Souness

[stan bowles]

Look, if I say something a bit clumsy that a load of people tell me sounds clumsy and that a couple of people are upset by it then I personally try have a think about it and update my language accordingly. It costs me nothing, and in future it'll mean my actual point doesn't get lost. If people don't want to do that then that is their business, but at some point you start to look stubborn and deliberately like you're trying to hurt people. Women's football isn't going anywhere, and as it becomes more established we will have little moments like this. I'm not offended, I don't want Souness fired or anything, I'm just having a bit of empathy for women who might be bored of hearing "it's a man's game".

He was talking live on air. He's speaking off the cuff. He's not theorising about quantum physics in preparation for giving a lecture at Oxford University. He enjoyed the physicality of the game yesterday and chose to reference it in the way he did. Maybe he doesn't wish to qualify every single thing he says on air in case someone is upset by it. I don't regard Souness as either unintelligent or misogynistic. Maybe he will reflect on his choice of words but I wouldn't hold it against him if he stayed true to himself and didn't change a jot.

 

[HelloCity]

Here’s my genuine opinion on it. By saying ‘it’s a man’s game’, he didn’t mean it’s only a game for men, he just meant that the players need to toughen up a bit. ‘It’s a man’s game’ is the phrase used over the years to put that point of view across.

However, saying ‘it’s a man’s game’ was probably a poor choice of words when you’re sat next to an ex female player and current pundit and after England Women have just won the Euros.

I don’t think he meant anything derogatory towards women with his comments and his age of using such a term was obviously a factor. He probably just needs to be a bit more selective with his language when he’s in such a position.

 

[stan bowles]

Ask the editors of the Daily Fail as its todays chosen battleground to rouse their rabble and promote culture wars all to keep peoples focus away from things that are really happening

Wouldn't look at that pile of shit under any circumstances.

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

On the whole I’m a big fan of Souness, but I thought his entire performance yesterday was just odd. Going on about how English football is more “honest” than foreign football because no one dives or cheats was just weird given he was getting giddy about a how “we’ve got our football back” because a German and an Italian got in each other’s faces and the match was decided by someone grabbing a players hair.

Going on a tirade against zonal marking at corners as well, despite the fact every single top flight team across Europe (including City, the team who concede fewer goals at set prices than anyone else) uses zonal marking because it’s just objectively better than the man marking he played 50 years ago.

It was like he was playing up to a stereotype of old pundits and the men being men stuff was just part of that.

He’s a better pundit than that.

He does occasionally go completely off piste. I remember him being hugely complimentary about city most of the 2013/14 Liverpool ’title winning season‘ and then Chelsea turned them over at Klanfield. We then went and beat Palace with that great Yaya goal and he turned it into a “massively disappointingly result for city, they needed to show they were ready to be champions and they didn’t turn up“ type rant.
Next time on, he seemed back to normal.

Mind you, at almost 70, he’s over 10 years older than me and I couldn’t remember the word rucksack yesterday ;-)

 

[middlewichblue]

I'm more offended that ratboy didn't look at Jamie when he was talking to him.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Here’s my genuine opinion on it. By saying ‘it’s a man’s game’, he didn’t mean it’s only a game for men, he just meant that the players need to toughen up a bit. ‘It’s a man’s game’ is the phrase used over the years to put that point of view across.

However, saying ‘it’s a man’s game’ was probably a poor choice of words when you’re sat next to an ex female player and current pundit and after England Women have just won the Euros.

I don’t think he meant anything derogatory towards women with his comments and his age of using such a term was obviously a factor. He probably just needs to be a bit more selective with his language when he’s in such a position.

It was only a poor choice of words if these are all poor choices of words n’all:

“Man on”
“It was men against boys out there”
“He just needs to man up a bit there”
“He was man marking him in midfield today”
“I wouldn’t go zonal marking at corners, I’d go man-to-man”
“Man of the Match”

 

[SanPellegrini]

I don’t see an issue with what he said personally. He was clearly talking about mens football being a man’s game - a phrase which has been used for probably a hundred years. He didn’t say it’s a man’s “sport”.

Technically he is right - only men were allowed on the pitch yesterday. Shall we reconsider that rule too?

I’m very happy for England’s women that they won the Euros, and if that encourages more girls to take up football and increased inclusivity within the sport more widely, that would be fantastic. However, if the legacy coming out of England’s womens’ win becomes this “par-for-par” sterilisation of the men’s game, then they’re setting themselves up to lose a lot of potential fans - the very fans who have watched football their whole lives and generally love the sport.

When asked, I recently told someone that I hadn’t watched the women’s euros, and didn’t watch the final. I was met with some direct and confrontational comments such as “oh just because they’re women?” As if we’re all under a positive obligation to watch and enjoy it, and the only reason for not doing so is sexism. No, I don’t watch it because I never have, I’m not invested in it, and I’d simply be spending my entire life watching football if I did, considering I go to every City game and watch every Premier League game on TV as it is. I’m also not afraid to say it’s less enjoyable - we have the most exciting mens league in the world which has developed in all respects over 30 years, that would be a difficult hurdle to beat.

It might have been a clumsy comment in today’s day and age, but Souness shouldn’t be hung for it. If a pundit for womens football said “it’s a woman’s game” does anyone seriously think we’d be having this discussion? That comment would probably be praised and feature on the front page of BBC Sport, as an indication of how great women’s football had become.

 

[Petetheblu]

Said nothing wrong, unless you have your own agenda, then let's face it, you'll always have some problem going around your head.

It's all very boring and obvious now.

 

[Petetheblu]

I agree, Souness is a dinosaur and there's no room for toxic masculinity in the game. I propose the following changes:

Ball boy = ball person
Linesman = Lines person
Ball = round object (men have balls so we have to drop that word also, it is a toxic word anyway)

I always felt really uncomfortable with how close the word "fan" sounds like man....

Surely we need change....?

 

[standupifyouhatemanu]

These days if you say you’re English they throw you in jail.

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Fairly typically of these arguments, half the stuff you’re railing against isn’t even true.

Yesterday Spitty was asked to pick his player of the match, he repeated player of the match when he chose Reece James and the on screen text said player of the match. A few weeks ago Hoddle was asked the same question and seemed to emphasise MAN of the match on 2 days occasions.