Unbowed Graeme Souness doesn't regret his "man's game" verdict in the wake of growing sexism row over his comments after Chelsea and Tottenham's stormy clash on Sunday.
The Rangers and Liverpool icon has come under heavy fire from a section of the sport two weeks removed from the England women's team securing Euro 2022 glory. Former player Eniola Aluko told the beloved pundit the language he used was not appropriate in the modern world.
Asked by host Jim White if he would regretted his word choice, he told talkSPORT: "No. Not a word of it. Let me explain. I've been advocating for years, the referees have such a major part to play the success of the Premier League. We were fast approaching, we were fast becoming like other leagues, the game didn't flow and it wasn't a very good watch.
"Our game has always been unique, we has always been more meaty, more intense, more in your face and we got away from that. I think yesterday, my comments yesterday, we've got our game back, that's the kind of playing football I remember playing in. We've got our game back, I enjoyed two games of football where men were playing men and they got about themselves at times, and they got about each other."
Souness' response was firm but co-host Simon Jordan who then leaped to the defence of his on-air sparring partner as he believes those complaining have misjudged the situation. And he reckons the furore is a prime example of what he brands "lightweight activism".
The former Crystal Palace owner jumped in: "That's preposterous, I've seen some of the blowback going on, the social media activists getting at it, what an absolute load of nonsense. How can somebody - a man describing a game featuring men - can't apparently use the word men in conjunction with a game featured which featured men.
"Are we losing context here? Are we getting into situation where we should be saying 'hang on a second here, Women's Super League, that's bias', are we getting into that territory? It's ridiculous.
"Graeme made an observation about a game and made it in conjunction with what he was watching. If someone wants to turn it into something more, they do a particular cause of equality an injustice. It is lightweight activism. I am seeing England footballers from the women's team making a song out of this. I am so disappointed by it because it's completely unnecessary. If you want to take anybody's conversation out of context, misrepresent it back and turn it into something it wasn't that's for you to do.
"But it doesn't mean that people should be castigated. I don't think Graeme is a dinosaur and I don't think he said anything misogynistic, I don't think there was anything wrong with what he said. I have a 14-year-old daughter and I want her to compete in the world and be given the best opportunities. What a load of cobblers."
READ NEXT
