Liverpool FC Forum

by **NANNY RED** » Wed May 06, 2009 10:31 am

Ive just been reading the Liverpool Daily Post an im laughing my head of at the list. How the hell is Terry above Souness, Denise Wise above Tommy Smith, If Smithy was around today other players would be begging there manager to drop them, Hard man but fair,
Lee Bowyer lol the mentality of some is unbelievable. Some on that list are what i would call thugs him being one.

For me a hard player epitomises someone like Souness . Knew how to play football but were hard , Dave Mackay an Norman Hunter also fall into that catergory. I know most of you on here wont have seen these players play, but believe me they were good honest hard players,

Julian Dicks and Neil Ruddock above Liverpool legend Tommy Smith in 'hardest player' vote
May 6 2009

FORMER Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane has been voted the “hardest footballer of all time” – despite hanging up his boots almost three years ago.

Keane, who now manages Ipswich, beat former Chelsea hatchetman Ron ’Chopper’ Harris to claim the title in the poll.

Four ex-Liverpool players were among the top 20 with Graeme Souness at ninth, Julian Dicks 12th, Neil Ruddock 17th and Tommy Smith surprisingly only 18th.

Only three current players made the top 20 – Chelsea captain John Terry, Birmingham’s Lee Bowyer and Juventus midfielder Patrick Vieira.

Another former Stamford Bridge star Vinnie Jones, now a Hollywood actor, came third and Spurs stalwart Dave Mackay was fourth.

Dennis Wise – the fourth Chelsea player to make the top 20 – completed the top five.

Nick McBoyle, managing director for www.sportingfix.com, said: “Roy Keane could safely be described as fiery, right from his inception with Nottingham Forest through to his immensely successful time at United.

“I imagine that he is still just as fiery as a manager, I wouldn’t like to be on the receiving end of his half- time tirade if Ipswich are losing!

“But Chopper Harris definitely left his mark on many players too, so no surprise he was number two.”

Keane was a pivotal part of United’s team during the 1990s and was famous for his no-nonsense to the game.

He sparked fury in 2002 when he admitted deliberately taking revenge on Alf Inge Haaland for an incident during the Manchester ’derby’ in 1997.

Legendary Chelsea captain Harris, a Stamford Bridge favourite between 1961 and 1980, was notorious for his brutal tackles.

Ex-Wimbledon star Vinnie Jones boasted one of the worst disciplinary records before he retired. Other hardmen to make the top 20 included Julian Dicks, Billy Bremner, Kevin Muscat and Eric Cantona as well as David Batty, Alan Shearer and Eric Cantona. Cantona is infamous for his ’kung-fu’ style kick against a Crystal Palace fan in 1995 after being red-carded.

The poll also found three quarters of fans reckon today’s players are ’nancy boys’ compared to stars of the past. Eight out of 10 said players dived too much and three quarters said they were too soft and bottled out of challenges.

ALL-TIME FOOTBALL HARDMEN: 1 Roy Keane; 2 Ron ’Chopper’ Harris; 3 Vinnie Jones; 4 Dave Mackay; 5 Dennis Wise; 6 Stuart Pearce; 7 David Batty; 8 John Terry; 9 Graeme Souness; 10 Patrick Vieira; 11 Lee Bowyer; 12 Julian Dicks; 13 Billy Bremner; 14 Kevin Muscat; 15 Eric Cantona; 16 Norman Hunter; 17 Neil Ruddock; 18 Tommy Smith; 19 Nobby Stiles; 20 Alan Shearer

by **centarec** » Wed May 06, 2009 11:39 am

Wheres skrtel

?

by **Bad Bob** » Wed May 06, 2009 11:54 am

Cantona's a hard man for kicking a fan? WTF?

To me, hard men are the ones that play through the pain barrier to help their team, never bottle out of a 50/50 challenge and are prepared to put themselves about to remind opponents they are there but who are by and large fair players. The likes of Carra and Stuart Pearce come to mind.

by **redbeergoggles** » Wed May 06, 2009 12:38 pm

John Terry ? where they only glue sniffers they asked ? ,where is Steve McMahon ? ,and Tommy Smith at 18 ,absolute joke of a poll ......
I think Vinnie Jones should have a straightener with Julian Dicks, as for Dennis Wise ,hardmen dont cry like the proverbial baby when threatened with doing bird .

King of the midgets though !

by **bigmick** » Wed May 06, 2009 12:48 pm

One word, Sounness. Then there's everybody else although older fans will talk of Tommy Smith and the like. Souness though wouldn't have sorted out Roy keane and Vinnie Jones, because he wouldn't have been able to run fast enough to catch them. That said, I've met Vinnie a few times and although he's a nice lad, he wouldn't be top of my list for fella's I'd like to have a row with. He's bigger than he looks on the telly, and has that steely look that kind of makes you feel he's focusing on the inside back of your head rather than the face. He could be a wee bit of a handful in the wrong circumatances I've no doubt, you'd go there if you had to but it wouldn't be by choice.

by **shakey** » Wed May 06, 2009 12:54 pm

Cant believe even Steve McMahon didnt make the list,imagine if Numpty Barton had took out him like he did Alonso....think Barton would of been the one carried off on a stretcher

by **Reg** » Wed May 06, 2009 1:07 pm

shakey wrote:Cant believe even Steve McMahon didnt make the list,imagine if Numpty Barton had took out him like he did Alonso....think Barton would of been the one carried off on a stretcher

McMahon bottled the FA Cup final against Wimbledon. I´ll never forgive him for that.

by **Big Niall** » Wed May 06, 2009 1:11 pm

Lets face it, the 20 hardest players all played before the premiership (hairband,white boots) era.

In my time I'd go four Souness, think Fashanu was just a coward who would elbow you when not looking or going for the ball. Think the same about Vinnie Jones - actually I reckon I'd take Vinnie Jones in a fight.

by **DrPepe** » Wed May 06, 2009 1:11 pm

this fella is a bit of a hardnut

CALZAGHE SET FOR ANFIELD BOW

James Carroll 06 May 2009

Kenny Dalglish today hailed the growing list of confirmed participants for the Hillsborough Memorial game as it was revealed Joe Calzaghe will swap boxing gloves for football boots at Anfield later this month.

by **tubby** » Wed May 06, 2009 1:17 pm

He always strikes me as a nice guy who can fight rather an an animal hard man. Still wouldn't mess with him.

by **7_Kewell** » Wed May 06, 2009 2:01 pm

i always assumed 'hard men' in football teams were also good players

Vinny Jones? Lee Bowyer? Julian Dicks? They were all thugs and poor excuses for footballers.

As for shearer...he nearly sh*t himself when Roy Keane went for him :laugh:

by **Kharhaz** » Wed May 06, 2009 2:05 pm

Bert Trautmann.

Now that was an hard man :bowdown

Nowadays players are out for weeks with a "stubbed toe" :laugh:

by **taff** » Wed May 06, 2009 2:31 pm

A joke if Tommy Smith doesnt make the top five at least, and Shearer 20 Keane 1 is this the same Shearer who stood up to Keane and his cronies on his own.

Joey Jones reckoned Tommy smith was ludicrously hard

by **Ace Ventura** » Wed May 06, 2009 2:51 pm

taff wrote:A joke if Tommy Smith doesnt make the top five at least, and Shearer 20 Keane 1 is this the same Shearer who stood up to Keane and his cronies on his own.

Joey Jones reckoned Tommy smith was ludicrously hard

When was that taff ?

All i remember is the time when Keane got sent off and went to run after Shearer, who looked like he was sh!tting himself.

Tommy Smith should be in the top 5 without doubt.

Most of the people in that list where just yard dogs who couldnt play.

Sorry to say it but Duncan Ferguson should be no1 by a mile in my books even if he was a blue.

by **stmichael** » Wed May 06, 2009 2:51 pm

John Terry? :laugh:

Yeah he was really tough when he was crying his eyes out after missing that penalty in Moscow wasn't he?

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