Souness *throws pen*: ‘I’m fed-up listening to people talk bull’

Joe Williams
Graeme Souness Liverpool

Former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness says he is “fed-up” of pundits trying to overcomplicate a game of football.

Appearing on Virgin Media Sport to analyse Tottenham’s 1-0 loss to Ajax on Tuesday evening, Souness burst into a rant about the tactical “bull” in punditry.

The host Tommy Martin asked Souness: “There’s so much discussion about ‘Is it about the systems or is it about the application or the attitude?’.”

To which Souness responded: “Let me tell you. You can watch any football programme and they’ll talk about systems and tactics and formations, substitutions, preparation. It’s quite simply a game of football.

“If you first get right that you’re first to the ball, you’re on the front foot, and you’re going forward, you’re playing on the front foot and you’re attacking, and tactics then after that might come into play.

“If the tactics come first, ‘We’re going to go out, we’re going to have this system, we’re going to do this tactically’ but you’re second to the ball, your tactics go out the window.

*Souness throws pen*

“You might as well (mimes washing hands of situation),” he added. “And I’m fed up listening to people talk bull about tactics and formations and too much football science.

“Get first to the ball and you’ve got a chance in football. Don’t get first to the ball, you’ve got no chance. Simple as. simple as.”