Raheem Sterling made just his second appearance for Dutch side Feyenoord on Sunday after mutually agreeing on the termination of his Chelsea contract
Raheem Sterling of Feyenoord leaving the pitch disappointed after the match during the Dutch Eredivisie match between FC Twente v Feyenoord at the De Grolsch Veste
Ex-Chelsea and Liverpool star Raheem Sterling disappointed for Feyenoord again on Sunday(Image: Getty)
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Raheem Sterling came off the bench in new side Feyenoord's 2-0 loss to FC Twente on Sunday. But for the second week running, the Englishman's performance was subject to scrutiny.
The 31-year-old arrived in the Eredivisie last month after mutually agreeing to terminate his Chelsea contract, though his debut was delayed by visa issues. Robin van Persie's side even accommodated Sterling by relocating training sessions across the Belgian border to bypass work-permit restrictions and integrate him early.
He was substituted in just after the hour mark to make his first appearance against relegation-threatened Telstar last week. But he made little impact, and his conduct was the subject of much discussion after the 2-1 win.
Once again, he was introduced from the bench as the Rotterdam side struggled away from home against Twente and trailed 1-0. However, ex-Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool winger Sterling couldn't spark a resurgence in the eventual 2-0 defeat and Dutch media didn't mince their words.
AD
Specifically, AD criticised Sterling's lack of match fitness. A report read: "After the break, Feyenoord had to hunt for an equaliser and the question was how many minutes the much-discussed Raheem Sterling would get. He ended up with half an hour.
"But Feyenoord were just winging it in the Grolsch Veste stadium. Sterling is far from fit, everyone knows and sees that, so a heroic performance is simply not possible. They were just waiting for FC Twente's knockout."
Raheem Sterling of Feyenoord. during the Dutch Eredivisie match between FC Twente and Feyenoord
The 31-year-old was only given 30 minutes from the bench(Image: Getty)
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AD columnist Willem van Hanegem was especially damning with his words. He penned: "The Englishman shouldn't have wanted this move, and neither should Feyenoord.
"According to the manager, it will take another eight weeks before Sterling can be properly assessed. Only then will he be fit. Why sign him then?"
De Telegraaf
Instead of doubting fitness, De Telegraaf focused on how little of an impact four-time Premier League champion Sterling had when he came on in the 61st minute.
Their critical analysis reads: "Robin van Persie knew he had to intervene and did so after an hour, making three substitutions simultaneously.
Bart van Rooij of FC Twente challenges Raheem Sterling of Feyenoord during the Eredivisie match between FC Twente '65 and Feyenoord Rotterdam
Sterling didn't make much of a mark as a substitute(Image: Getty)
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"Englishman Raheem Sterling, Dane Casper Tengstedt and Korean In-beom Hwang were tasked with revitalising the team. But the attacking play didn't improve.
"FC Twente, who had won considerably more duels, felt in control of the pitch in the second half, keeping Sterling, Tengstedt and Hwang in check."
NOS
Much like its contemporaries, NOS was also scathing of the Englishman's influence or lack thereof. NOS reported: "Van Persie tried to revitalise the game with three substitutions in the 61st minute.
"But the introduction of Raheem Sterling, among others, proved futile. The match was sealed for Twente in the 72nd minute with a beautiful shot into the top corner. Feyenoord were stunned, while Twente calmly played out the match jubilantly."
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