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Raheem Sterling entered the fray from the substitutes' bench as his new club Feyenoord suffered a 2-0 defeat to FC Twente on Sunday. Yet for the second consecutive week, the England international's display came under intense examination.

The 31-year-old arrived in the Eredivisie last month following a mutual agreement to terminate his Chelsea deal, although his debut was postponed due to visa complications. Robin van Persie's squad even made special arrangements for Sterling by shifting training sessions across the Belgian border to circumvent work-permit restrictions and facilitate his early integration. He was brought on shortly past the hour mark to make his maiden appearance against relegation-battling Telstar last week. However, he failed to make a significant impression and his behaviour became a talking point following the 2-1 victory.

Again, he was summoned from the bench as the Rotterdam outfit toiled on their travels against Twente whilst trailing 1-0. However, the former Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool wideman proved unable to ignite a comeback in the ultimate 2-0 loss and Dutch press outlets pulled no punches.

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In particular, AD highlighted Sterling's insufficient match sharpness. A report stated: "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."

Columnist Willem van Hanegem from AD was particularly scathing in his assessment. He wrote: "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?"

Rather than questioning fitness levels, De Telegraaf concentrated on the minimal influence four-time Premier League winner Sterling made following his 61st-minute introduction.

Their harsh verdict read: "Robin van Persie knew he had to intervene and did so after an hour, making three substitutions simultaneously.

"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."

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Similar to other outlets, NOS delivered a withering assessment of the Englishman's contribution or absence of one. NOS wrote: "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, whilst Twente calmly played out the match jubilantly."