Graeme Sourness | Retires from “punditry”
- Thread starter Bubz27
- Start date
Ftr keane also criticised shaw and he's white.
Exactly this, I can't stand Souness but he's not a racist and I actually agree with him on Pogba.
Maybe, it just gets tiring seeing them constantly attack players who’ve actually carried us at points only to praise players who haven’t achieved much. It’s always the foreign players too.
Broken man on Irish tv right now. Beautiful to see. "All other teams will breathe a sigh of relief that Liverpool are out". "There's no way a team like Atletico can win the competition". It's beautiful to watch.
He was embarrassing before the match, too. He literally shot down any suggestion that Liverpool mightn’t qualify.
A bitter, angry, deluded man.
Embarrassing from the spitting twat. The scouse bastards love dishing it out but as soon as someone replies (in Pogba's case it was a perfectly reasonable response) they're out in full force playing the victims and calling it 'below the belt'.
Paul Trollba
I find it amazing how an important contributor like SkySports keep this outdated bigot on a paycheck still. Absolutely amazed, there is so much room for serious professionals with a better understanding of modern football and tactics. They are supposed to enlighten the viewer on things that are maybe difficult to understand for a non-pro, but this guy belts on about himself and accolades that happened 40 fecking years ago... whilst still keeping personal battles alive without really being provoked to do so. Bragging about trophies to a guy that won the World Cup? Clever stuff.
I find it perfectly reasonable that Pogba don’t know anything about him, he wasn’t born until like 15-20 years after Souness was on top. For Pogba’s generation, the heroes were Beckham and Henry and those characters, and going way back in time... Souness, you are hardly a Cruyff or Platini. The Alan Partridge of modern commentary, without the funny side.
I find it perfectly reasonable that Pogba don’t know anything about him, he wasn’t born until like 15-20 years after Souness was on top. For Pogba’s generation, the heroes were Beckham and Henry and those characters, and going way back in time... Souness, you are hardly a Cruyff or Platini. The Alan Partridge of modern commentary, without the funny side.
How is he a bigot?
They employ Jamie Redknapp, they are hardly an important contributor.
He's an idiot
"put your medals on the table, even though you're still playing, can win more, and mine are from my entire career" what a deluded twat.I think Sky have a two check process when appointing new pundits.
Is he a Man United or Liverpool legend ?
Does he say controversial things ?
I think that is about as deep as they think about it sadly.
Pogba:
Serie A x 4
Coppa Italia x 2
League Cup x 1
Europa League x 1
World Cup x 1
Not a huge amount in it, I reckon it will be fairly even when Pogba is finishing up in 6/7 years.
He's an idiot
And Pogba called him a great player, so I'm not actually sure about why they would have to compare anything. Pogba didn't suggest that he was better and he didn't suggest that Souness was a meaningless player, just that he didn't know him. The guy got hurt because someone that is 39 years younger doesn't know him well.
Before he became obsessed with Pogba I liked Souness as a pundit.
He really has gone mental, though.
He really has gone mental, though.
It's fairly even now.
He's just so irrelevant these days. Imagine being employed by Sky purely because you're happy to call players out - when was the last time Sourness actually contributed to a tactical discussion or told a funny story about something relevant. Their punditry used to be so bloody good and it's honestly just fallen away. The setup is they get three former players with at least two of them being 'outspoken' to generate clickbait headlines and just rinse and repeat.
Its weird, Souness mentions the medals, a response is that Pogba also has medals, including the biggest one 'world cup' and the response and replies to that is 'well, other players have a world cup, it doesnt mean much'...
Confusing when it means much vs when it doesnt...
Confusing when it means much vs when it doesnt...
Has one player ever wound up a pundit as much as Pogba does Souness?
I mean Gary Neville used to tear into Moreno but that was because Morena was shite.
I mean Gary Neville used to tear into Moreno but that was because Morena was shite.
Graeme Souness - "Put your medals on the table... and I've got a big table".. Ryan Giggs - "Hold my beer Paul.. I've got this" 
Why, is Pogba planning to give some of his up?
I don't think there's a player on the planet who wouldn't swap half the medals they've ever won for a single World Cup.
What Sour-ness forgets to mention is that he played in one of the best teams ever with that Liverpool team. A bit like playing Rugby for Wales in the 70’s. Pogba has played with a rebuilding United side and still won a few medals. I’m sure there is a class player lurking in Pogba if he just put his mind to it instead of all this Twitter stuff he seems to favour.
This is getting childish and souness is looking like a twat with each comments he makes on pogba. Just admit it you have some issue with Pogba.
He's so obsessed it's getting embarrassing now.
And Pogba wasn't having a dig you can tell he honestly didn't know who he was and he did say he heard he was a great player.
They're desperate for something to talk about this stage as well though.
It might be the first time that Souness realises he's not as relevant as he thought he was.
How many times does it have to be said that the two aren't mutually exclusive?
Oh he posted something on social media he can't concentrate on playing football for a week now.
Give me a break. He's consistently been United's most productive attacking player when fit.
As you say Pogba's been playing for a rebuilding United side and will perform better with better players around him which we'll hopefully see at United. I don't know why you go on to make the social media dig.
Ahh you misunderstand. The biggest medal in world football doesn't count because he doesn't have one. Logic doesn't apply to Pool players or fans and he's the worst of both.
My fav part of this is Pogba isn't bothered. There's no argument to be had, he's just shrugging and going "Ok, don't really know who that is". There's no malice and there's no reason why he should know who Souness is. Of course, you'd expect a man of Souness years to just be like, fair enough. But of course his massive ego and lack of intelligence is exposed once again and he comes out all guns blazing. I'm not sure he even realises he's arguing with himself at this point, since Paul is genuinely unaware of anything going on. He's become a parody of himself. Sky are pretty shameless in trying to make headlines for their own man in an attempt to be relevant at a time when there's no football too.
“Below the belt”
Did they actually say that? I don’t see how him not having heard of a player 30 years older than himself is anything close to a low blow. He probably hasn’t!
Did they actually say that? I don’t see how him not having heard of a player 30 years older than himself is anything close to a low blow. He probably hasn’t!
Carragher will be putting his on a coffee table, putting him in the debate is just to back up Souness.Graeme Souness - "Put your medals on the table... and I've got a big table".. Ryan Giggs - "Hold my beer Paul.. I've got this"
Pogba is obviously the only one who doesn’t come out of this looking a bit of a twat. I always find it ridiculous that people who are paid to be wankers have hissyfits whenever a player makes even the mildest comment in response.
Not specific to this situation, but my favourite line is ‘he should be concentrating on the job at hand’ as if some of us aren’t capable of having more than one thought in a day.
Not specific to this situation, but my favourite line is ‘he should be concentrating on the job at hand’ as if some of us aren’t capable of having more than one thought in a day.
He was always a bit mental tbf. Remember when he planted a Galatasaray flag in the middle of Fenerbache pitch in front of a hostile crowd?
For me, just to weigh in on the race conversation from above, I find these sorts of comments having more of a racial undertone than most.
I was watching Joe Hart’s podcast a while ago and he said there was a thing in the game growing up that you ‘can’t trust a black goalkeeper’. It was rarely said explicitly, but the point of it, he said, was that coaches saw them as too ‘erratic/unserious’ or something of that nature for such a role. Two much clown-like.
This question of attitude to the game always lies below the surface for black players. I don’t think many people of a certain British generation are simply ready for a young black millionaire. The things we like, the personality we have, directly contradicts the things they, in all their wisdom, have concluded is ‘sensible’ or a reasonable interest for a young man. The clothes we like, they have decided is too loud, the music we like is not real music, our dancing is too clowny etc. When in the spotlight, it doesn’t take long before headlines like ‘bad boy’ and ‘bling bling’ etc are used. As far as they are aware, you look like the rappers their kids watch on MTV.
The amount of time I have heard about ‘Pogba’s social media activity’. What does that even mean? He posts nothing offensive on social media. People should check themselves if they think there is a problem with dancing, wearing bright clothes, jewellery etc - and even more so if they feel they can glean an insight to your dedication and determination from it.
The other day, Sancho, Rashford and Kyle Walker were on the front of The Sun with the headline ‘twerking from home’, because they were on Tory Lanez’ Instagram Live where girls were twerking.They posted laughing emojis in the comments. As did Scott McTominay and Jack Wilshere, but they were not mentioned.
All of those ‘he supported this player who was black’ is missing the point massively. There are many black players or people who do not confront you with their ‘blackness’. There are those who due to their tastes or exposure etc operate within the confines that these people have concluded is ‘normal’. He drives a modest car. He dresses like the rest of us. He likes the same sort of girls. He talks like us, doesn’t use the same slang etc. There were many black footballers from eras gone by whose behaviour is not stereotypically ‘black’. There were a few whose was, like Andy Cole for example, who was also slapped with the attitude problem stick, and frankly has his achievements massively overlooked. In today’s game, with the money and exposure, you have plenty of young, rich black players who are now overtly ‘black’ - and almost all of them from what I gather is greeted with disapproval. They go to rap concerts, they like to dance, they do their hair certain ways, jewellery etc, they connect with their African or Caribbean roots. Then you have the Neville’s or Sounesses who feel they are qualified to draw the line as to when that stuff is ‘too much’, or ask what they feel is an honest question of whether they can possibly concentrate on being a professional footballer and get their hair cut every week etc.
Ultimately, our personalities, interests etc are not in keeping with ‘normal’, and in their own words, ‘people wouldn’t mind so much if you deliver on the pitch every weekend’, but you shouldn’t be yourself if you struggle to do that. Maybe you can post a video of you petting your Golden Retriever - that is relatable and on the list of what is normal. Dancing in your front room with your brother? Too much.
One of my biggest issues with Pogba is the off-field complaints get gets are largely direct attacks on who he simply is, which come from his background and culture, and have been used to paint him as an unserious footballer. Of course, the things on the pitch, either way, will be seen as confirmation of that. A poor pass or loss of the ball will spark a long talk about his ‘concentration and attitude’, while his many good games are ‘see, you can see what he can become if he just applies himself’.
The fact that Pogba can post a video dancing in his living room and a Sky Sports presenter could show/mention it to Souness or Keane with a ‘Graeme, have you seen this video, I’m sure you’ll love it’ as a joke tells it’s own story. It’s a non-story. Yet even on Redcafe, the amount of times I’ve read ‘I’m not saying it’s necessarily wrong, but he should be sensible enough to not do it’ regarding Pogba is a problem. He is not required to be who Souness or Caf poster x thinks he should be. Why is the conversation on Sky Sports never ‘why do we have a problem with his hair or dancing?’. Just because everyone in the room all agrees does not validate it at all.
Some will say, ‘it’s not about his hair etc, I just have an issue with him giving the ball away’ or whatever they feel his footballing deficiencies are. The point is, that isn’t true. The complaining about loss of possession is massively disproportionate to the actual losing of possession. If all the complaints were simply about football, you simply couldn’t be talking about one of the best few midfielders in the country. Pogba, as he is now, not when he learns to cut x or y out his game, but right now - is better than almost every midfielder in England. You would not think that at all based on the press he gets, both on here and in the media. We could of course, choose to discuss areas for improvement, nothing wrong with that. But the point is, there are a lot more positives to discuss even from a solely footballing perspective than weaknesses, and would be the case if he were white British. He gives the ball away less than people who do not get criticism for giving the ball away, for example. It’s clearly personal, and the personal stuff is likely based on conclusions drawn on a personality that you likely don’t understand at all. The more recent stuff with Raiola has now provided the perfect cover, and it’s easier to now say it is all on that.
Sorry not sorry for the essay!
That was Pogba’s fault
Souness makes me remember his poor transfer activity on Benfica: Michael Thomas, Dean Saunders, Gary Charles, Scott Minto and some others who I forgot. The only decent ones where Mark Pembridge who could either play at left or center and was hardworker and an accurate passer and Brian Deane who was a clumsy but very instinctive striker who scored a good number of goals.
Was a decent motivator, but he only retained his job because he won 3-0 vs FC Porto. After leaving he complained about the lack of funds, etc, but I'm pretty sure he knew about it, because portuguese football was having serious financial problems at the time, with Benfica being one of the most affected clubs due to Parmalat bankrupcy (it was the main sponsor).
Was a decent motivator, but he only retained his job because he won 3-0 vs FC Porto. After leaving he complained about the lack of funds, etc, but I'm pretty sure he knew about it, because portuguese football was having serious financial problems at the time, with Benfica being one of the most affected clubs due to Parmalat bankrupcy (it was the main sponsor).
Paul Pogba has won almost as much and is worth at least 50 times as much as Souness with years left in his career and it makes his piss boil.
I never heard of him tbf and had to look up to see what he has done as a player. Says more about my football knowledge but I dont think it's a jab from Pogba saying he doesnt know who Souness was.
Great post.
It's like what your parents always told you. The coldest treatment is to ignore someone or play down their importance to anything.
Gets someone way more irate than any abusive words ever would.
Gets someone way more irate than any abusive words ever would.