Former Newcastle United FC manager Graeme Souness, has stood by his controvertial 'man's game' comment, insisting that he doesn't regret a single word made after the feisty Chelsea and Spurs fixture on Sunday (14 August).
Souness found himself faced with backlash from viewers of Sky Sports' Super Sunday showing at Stamford Bridge, which was also full to the brim with contentious incidents - including melee on the touchline with managers Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte clashing over a handshake.
And while Tuchel was furious with referee Anthony Taylor for his decision-making throughout the game itself, Souness praised the official for letting the London derby flow uninterrupted. The former Liverpool midfielder, said: “Referees are letting a lot more go and it allows for a better watch.
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"It’s a man's game all of a sudden now. I thoroughly enjoyed both games today.”
The Mirror reports that his comments have subsequently been met with a raised eyebrow by ex-England international, Karen Carney, who was sitting closely. The comments have also sparked uproar online from viewers of the popular Sunday staple.
Lioness Bethany England and ex-professional Eni Aluko were at the forefront of accusing Souness of belittling the women's game, straight after England's breath taking successes at Euro 2022. Chelsea forward England, tweeted: “'It’s a man’s game'. 'Men at it'.
"Get in the [bin emoji] what a disgraceful thing to say after the summer this country has just seen.”
When asked by talkSPORT this morning on whether or not he regretted the comments, Souness replied: “Not a word of it. Let me explain. I’ve been advocating for years that the referees have such a major part to play in the success of the Premier League.
"We’ve got to be careful what we say today and I’ve not been very good at that, but we were becoming like other leagues. They were blowing the whistle all the time and it wasn’t a good watch. Our game has always been unique, more meaty, more in your face and more intense and we got away from that.
"My comments yesterday were saying we’ve got our game back. That is the kind of football I remember playing in. We’ve got to be better for it. The directive to the referees is long overdue, we’ve got our game back.
"I enjoyed two games of football yesterday where men were playing men and they got about themselves and were falling out with each other. Okay, I don’t think we should be condoning the thing on the touchline, but I’ve been there. If you are on the touchline and things aren’t going your way and you feel there’s been an injustice. You’ve worked all week for these 90 minutes.”
Souness was a regular feature in top-class football between 1970 and 1991, making his name as a highly-successful and tough-tackling midfielder and captain before embarking on a coaching career. The 69-year-old then went into management, leading the likes of Rangers, Liverpool, Blackburn, Newcastle and other sides before eventually settling into punditry.
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