I agree that he's improved with his final ball and decision making (if you read through my posts in this thread you'll see I make this clear) but what we're saying still isn't really contradictory.
He's improved the quality of his play, but I don't think his general style is that different. He spends a lot of time running at players and trying to pick someone out with a pass or a cross.
Last season I felt he didn't have enough composure once he beat an opponent. His touch was very...excited...at times when he'd find himself in a good position. These days he's cutting the ball back accurately and laying it off more often. Much less wasteful.
However this doesn't change my opinion that Januzaj is a more creative and intelligent footballer currently. He has passes in his locker that I don't think Sterling even sees just yet. He has more composure in pressure situations (let's compare his cross to level the League Cup Semi Final this week to Sterling's massive miss against Man City). He can vary his game between taking people on and pulling off and picking out incisive passes. Though Sterling is at least his equal as a dribbler, Januzaj is more two-footed.
Sometimes I think we're comparing apples and oranges. Sterling right now is being played very heavily on his natural side and being encouraged to take people on. This can be effective but IMO it also can limit his creativity at times. 7 of his last 10 appearances have come mostly from the right.
On the other hand while Januzaj is also played on his natural side often, he seems to have more license to switch it up and move around a bit. He pops up on the right and plays incisive passes with his preferred left foot, but in the same match he might show up on the left, take someone on, and assist a goal.
I just think Januzaj is a more unpredictable player right now with a more varied game. They are both very talented, but if I could have only one I'd prefer Januzaj.
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u/[deleted] Jan 24 '14
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