Stan's 5-Point Stance: Sterling Not Worth Silly Money, England Need Plan B

In this week's five-point stance, Stan Collymore visits topics related to Liverpool and Raheem Sterling, England's need for tactical alternatives, QPR, Michael Carrick and the Tyne-Wear derby.

1. Raheem Sterling not worth "ridiculous" money as Liverpool prepare for Champions League make-or-break clash at Arsenal

For me, the trip to Arsenal on Saturday is Liverpool's most important game since the home Premier League defeat by Chelsea last season.

If Liverpool lose, the impact will be a fifth-placed finish in the league at best, which would mean no Champions League revenue next season while Anfield is being redeveloped. It will also mean bigger clubs snooping around the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling.

So this could be the most vital game of the year for Brendan Rodgers and perhaps also for Liverpool in recent years.

Playing in the Champions League seems to be the priority for all good young players, and having back-to-back campaigns in the competition would show that the Reds are getting back to being a healthy side that can compete at all levels.

I just worry that not being in the Champions League every season will see England's most successful club in Europe become a secondary option for players.

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It will be pivotal regarding the future of Sterling too. Seemingly, his agent is happy to let speculation over claims of wanting a £150,000- or £180,000-a-week contract ride.

Sterling has scored three match-winning goals this season—against Burnley, Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth. He has scored one match-drawing goal against Chelsea. That is nowhere near £180,000-per-week value.

If Liverpool were to lose Sterling and get a healthy transfer fee of around £25 million to £30 million for him, as a former player, I wouldn't necessarily be sad to see him go.

It would be better if he did sign a new contract, but if he is asking for ridiculous money, then absolutely not. Liverpool will be able to find players as good as Sterling in their academy, such as Jordon Ibe.

2. England need a tactical plan B to thrive in international tournaments

We have a crop of young players who could, potentially, be moulded into a very good team. I saw the England under-21s produce a 35-pass move against Germany that ended in a goal for James Ward-Prowse.

Things are looking optimistic in terms of producing players who are able to compete at the international level.

But viable tactical alternatives are something we haven't had since the managerial days of Glenn Hoddle and Terry Venables.

With respect to Lithuania, England should be playing 4-4-2 against them at Wembley with two central midfielders able to contain the opposition.

But against major teams such as Italy, Germany, France, Brazil and Argentina, I think we need to have three at the back.

We have one potential shining beacon as a young player who can defend and bring the ball out from the back: John Stones of Everton.

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Against the best international teams, we should have Stones flanked by the likes of Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka, Phil Jones or Chris Smalling.

We have wing-backs such as Leighton Baines, Luke Shaw, Kyle Walker and Nathaniel Clyne, who can all get forward and just make things more difficult for the opposition and also offer a threat.

So let's go 4-4-2 against the minnows and a variation thereof for the likes of Switzerland away.

In recent tournaments, we have had no plan B. It's either been work hard to grind teams down or lose against teams such as Italy and Uruguay.

If we had an extra central defender, Luis Suarez would not have scored those two goals against us in the World Cup last year.

It's vital England have an in-play variation to work with for tournament football. But I'm not convinced we are tactically flexible enough at present to switch strategies between games and get results.

3. QPR players need to send message on pitch, not via social media

I got into a Twitter spat with Queens Park Rangers player Karl Henry recently, with other players from the West London club also involved.

Players getting involved with social media when they aren't earning their corn for their clubs is a weird phenomenon.

I'm a huge fan of social media and players engaging with their followers, but they should only do it when they're winning more games than they're losing.

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While it's understandable that those players would still have interests outside of football, QPR have lost 20 games, including their last six. If I was playing for them, I would be concentrating more on improving what is an appalling record rather than what's happening on social media.

I would want to rectify things on the pitch, and I have had a number of QPR fans telling me the same thing via Twitter.

4. Jury still out on Manchester United and England midfielder Michael Carrick

Is Michael Carrick a legend or a myth? For me, it's a bit of a myth. Michael Carrick plays well in good teams with good possession who can get him the ball.

He was calm and assured in the friendly draw in Italy on Tuesday, but this was after the home side had made six substitutions and their whole system was disjointed.

Carrick is a Marmite player. Some people think he's in the Xavi-Andres Iniesta bracket, while others say he isn't worth it.

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I'm somewhere in between. I saw him in the World Cup qualifier against Montenegro, and he sat back almost as a centre-half where Montenegro kept getting in behind him.

Where he gets found out is when he gets turned over easily and cannot get back to protect. That means he becomes a bit of a liability because he is not a player who can get around and engage others, as Chelsea's Nemanja Matic can.

If Carrick played for Barcelona, he would be magnificent. If he were with a team in the bottom half of the table, he would almost be a weak link.

5. Tyne-Wear derby battling for relevance for younger football fans

Newcastle United have probably done just enough this season to be on the beach already this summer, but they have been playing like they're already there in recent weeks.

I wouldn't expect Newcastle boss John Carver to be in his current job before next season, especially with various rumours of Frank de Boer being linked to the role, including this report from Louise Taylor in the Guardian.

I doubt Newcastle will ever get back to what they were in the mid-1990s. If you look at the players they had then—David Ginola, Tino Asprilla and Alan Shearer—it was a time when Newcastle could match the money being spent in the Premier League.

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Sunderland manager Dick Advocaat has had the opportunity to put his players into some kind of system during the international break. I think he will play a 4-3-3, and it will be interesting to see how that shapes up.

Both clubs should just about survive this season, but it will be a huge job for the managers of these clubs to turn their fortunes around.

Sunderland versus Newcastle is still relevant to us older football fans, but the Premier League is about a small group of clubs, and the Tyne-Wear derby does not have the same allure for young players as it once did.

Like the Midlands, my own territory, the north east is likely to be in the wilderness for a few years unless a billionaire takes over either club.