Rooney was though as nail in his peak. Never backed down. A bit more moderne than the rest, diving etc, but he was hard as hell
Was he really 'hard' or just dirty?
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
Gattuso
Not a cockney. I won't argue the other slurs though!
I remember him getting knocked out cold in his own kitchen by Phil Bardsley! Soft as shite!
That's what She said.
Fellaini is dirty.
Wilshere is dirty.
Vidic is hard.
Stam is hard.
Fellaini is dirty.
Wilshere is dirty.
Vidic is hard.
Stam is hard.
Bremner, Hunter, Giles, and Jack Charlton. All tough as they come but if the opposition came to play, they could do that too. Dave Mackay at Tottenham was a fearsome player but a hell of a good player too. Paddy Crerand could mix it up with the best of them as could Billy Foulkes.
Hard as a wet noodle.
Joe Jordan
Make no mistake, Souness was a hard man. Good player too who could dish it out and take it as circumstances dictated. He and Robbo used to have some right ding-dongs. Whiteside too, as young as he was, never shied away from mixing it up with Liverpool's midfield.
Yeah it always cracks me up to see people going on about the hard men back in the old days, as if that was in any way beneficial to the game, or even enjoyable to watch.
McQueen too. Both from the same school at Leeds.
Have lost count of the amount of times I’ve read about the hypothetical Roy Keane vs Duncan Ferguson fight. It’s mentioned so many times one could be forgiven for thinking it was something that was actually touted or expected to happen between the two. A truly nonsensical arbitrary hypothetical that actually has nothing to do with the discussion. Entertaining the idiocy of it, even in professional fighting, a ‘hard’ person can be beaten to a pulp. So whether or not Duncan Ferguson would be the better street brawler or grappler or fecking kickboxer is absolutely irrelevant.
On topic, Roy Keane was one of the ‘hardest’ players united have ever had, and was dirty more than a few times. Robson, cantona, vidic, even evra possibly fits the mould. Didn’t shirk a challenge, was not intimidated by a single player or scenario and if needed could be trusted to weigh in.
You need to eat more fibers.
Honourable mention to some of Chelsea's teams of the 60s and 70s. David Webb, the immortal Ron Harris, Peter Osgood, Ian Hutchinson; they were all capable of playing exquisite football but they didn't take any prisoners when the gloves came off.
Football then was a far more physical game in terms of contact than today, and not only in Britain. The Italians had a fearsome reputation, as did some of the Spanish sides. Beckenbauer was a tremendous footballer, one of the greatest ever, but he too excelled in the more physical aspects of the game. As for the South Americans, well, the very mention of Estudiantes or Racing Club is enough to send shudders down the spine of oldies in Manchester and Glasgow.
Football then was a far more physical game in terms of contact than today, and not only in Britain. The Italians had a fearsome reputation, as did some of the Spanish sides. Beckenbauer was a tremendous footballer, one of the greatest ever, but he too excelled in the more physical aspects of the game. As for the South Americans, well, the very mention of Estudiantes or Racing Club is enough to send shudders down the spine of oldies in Manchester and Glasgow.
Tommy Smith was a dickhead.
I played against him in a Lancashire Senior Cup tie - I was 17, he was Tommy ' eats nail sandwiches for breakfast ' Smith - already a legend.
Kicked seven shades of shit out of me for 90 minutes and laughed when I asked him why.
Bye bye.
I played against him in a Lancashire Senior Cup tie - I was 17, he was Tommy ' eats nail sandwiches for breakfast ' Smith - already a legend.
Kicked seven shades of shit out of me for 90 minutes and laughed when I asked him why.
Bye bye.
.Indeed, but the funny thing is, most of them were damned good players and if all they could do was kick lumps out of people, they were soon found out.
Billy Whitehurst
Mick Harford
Robert Hopkins
Pat van den Hauwe
Kevin Ratcliffe
Kevin Moran - had to be, got hurt so often
Stuart Pearce
Mick Harford
Robert Hopkins
Pat van den Hauwe
Kevin Ratcliffe
Kevin Moran - had to be, got hurt so often
Stuart Pearce
nsfw
Add Paul McGrath to that list.
Roy Keane went straight at Bryan Robson when he played for Nottingham Forest. I don't know if it was to prove a point or to state he wasn't intimidated by a legendary hard player. Keane at Forest was even worse than he was at United for being the epitome of what this thread is asking for. He more went out for war than to play, and I would say United actually turned that around and made him focus more on playing than trying to prove himself as a hard player.
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As for this thread, Joe Jordan, Norman Whiteside and Duncan Ferguson were the first two to come to mind. I don't think defenders smashing into the back of hapless, blind-sided forwards is particularly hard as it's a cowardly act, which is why I favour midfielders and strikers in terms of the battle as their actions are overwhelmingly forward facing and in the thick of dishing it out and receiving as opposed to defenders, where it's only when faced with a Jordan or Ferguson etc. that they'll get it equally as they mete it out.
Having said that, didn't that Coventry City player Brian Kilcline have a reputation as the hardest player in Division 1 throughout his career?
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Gattuso another example of a hard player. Totti too in his own way.
Denis Smith at Stoke was a genuine Hard Man without being dirty.
And let's not forget our own Bill Foulkes - don't remember him ever missing a match through injury in almost 19 seasons with us.
And let's not forget our own Bill Foulkes - don't remember him ever missing a match through injury in almost 19 seasons with us.
Think about it for a second and ask yourself, what is a hardman? I'd say it is someone who could kick the shite out of most other people. A hardman should be able to fight and be pretty fecking strong. For all of Keane's bluster and aggression he was just a pretty skinny, short man. End of. Whilst he might have 'the balls' to square up to a massive unit on the football field which would result in a little push or half hearted slap, he would get taken apart in a scrap. Not having him as a hardman. He was an exceptional player who also happened to be a lunatic.
Ps. The dumbest people I know use fancy vocabulary.
He's probably more handy than most. He came from a boxing family and did a bit himself. His cousin Joey (I think that's his name) boxed for England as a youth. Keane also boxed as a kid and had a few bouts, all of which he won but he chose football instead.
I went to the FA Cup Final replay at OT between Chelsea and Leeds in the 69 - 70 season.
Maybe the ' dirtiest ' match I've ever seen - both teams were full of psychopaths, not genuine Hard Men.
Webb's late winner was as welcome to us Utd fans who were there as OGS's late winner 30 years later.
It's difficult to say which footballers are "hard men". Any scrawny prick can square up to someone in the relative safety of a football match when you're surrounded by team mates to protect you.
I remember that game well. Bloods and guts all right.
John Fashanu and John Fashanu
What the hell? You utter caveman
On topic this thread should be closed then by your standards as it makes absolutely no sense.
Your a f*cking dirty harry potter fan aint ya
Roy Keane was a very talented boxer. He'd handle himself fine in a fight. End of. You seem to know little about fighting as well, size doesn't make a fighter.
Ps. I hope you use fancy vocabulary because your posts in here are as dumb as shit.
Bert Trautmann
You don't play on with a broken neck if you're not hard. I'm not aware of him doing anything dirty although I can't say my knowledge of 1950s goalies is particularly extensive.
You don't play on with a broken neck if you're not hard. I'm not aware of him doing anything dirty although I can't say my knowledge of 1950s goalies is particularly extensive.
Nah you’ve got the idea wrong. Would he beat Duncan Ferguson in a bar fight is the real question. Or blanka from street fighter. He’s skinny in pictures too, probably uses ‘fancy’ words. Broken neck or not
I'm not going to say I'm an expert but I do go boxing at my fighting gym 4 times a week. If I went up to one of the monsters who bench 200kg I would get embarrassed, despite how much better I might be at boxing I would barely be able to hurt them.
Not really. When you said "A truly nonsensical arbitrary hypothetical.." Russell Brand popped into my head. I work in a complex area where I have to explain very technical rules and tricky legislation to people from all walks of life. As soon as you start using language like that without any purpose you just alienate folk. It's just an observation - you are free to tell me to shove it. But calling me a caveman? Speak like that outside these forums and you won't be able to communicate properly with half of the English speaking world.
You could add Micky Droy to that list (not the exquisite football but hard as nails nontheless)
have we done the Italians?
Benetti & Gentile
filthiest team at Old Trafford I saw was probably Valencia in 1982 - all game, all of them
Benetti & Gentile
filthiest team at Old Trafford I saw was probably Valencia in 1982 - all game, all of them
Kevin Muscat was a dirty, odious thug, and has a long list of horrible tackles for numerous different clubs and for Australia.
To me it was karma that he missed the 2004 FA Cup with Millwall through a knee injury, and was dropped by Hiddink for Australia’s 2006 World Cup qualification campaign and then the main tournament itself.
To me it was karma that he missed the 2004 FA Cup with Millwall through a knee injury, and was dropped by Hiddink for Australia’s 2006 World Cup qualification campaign and then the main tournament itself.