Liverpool have stranglehold on title. Sterling has stranglehold on Gomez

[Uncle Ethan]

Raheem Sterling dropped for England game after shaking Joe Gomez warmly by the throat.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Blimey. I thought Sterling was too laid back to pull that sort of nonsense.

[Uncle Ethan]

Seems a really weird one.

[Satchmo Distel]

It's the correct decision but I think someone should have sat Sterling down as soon as he arrived and made sure his head was in the right place given how he behaved towards the end of Sunday's game. Now the tabloids have a negative story to run with for a week.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Scant details released really, apart from that Sterling apparently grabbed Gomez in "a private area". Oof!

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

When was the last time someone looked at joe Gomez and thought "I could definitely take you in a fight"?

[Third rate Leszno]

Probably every day if you're Virgil.

[Nocturnal Submission]

I didn't watch the Liverpool-Man. City game so didn't see if Sterling was being particularly targeted by the opposition, though I did see him being helped into the advertising hoardings by TAA and being booed throughout the game on the highlights package, and I've subsequently seen the clash during the game with Gomez in which the latter used unnecessary force. I must admit that I rather like the fact that Sterling decided to continue the argument with Gomez. Brave too given the disparity in physiques. It's a bit of a cunt's trick to bully the little bloke on your own patch, really cowardly, and that is what seems to have occurred on Sunday.

[Jah Womble]

'Bit of a c***'s trick' maybe, but that'll have been the instruction: nullify Sterling by winding him up as much as you can, which the crowd will be doing as well.

And it appears to have worked.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Pep likes a tactical foul so I doubt he's too arsed about it.

[Satchmo Distel]

"Cunt's tricks = modern football", in the same way that "woods = where bears shit"

[Sash]

I didn't feel that Liverpool "targeted" Sterling before Gomez came on. I think he was somewhat taken out once in the 2nd half as he ran out of pitch, trying to get around the back of Trent. If anything, I thought Sterling was excellent throughout, possibly his best game at Anfield since leaving, and absolutely relentless in his battle with Trent but stayed focused.
The Gomez sub is one that Klopp likes to make late on to shut shop but it was actually really necessary (and a tad late!) this time as Angelino kept getting down that flank.

What Gomez does tend to bring when he comes on late is a clumsy challenge, which kinda escalated this time. Sterling then (I am pretty sure it was in injury time) properly left one on Van Dijk's ankle, who, thankfully, seemed fine when I saw him after the game.

[hobbes]

and I've subsequently seen the clash during the game with Gomez in which the latter used unnecessary force. I must admit that I rather like the fact that Sterling decided to continue the argument with Gomez. Brave too given the disparity in physiques. It's a bit of a cunt's trick to bully the little bloke on your own patch, really cowardly, and that is what seems to have occurred on Sunday

far be it from me to suggest a little myopia on your part, but having also seen the clip, rather than it being big man bullies small man, it rather looks like small angry man gets in big mans face so big man pushes him away.
The worst Gomez did (apart from a nothing foul to start the whole shambles) was stopping Sterling getting the ball quickly. Which was childish, admittedly. But then Stirling went for him, Gomez pushed him away and Stirling went for him again shouting in his face to which provocation, Gomez keeps his hands at his sides. If putting distance between you and an aggressor, whatever size is both bullying and cowardice (which seems a bit contradictory) what do you propose Gomez should have done?
stirling was obviously fairly pissed off about the way the game had gone because as Sash said he stuck one on VVD’s ankle right at the end.
I bloody love Stirling, by the way. There aren’t many players better to watch and the way he stands up to the press is really admirable. On this (and the afters at the training camp) he was just a bit carried away.

[hobbes]

Anyway, people can make up theirs own minds.

https://twitter.com/AnfieldRd__/status/1193598662896738307?s=20

[Nocturnal Submission]

far be it from me to suggest a little myopia on your part, but having also seen the clip, rather than it being big man bullies small man, it rather looks like small angry man gets in big mans face so big man pushes him away.
The worst Gomez did (apart from a nothing foul to start the whole shambles) was stopping Sterling getting the ball quickly. Which was childish, admittedly. But then Stirling went for him, Gomez pushed him away and Stirling went for him again shouting in his face to which provocation, Gomez keeps his hands at his sides. If putting distance between you and an aggressor, whatever size is both bullying and cowardice (which seems a bit contradictory) what do you propose Gomez should have done?
stirling was obviously fairly pissed off about the way the game had gone because as Sash said he stuck one on VVD’s ankle right at the end.
I bloody love Stirling, by the way. There aren’t many players better to watch and the way he stands up to the press is really admirable. On this (and the afters at the training camp) he was just a bit carried away.

I'm glad that you're not suggesting myopia because I really don't have a dog in the fight. I like both players involved and hold similar levels of disdain for their clubs, though I'd hope none of those feelings would affect my judgement. Here's the incident:

I don't see Sterling getting in Gomez's face, I just see a rather hefty push.

Sometimes footballers play to the gallery and hand out some stick to a player that their fans are jeering, which I always think is a bit poor. Sterling seemed to get a hard time on Sunday and didn't let it go which, as I say, I rather admire because I thought that some of his treatment was rather cowardly.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Anyway, people can make up theirs own minds.

https://twitter.com/AnfieldRd__/status/1193598662896738307?s=20

Even from the fuller version I don't see Sterling doing much wrong. The push preceded the fronting up bit.

[Ray de Galles]

On the basis of the two clips above, Gomez does appear to be the instigator.

[hobbes]

If you say so. I see Stirling being chest to chest with Gomez who then pushes him away. I mean either way, it’s not bullying is it?
Gomez is the instigator in as much as he was doing that stupid keeping the ball off the other player thing, yes.

[DCI Harry Batt]

It's not really anything at all much, is it?

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

"Cunt's tricks = modern football", in the same way that "woods = where bears shit"

As opposed to the good old days when tommy smith would have broken both his legs and screamed racist abuse at him as he was carried off the pitch and onto the dole?

[Nocturnal Submission]

If you say so. I see Stirling being chest to chest with Gomez who then pushes him away. I mean either way, it’s not bullying is it?

"Chest to chest"? It wasn't one of those chest-out bumping things was it. Gomez tries to stop Sterling getting the ball, blocks him off and then shoves him away.

The bullying accusation also includes the TAA shove into the hoardings.

"Sterling," man, "Sterling"!!!

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

As opposed to the good old days when tommy smith would have broken both his legs and screamed racist abuse at him as he was carried off the pitch and onto the dole?

Well, we don't need to go back as far as the 1970s to find the most high profile example of a player deliberately crippling another player while screaming abuse at him. Little Irish lad, he was. Forget his name.

[Patrick Thistle]

As we watched MOTD2 Mrs Thistle asked why Sterling was getting booed every time he received the ball. So it was noticeable he was being targeted by the crowd.

[Ray de Galles]

If you say so. I see Stirling being chest to chest with Gomez who then pushes him away. I mean either way, it’s not bullying is it?
Gomez is the instigator in as much as he was doing that stupid keeping the ball off the other player thing, yes.

He's the instigator in that he grabs Sterling and forcefully shoves him away in response to nothing at all from his opponent. It's not the worst of incidents but peculiar that you refuse to accept that and make snotty comments about myopia and "if you say so" when people who have absolutely no interest in or partiality for the two teams involved point that out.

[Satchmo Distel]

As opposed to the good old days when tommy smith would have broken both his legs and screamed racist abuse at him as he was carried off the pitch and onto the dole?

My definition of "modern football" would start with Revie so Smith would be in it. But pre-modern football would obviously include Battle of Berne, Santiago, etc, so I could just have typed "football".