Greenlizard0 Weekend Football Thread ** spoilers ** [8th - 10th November 2019]

[BaZ87]

Sterling gets abuse from Liverpool fans because he left and more specifially because of the way he left the club but you only have to look at the abuse he received at Stamford Bridge and up until the last 12 months, the abuse he received playing for England and being made the scapegoat for poor perforances, to see that it's not just Liverpool fans.

Sterling was never as bad as some made out but long before leaving Liverpool he had numerous issues and built up a bit of a reputation. He was arrested (but found not guilty) of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, there were a few incidients involving that hippy crack and general unprofessional behaviour. There was a running joke at the time that he had about 13 kids by the age of 18. His image changed the day he turned on the press and outed their double standards/casual racism. Ever since then the press have been falling over themselves to prove they're not racist and Sterling's been receiving so much positive press for things that 99% of footballers do.

 

[McBain]

Not sure I agree with the way Southgate and the FA have handled this row though, keep it under wraps and make up some BS excuse why Sterling doesn't play Thursday. Now he's aired dirty laundry and that could **** people off as well as give the media some ammo to have a pop at Sterling (not like they need an excuse most of the time)

If Sterling has done something untoward then by all means drop him but don't release it is what I'm saying. Some things do, some things don't need to be said publicly.

 

[Andybtsn]

I'm sure Sterling is gutted he can't play...

Just get them to shake hands and get on with their job. Pathetic.

 

[inogen]

Not sure I agree with the way Southgate and the FA have handled this row though, keep it under wraps and make up some BS excuse why Sterling doesn't play Thursday. Now he's aired dirty laundry and that could **** people off as well as give the media some ammo to have a pop at Sterling (not like they need an excuse most of the time)

If Sterling has done something untoward then by all means drop him but don't release it is what I'm saying. Some things do, some things don't need to be said publicly.

Aye, but then what does Southgate do when the reason is leaked to the press?

 

[Andybtsn]

Aye, but then what does Southgate do when the reason is leaked to the press?

Clubs regularly have player spats in training and the media usually capture footage, it's forgotten about after a day.

 

[nicktay2605]

Aye, but then what does Southgate do when the reason is leaked to the press?

Yeah I agree, it's best they got ahead of this story. I'm sure Southgate will face questions about it in the press conference but hopefully after the Montenegro match everyone can move on. These player disagreements at international level happen, I'm surprised it's not a more regular occurrence considering how bitter some club rivalries are. It's all a bit of a storm in a teacup anyway, assuming both players have settled their differences and moved on then there really isn't anything more to it.

 

[BaZ87]

Not sure I agree with the way Southgate and the FA have handled this row though, keep it under wraps and make up some BS excuse why Sterling doesn't play Thursday. Now he's aired dirty laundry and that could **** people off as well as give the media some ammo to have a pop at Sterling (not like they need an excuse most of the time)

If Sterling has done something untoward then by all means drop him but don't release it is what I'm saying. Some things do, some things don't need to be said publicly.

Tbf to Southgate, the Mail (via a journo close to Sterling's agent interestingly) broke the story a couple of hours before the FA released their statement. With Gomez turning up to training, which is open to the press, with a scratch under his eye I'm not sure how they could keep it under wraps.

 

[fez]

and as a neutral he has been caught doing drugs multiple times but he's held up as some sort of role model. You can spin a gun tattoo as having some deeper meaning but at the end of the day he's claiming he won't touch guns but felt the need to get a tattoo of one, doesn't make a lot of sense to me. It's like a Muslim getting a tattoo of a pig. I may be be mistaken but he just comes across as as a bit of a gangster.

Hes a footballer. I would wager that most of them have done drugs, taken advantage of their position as a footballer and generally done what most people with a large amount of money and a lot of free time do. He hasn't tried to position himself as a role model or someone to look up to. This is something the media like to push and then delight when they find something that contradicts their original narrative that the person was a saint.

Hes a footballer for christs sake. They are not known for being the brightest and best of society. This idea that because you are good at something or simply well known you should be looked up to really should stop in every area of life. Its like the film and music stars that genuinely believe that their **** don't stink and that they have a duty to give their opinion on matters they don't understand and have nothing to do with them. They are the ones that should be looked down on. Sterling seems to generally just play football and do his media duties and the things he has to do as part of his job and his high profile.

 

[inogen]

Clubs regularly have player spats in training and the media usually capture footage, it's forgotten about after a day.

Players having scraps in training and one of them being dropped because of it, whilst the manager tries and fails to keep that in-house doesn't happen regularly.

 

[McBain]

Aye, but then what does Southgate do when the reason is leaked to the press?

You say "two players had a disagreement" leave it at that, he could've said Sterling had a knock which is why he's not playing Thursday.

Now the media will undoubtedly have a pop at Sterling because Southgate has basically thrown him under the bus.

Ultimately Southgate and the FA have made this bigger (externally) than it needed to be, imo.

 

[BaZ87]

You say "two players had a disagreement" leave it at that, he could've said Sterling had a knock which is why he's not playing Thursday.

Now the media will undoubtedly have a pop at Sterling because Southgate has basically thrown him under the bus.

As above, how can you say that when the press already reported the story and Gomez shows up to training with a scratch under his eye?

 

[McBain]

As above, how can you say that when the press already reported the story and Gomez shows up to training with a scratch under his eye?

Quite easily, you say exactly what I said above and let the media make of it what they will. I'd rather that than have a player, and possibly other players ****** off because of the way it's been handled.

Managers deny all knowledge of things all the time and this is no different.

 

[inogen]

You say "two players had a disagreement" leave it at that, he could've said Sterling had a knock which is why he's not playing Thursday.

Now the media will undoubtedly have a pop at Sterling because Southgate has basically thrown him under the bus.

Perhaps he thought Sterling needed bringing down a peg or two. He wouldn't be the first manager he's had that has felt it necessary.

 

[inogen]

Tbf to Southgate, the Mail (via a journo close to Sterling's agent interestingly) broke the story a couple of hours before the FA released their statement. With Gomez turning up to training, which is open to the press, with a scratch under his eye I'm not sure how they could keep it under wraps.

Tbf, that's probably what did for Sterling. His he and his advisors have a habit of speaking out of turn. STFU and talk to the FA's PR, not break the story and try to spin it.

And he only sacked his last PR firm in September... https://www.prweek.com/article/1595406/england-football-star-raheem-sterling-pr-agency-part-ways

 

[McBain]

Perhaps he thought Sterling needed bringing down a peg or two. He wouldn't be the first manager he's had that has felt it necessary.

Which is absolutely fine but handle that sort of thing internally, which is my point. There's no need for them to publicly state he's been dropped.

 

[BaZ87]

Quite easily, you say exactly what I said above and let the media make of it what they will. I'd rather that than have a player, and possibly other players ****** off because of the way it's been handled.

Managers deny all knowledge of things all the time and this is no different.

I think that's pushing your luck a little. When the story's been leaked, and as I hinted at above quite possibly from Sterling's own camp, and one of the players turns up with a visible 'injury', you're not kidding anybody trying to deny it. All that will lead to is wild speculation and distaction. The whole issue goes against Southgate's 'team england' thing too - I don't see how he couldn't deal with it as he has.

 

[McBain]

I think that's pushing your luck a little. When the story's been leaked, and as I hinted at above quite possibly from Sterling's own camp, and one of the players turns up with a visible 'injury', you're not kidding anybody trying to deny it. All that will lead to is wild speculation and distaction. The whole issue goes against Southgate's 'team england' thing too - I don't see how he couldn't deal with it as he has.

I'm not talking about denying the incident completely in this case, as I said above you say there was a disagreement tell the press you're handling it internally and leave it at that. Don't release a statement saying he's been dropped because that benefits nobody.

Job done.

Edit: Now we've got things like this https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/england-stars-unhappy-gareth-southgate-20864916

 

[timebomb26]

Which is absolutely fine but handle that sort of thing internally, which is my point. There's no need for them to publicly state he's been dropped.

I don't really see the issue. Once again the press are squeezing as much as they can from this story even though it's already over. Sterling acted inappropriately, has admitted he was in the wrong and has been dropped for one game. Obviously not completely necessary, but it's a game when England shouldn't need him and this way Southgate retains full control and authority and has drawn a clear line under the matter.

There are reports now saying players aren't happy about the decision, which I really hope is not the case. They should respect the decision and get on with their jobs.

 

[BaZ87]

I'm not talking about denying the incident completely in this case, as I said above you say there was a disagreement tell the press you're handling it internally and leave it at that. Don't release a statement saying he's been dropped because that benefits nobody.

So you're admitting something happened, say it's been dealt with internally and people are going to believe that Sterling missed the game with a cold? As I said, all that's going to do is lead to wild speculation and distraction. I really don't see how Southgate being open about what's happened and how it's been dealt with could be any worse than trying to deny he was dropped.

 

[McBain]

So you're admitting something happened, say it's been dealt with internally and people are going to believe that Sterling missed the game with a cold? As I said, all that's going to do is lead to wild speculation and distraction. I really don't see how Southgate being open about what's happened and how it's been dealt with could be any worse than trying to deny he was dropped.

Let them believe what they want to believe, at the end of the day he hasn't come out and said Sterling has grabbed/hit him, so the speculation will happen either way.

Coming out and publicly saying he's been dropped has the potential to rub people up the wrong way, which could easily have been avoided.

This reeks of Southgate trying to play Billy Big Spuds to me.