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

[upthemaggies]

I think it would also be fair to say that it was a game invented by men for men. That doesn't mean women can't play it. Growing up, I used to hear "It's a man's game" all time, but that didn't stop us boys from participating and getting on with it.
Some people leave their brussel sprouts on the plate, some people whine and cry about them until they get their ice cream. For people apparently so bothered about s3x!$t stereotypes, it's ironic that they're behaving like a bunch of snitch bag primary age school girls.

[the_anticlough]

we are well aware of how good the women were this summer and I enjoyed watching it. I enjoyed most the lack of rolling around and gamesmanship

Me too CF, it put the men's game to shame

[meoldlaner]

I don't think it matters whether you take it in or out of context - he was right either way.

In context it was obvious what he was saying, but even if we deliberately take his comments out of context, men are on average faster, stronger and more aggressive, so talking about this aspect of football as being a man's game is logical.

I can absolutely guarantee you that being tackled by the toughest tackling female footballer in the WSL and by the least tough tackling footballer in the PL are not comparable. Everyone knows this, including Karen Carney who literally squirmed in her seat as the presenter tried to make a false equivalence between her tackles and the point Souness was trying to make.

Also men's football is currently played more and watched more than women's football, so football is also overwhelmingly a man's game from that perspective too.

I don't see any way someone can attack Souness for this in good faith. It's a way to get your name trending on Twitter or get your name in the papers for a day, nothing more.

Absolutely spot on.
I get really peed off with people digging deep to find something controversial.

[crazyfists]

Me too CF, it put the men's game to shame

Definitely mate, just great to see two teams really wanting to win but not trying to cheat or get people sent off. Refreshing.

[queenslandpie]

Got himself in the news and made himself relevant. Gave the PC brigade something to cry about as a result.

Hardly an outrage in fact entirely predictable.

And relatively boring. Let me know if anything interesting happens.

[DaveSmithRules]

You should definitely have a listen to what he said to gain further context. It wasn’t about tough tackling in isolation, but more about the whole physical aspect of the games he had watched including players rolling around (which has reduced significantly since referees don’t blow for free kicks).
I read somewhere that ‘it’s a man’s game’ as a phrase has been used to differentiate the men from the boys, rather than man v woman. This is the context I believe many feel Souness intended.

I've taken your point on board and have just watched a clip of it. Tbh I don't think it shows much other than that he's a pundit using clumsy and outdated 'macho' language. I'm not offended by it, but I think it's ignorant in terms of the wider context of football in the UK right now.

The bizarre thing is that from what I've seen players rolling around feigning injury is something that is much more prevalent in the men's professional game than the women's. Tho admittedly I haven't watched enough 'boys' football to make a judgement on how much diving there is in that.

[i961pie]

Absolutely spot on.
I get really peed off with people digging deep to find something controversial.

You mean the 'I want to be offended brigade'

[applepie2]

You mean the 'I want to be offended brigade'

Is that the Men’s Brigade or the Boys’ Brigade?

[i961pie]

Is that the Men’s Brigade or the Boys’ Brigade?

The woke brigade.

[DaveSmithRules]

Ooh so apparently there's a "PC brigade", an "I want to be offended brigade" and a "woke brigade.' Who knew that brigades were making such a comeback, huh?