Raheem Sterling has endured a difficult start to life at Feyenoord
Raheem Sterling of Feyenoord gestures during the Dutch Eredivisie match between Feyenoord Rotterdam and AFC Ajax at Stadion Feijenoord
Raheem Sterling is shouldering a big responsibility after signing a short-term deal at Feyenoord(Image: Wart Brinkerhof/Marcel ter Bals/Getty Images)
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Former Liverpool star Raheem Sterling relocated to Rotterdam hoping to revive his career at Feyenoord. However, a disappointing stint at De Kuip could leave his future looking very bleak and cost manager Robin van Persie his job.
Van Persie, who faced Sterling during their respective spells at Manchester United and Liverpool, is under serious pressure. Feyenoord occupy second place in the Eredivisie but trail leaders PSV by 15 points after securing just one victory in their previous four matches.
Sterling, 31, joined the Dutch giants in February following the termination of his £325,000-a-week deal at Chelsea. But while his arrival was initially met with excitement, Dutch football expert Michael Statham outlined how Feyenoord supporters are now feeling somewhat disappointed by his contributions.
"I think the expectations aren't as high as they might have been if he were at an English club," Statham told the Mirror. "I think at Feyenoord what has helped is that the fans are aware of English football, they watch English football but they're not going to obsess over it. But they've obviously gone, 'Oh wow, there's a star from England that's come to join us', and it was exciting for the fans.
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"However, I do think that there have been some comments, there have been some people [who are] maybe not thinking it's the most successful move and are a bit surprised he's not actually as good as people thought he would be."
Statham, who runs the Dutch football-focused X account @FootballOranje_, went on to highlight Sterling's displays have shown improvement. He has cemented himself in Van Persie's starting line-up after a couple of substitute appearances and contributed one assist in five appearances.
Securing a top-two finish in the league will be crucial for Van Persie to restore faith among the supporters. Yet with surprise contenders NEC Nijmegen and Ajax hot on their heels, the gamble of bringing in Sterling as the man to inject that extra quality and guide them over the finishing line may yet prove fruitless.
Feyenoord manager Robin van Persie and Feyenoord player Raheem Sterling are present during the Dutch Eredivisie match between NAC and Feyenoord at Rat Verlegh Stadium
The ex-Liverpool ace could have a big say in Van Persie's coaching future(Image: NurPhoto, NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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"The way Feyenoord probably see it, and this is me speculating, they are having a terrible season," Statham continued. "They need to qualify for the Champions League for next season and that money is massive to the club because they go straight into the league phase by finishing second. There's no chance of winning the league, so it's all about finishing second."
"And with Van Persie struggling, they don't want to pull the trigger on getting rid of him. But they thought, 'Bring in Sterling and his wage over X games that he's got left before the end of the season is less than the money we'll get in the Champions League next season'.
"I think at Feyenoord what has helped is that the fans are aware of English football, they watch English football but they're not going to obsess over it. But they've obviously gone, 'Oh wow, there's a star from England that's come to join us', and it was exciting for the fans.
Raheem Sterling of Liverpool competes with Robin Van Persie of Manchester United during the Barclays Premier Leauge match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford
Van Persie has reunited with former opponent Sterling in Rotterdam(Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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"So it's a gamble worth taking because paying his wage for the rest of the season, it's like, well if we pay this we're probably going to get Champions League football because we know that with him and his talents [we'll likely qualify]. So they've kind of put that faith in him that it will make a difference. Ultimately, I don't think it'll make a difference..."
Even a third-place finish in the Eredivisie would be sufficient to earn Feyenoord a place in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. Yet with just five points between themselves and Ajax in fourth, their seat at European football's top table is anything but guaranteed.
It was always going to require some time for Sterling to find his feet in the Dutch top flight before supporters saw his best form. Despite clocking up 28 appearances on loan at Arsenal last season, only 13 of those were starts.
The season before that, the England international contributed 10 goals and 11 assists for Chelsea. And it's that incarnation of the four-time Premier League winner that supporters in Rotterdam were perhaps most eager to witness.
Naturally, the responsibility extends beyond Sterling alone to deliver results and extract as much as possible from the remainder of the campaign. Nevertheless, there's no escaping the considerable weight of expectation that his arrival will place on Van Persie's shoulders, as much as on the player himself.
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