+ Visit Notts. County FC Mad for Latest News, Transfer Gossip, Fixtures and Match Results
Page 2 of 6 FirstFirst 1234 ... LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 51

Thread: O/T:- thoughts on the outrage of Souness ‘it’s a man’s game’ comment

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Posts
    4,566
    Quote Originally Posted by laddo View Post
    The game had to be more physical back in Souness' day, because the pitches would make amateur rugby pitches of today look like centre court come winter.

    Football is still very much a contact sport, the challenges still fly in faster than ever it's just followed by more rolls on the floor.
    Is football really a contact sport like it used to be? Do challenges really still fly in? Bear in mind players can now get sent off for intent, whether they win the ball or not. It is possible to be sent off for tackling someone too hard. What the refs have been told to do is stop blowing up when there is minimal contact. Tough tackling has long gone.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    12,805
    Quote Originally Posted by laddo View Post
    The game had to be more physical back in Souness' day, because the pitches would make amateur rugby pitches of today look like centre court come winter.

    Football is still very much a contact sport, the challenges still fly in faster than ever it's just followed by more rolls on the floor.
    I disagree with a couple of points there. Not sure of your age but the pitches in Souness's day were not that far behind those today (certainly the top three divisions) apart from the winter months (?) and had very little to do with the physical side of the game. Them days, you wanted the ball... you went for it!! That's the way the game was played. It's no bad thing that the Hunter, Smith, Souness, Keane, Bremneresque break yer leg tackles have been irradicated from the game but tackles don't go in thick and fast today (although you are spot on with regard to rolling around) ffs it's a contact game!! When was the last time you saw a full on defensive sliding tackle that hasn't been called a foul? That is the point he was ineffectively trying to make. I don't think for one minute that he was being dismissive of womens football it's just that people take offence so easily (and without thought, the same way such comments are made). I think his comment was a general comment aimed at official bodies that are steadily removing all contact from the game.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Posts
    1,977
    Two different issues here.

    (1) Was his comment ***ist? I suppose so, if taken literally. Don't think any offence was intended. Like has been said, he was just referring to the physicality of the game.

    (2) Football is evolving so that this physicality is diminishing. We might not like it, but it's probably necessary. Perhaps heading will be against the rules in a few years time.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    11,288
    I'm being slightly misquoted here.

    It's not as much as a contact sport as it was for sure, but it's way OTT to claim it isn't contact sport. I'm sure Ronaldo would disagree after that 'proper' challenge he received on Saturday. It's just annoying when a great fair challenge see Dier on Ramos wrongly is punished due to what they see as excessive force and speed.

    I agree it's certainly ain't a bad thing, I'd say it's a very good thing that the leg-breaking tackles of yesteryear have all but gone.

    Agree tackles don't go in as thick (often) as past decades that blatantly clear to me. The two feet off the ground, and sliding lunges are vastly reduced.

    But the game is far faster nowadays, you only have to watch games from the 80s and before to see a big difference. The players are IMO stronger, quicker and that should come as no surprise due to the advance in technology, strength and conditioning, diet etc. It's inevitable.

    As for Souness' totally agree that's how I interpreted it too.

    Its subjective but I can't agree regarding the pitches, some absolute shockers in 70s and 80s

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    12,805
    Agree with that.
    The game always was, and is, subjective and long may it be so.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    13,020
    The standard and professionalism of women's football has improved immensely over the past 20 years or so, and the recent Euros victory has taken it to another level. The women's game doesn't need stupid, over-sensitive (and I believe insincere) reactions from self-publicists like Eniola Aluko to raise it's profile, in fact her remarks are more likely to undermine progress. Women's football is achieving ever higher levels of recognition on merit, because of the increasing quality of the product and the entertainment.

  7. #17
    Two women offended about what (they interpreted wrongly) a man said about a game of mens football. Ok. Think most people understand what he was getting at in the context the comments were made.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    4,895
    The irony is the Women’s game is played far more like the ‘man’s game’ he was referring to!

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Posts
    11,887
    Anyone remember Souness deliberately taking Martin O'Neill out at ML? 'Hard man' or thug? Take your pick. Same with Keane who shamelessly admits he went out to injure someone.

    Can't stand Souness as a pundit and whatever he claims he meant, his words were ill-judged imo.

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    6,029
    Quote Originally Posted by BigFatPie View Post
    We generally have ‘free speech’ as a country, I’m not sure you can say what you like on telly channels though…

    Outrage is perhaps overstating the reaction to Souness’ comments, apart from the usual rent a quoters like Aluko. Sky have got the rights to the WSL so they’re probably more sensitive to it than most, and Karen Carney was sitting next to him. I don’t really see what was wrong with it, everyone knows what he meant. Men’s and women’s football is different.
    I think the outrage is silly, obviously, and I also thought the presenter made Carney visibly uncomfortable when trying to cram in some awkward flattery about how her hard tackling was somehow comparable in the context of Souness / a feisty London derby.

Page 2 of 6 FirstFirst 1234 ... LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •