According to Nevin, Sterling’s run is so bad that even his England place could be under threat.
Nevin pointed out that Graham Potter was managing to the get the best out of all of the players at his disposal now – except Sterling. It’s hard to disagree with him on that.
Pat Nevin: "I'm watching Raheem Sterling right now and I've said that Graham Potter has got the best from every player since he has been there, with one exception: Raheem Sterling."
— ⭐️ Chels HQ ⭐️ (@Chels_HQ) October 30, 2022
Pat Nevin: "If Raheem Sterling keeps playing the way he is right now, he's not even a consideration for the World Cup. He is having a really really bad time."
— ⭐️ Chels HQ ⭐️ (@Chels_HQ) October 30, 2022
Sterling has been a key player for Gareth Southgate and England for so long that it’s hard to imagine anything too extreme happening on that front.
But Nevin is not a reactionary pundit, and if he really thinks that, we’re inclined to believe him.