The decline of football’s hard men (Video)
Like it or not, football is and always will be a contact sport, no matter how many referees flash their red cards for a player sneezing on their opponents.
I am not saying players should dive into a challenge with malice or intentionally look to take the player rather than the ball, but who doesn’t like a wholehearted challenge between two professionals giving it their all for the shirt on their back?
The English approach has made a name for itself as a ‘rough’ and ‘physical’ game and even have people questioning if the likes of Lionel Messi could cope with a midweek fixture against a robust Stoke City side at the Britannia? Although personally I suspect Messi would single handedly rip the Premier League apart with his greatness, you can’t help but wonder what his reaction would be if faced with being the filling between a Robert Huth and Ryan Shawcross sandwich.
The Premier League is somewhat forfeiting the role of the iconic hard man and quickly filling it with the deftness and the agility of smaller ‘number 10’ type players.
I believe every team needs a midfield general that wears his heart of his sleeve and is willing to break up the opposition’s possession in any way possible… Without damage being done, obviously.
0 comments