Best player Roy Keane or Graeme Souness?

[simplyared]

2 players so alike in playing styles, attributes, and temprement. Both captains and leaders on and off the field. Both world class (in my mind anyway). Both played under 2 of the most successful British managers of all time..

Keane 12 yrs at Man Utd winning 7 PL titles, 1 CL

Souness 7 yrs at Liverpool winning 5 1st division titles, 3 European cups

A difficult one and being a red Manc myself, and trying not to be biased, I’m going to have to go for Souness.

Reason:

His technical ability was superior to Keane’s imho.

 

[Red00012]

Never seen Souness

But I’m picking Keane regardless

 

[Falcow]

Too young to have seen Souness so cant really answer. He would need to have been one heck of a player however to have been better than Keane.

 

[Luffy]

Souness was technically better at a time when the pace of the game was slower, with rules that allowed him to get away with horrific tackles. There are at least 10 tackles of Souness from his time at Pool and Rangers that are all more malicious than Keane's tackle on Haaland Sr.

 

[Feed Me]

Didn’t Souness just pass the ball back to the ‘keeper?

 

[Hoof the ball]

Souness was technically better at a time when the pace of the game was slower, with rules that allowed him to get away with horrific tackles. There are at least 10 tackles of Souness from his time at Pool and Rangers that are all more malicious than Keane's tackle on Haaland Sr.

Oh man. You watch those games pre-90's and there was zero press 100% of the time. Midfielders waltzing around with opposition players no more than 10 yards away just watching. Tackles were vicious, but my god, the time players had on the ball.....

 

[duffer]

I'm gonna need the ages of those offering opinions on this!

I was 6 when Souness left English football so don't really have much of an opinion on him but I saw almost all of Keane's career.

 

[cyberman]

Keane. What Souness was doing is so removed from anything resembling the game that it may as well be a different spor

 

[Red_toad]

Souness was nothing like Keane, other than both midfielders. He was more a Carrick type player who was tough as nails.

 

[711]

Souness was dirty as feck but he was clever with it. Saved the fouls for when they were necessary for control, and made them count. He also knew to wait a while between them so he was very rarely sent off, in England at any rate, which was quite remarkable in itself.

 

[Needham]

Souness often just sat and wasn't much of a sprinter whereas Roy could motor. Keane started out at Forest as a box to box midfielder, although in 3 seasons he played about 5 different positions for them. Always find the Robbo vs Keane debate more interesting and tougher to evaluate. In truth Keane was probably more similar in his role to that prick Steve McMahon.

 

[Raees]

Souness. He had much more to his game and could hold, playmake and control a game and was a leader to boot.

Keane also a great player, great ball retention and fantastic engine but I just think Souness has that extra layer of class with the ball which edges it for me.

 

[njred]

Souness was more talented and could tackle as good as Keane. Souness was the first name along with Dalglish on the best team in Europe at the time. Anybody who seen them both will agree Souness was the more talented player as well as being a great leader. Keane was the definition of a winner at all costs which is something you cannot teach. A one of a kind. Being biased I’m taking Souness also because of the difference in talent and being the rock on the best team in Europe at the time.

 

[thegregster]

Souness wasnt rated outside of England. He never even made the top 20 in European footballer of the year.

Also crap at world cups.



Keane and Robson were both better.

 

[justsomebloke]

At least they were both vastly better as players than as managers (or pundits/analysts).

 

[njred]

Souness wasnt rated outside of England. He never even made the top 20 in European footballer of the year.

Also crap at world cups.



Keane and Robson were both better.

You’re probably too young to have seen Souness with a statement like that. Ask your older members here. Hope this helps.

 

[JJ12]

Keane’s all round game is so underrated

 

[thegregster]

You’re probably too young to have seen Souness with a statement like that. Ask your older members here. Hope this helps.

I seen him play and he was miles behind Robson and Keane.

Never got 1 vote for European footballer of the year in all his career. The results are online if you want to check. Says it all.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Saw them both and Keane was superior

 

[Irwin99]

Never saw Souness play but whenever I see highlights videos I always think he looked a really great player with a nasty edge. Obviously Youtube videos can distort things but i'm still impressed by his passing ability and skill. I never see many Robson vs Souness threads, which I think would be a better comparison.

Keane's consistency and quick passing through the lines are by far his most underrated qualities. His touch was fantastic too and whatever role he was given, attacking or defensive, he seemed to always carry it out really well.

 

[sammsky1]

As always it’s to directly compare players from different eras on specific attributes: you could only be as good as your era allowed.
For me the only way to compare players from different eras is to evaluate the impact they had during their era and compare.
On that basis the better player is probably Souness because of his European exploits.

 

[RobinLFC]

I seen him play and he was miles behind Robson and Keane.

Never got 1 vote for European footballer of the year in all his career. The results are online if you want to check. Says it all.

Going by those criteria I'm glad that you'll agree Gerrard is vastly superior to Scholes.

 

[harms]

I can't agree with Souness being technically superior. The only thing Souness has on Keane is his shooting ability – that's a clear advantage. Although probably long passing as well... Other than that, I'd take Keane's mobility & general passing ability over Souness' any day. If I was choosing a captain, same story. Souness was a brilliant all-rounded midfielder, but his playmaking/goalscoring qualities weren't on par with someone like Scholes or Redondo to give him a clear advantage in this comparison.

 

[cyberman]

I can't agree with Souness being technically superior. The only thing Souness has on Keane is his shooting ability – that's a clear advantage. Maybe long passing... Other than that, I'd take Keane's mobility & general passing ability over Souness' any day. If I was choosing a captain, same story. Souness was a brilliant all-rounded midfielder, but his playmaking/goalscoring qualities weren't on par with someone like Scholes or Redondo to give him a clear advantage in this comparison.

But Roy did have a good shot on him, he was an excellent attacking midfielder before he joined us.

 

[Sandikan]

You'd probably have to be 50+ to make a proper comparison on this one.

At times it seems half the cafe barely even remember Keane as a player from some of their comments!

 

[harms]

It may not be a fair comparison, but Souness was never the best midfielder in the world at any point (that would be one of Breitner/Falcão probably), while Keane at his peak, I believe, truly was one. His competition wasn't too shabby as well – the likes of Redondo, Davids, Vieira etc.

P.S. I mean central midfielders, so no Zidane/Platini/Zicos, please.

 

[harms]

But Roy did have a good shot on him, he was an excellent attacking midfielder before he joined us.

I'm not saying that he didn't. He was a great long-passer as well. Just that Souness was better at that particular side of the game.

 

[Joga Bonito]

I can't agree with Souness being technically superior. The only thing Souness has on Keane is his shooting ability – that's a clear advantage. Although probably long passing as well... Other than that, I'd take Keane's mobility & general passing ability over Souness' any day. If I was choosing a captain, same story. Souness was a brilliant all-rounded midfielder, but his playmaking/goalscoring qualities weren't on par with someone like Scholes or Redondo to give him a clear advantage in this comparison.

This.

 

[stepic]

Why have I always thought Souness was a CB?

 

[Skills]

I think the only winners in this argument are the ones young enough to have never seen Souness play.

 

[padr81]

Both amazing footballers by all accounts (youtube), Saw loads of Keane but not enough of Souness to make a judgement. Souness left for Italy when I was 3 so I have nothing but highlights and youtube.

 

[padr81]

Why have I always thought Souness was a CB?

He's just got that attitude where people presume he's a guy who couldn't play football and loved kicking people so presume he was a CB, in reality he was a guy who could play football and loved kicking people.

 

[Gio]

It's a great question because there's very little between them and I suspect your answer will be driven by which team you support. For what it's worth, I would have both holding midfield together in an all-time British and Irish XI. And even amongst global company they are right at the very top for imposing their fierce personality on the game through their forensic control of midfield. They are probably as good as I've ever seen in that regard.

Souness wasnt rated outside of England. He never even made the top 20 in European footballer of the year.

Also crap at world cups.



Keane and Robson were both better.

Souness was actually pretty shit hot at World Cups in the limited opportunities he got at his peak. In 1978 he was bizarrely not selected for the shambles against Peru or Iran, which ultimately cost us big time. But called up for the Holland game he ran the show from the kick-off - against a stacked midfield - and set up two goals and teed up another that crashed off the bar. He had some strong showings in 1982 as well and was particularly good against the Soviet Union, looking a class above his Scottish teammates (aside from the imperious Willie Miller at the back), scoring a fine solo effort. While the manager was always going to let us down in Argentina '78, it's a pity some of the others didn't step up in Spain '82 because on paper that was some team. And by Mexico '86 he was done. Ultimately across 4 games in 1978 and 1982 he’s involved in 4 goals, setting up 3 and scoring 1. All of that on top of his general command of the midfield and defensive enforcement.

It may not be a fair comparison, but Souness was never the best midfielder in the world at any point (that would be one of Breitner/Falcão probably), while Keane at his peak, I believe, truly was one. His competition wasn't too shabby as well – the likes of Redondo, Davids, Vieira etc.

P.S. I mean central midfielders, so no Zidane/Platini/Zicos, please.

That's quite subjective though and it was never clear cut, certainly in Keane's generation of midfielders. I’d personally rate Davids and Redondo on par or marginally superior when all hit their peaks in the late 90s. Now someone might respond citing Keane’s talismanic show against Davids’ Juve, which is fair enough. But then Souness went toe-to-toe with Falcao and Breitner and came out on top with the silverware. And as you say, you could reasonably say Keane probably wouldn’t have been the best midfielder in the world had he been competing with Falcao and Breitner, which makes it all a moot point.

 

[Sassy Colin]

You come on a United forum and ask this?

Give over, we hate Sourness and love Roy Keane.

 

[Bwuk]

They played in different eras it’s hard to compare. Souness wouldn’t of got away with how he played in Keanes time, let alone nowadays.

Id of thought Souness vs Robson would be a better comparison.

 

[golden_blunder]

Souness. He had much more to his game and could hold, playmake and control a game and was a leader to boot.

Keane also a great player, great ball retention and fantastic engine but I just think Souness has that extra layer of class with the ball which edges it for me.

No chance

 

[ThierryFabregas]

Oh man. You watch those games pre-90's and there was zero press 100% of the time. Midfielders waltzing around with opposition players no more than 10 yards away just watching. Tackles were vicious, but my god, the time players had on the ball.....

Watch 70s and early 80s Liverpool. They were a pressing machine

 

[ThierryFabregas]

I don't think many will be old enough to remember. I'm not but I've watched a few 70s-80s Liverpool games, an incredibly well drilled unit. Souness doesn't stand out as much as other midfielders in the highlights but I imagine in the full matches you'd note his defensive slog. He did score at a higher rate than Keane though. 51 goals in 359 games versus 55 goals in 480 games for Keane.

 

[T00lsh3d]

He's just got that attitude where people presume he's a guy who couldn't play football and loved kicking people so presume he was a CB, in reality he was a guy who could play football and loved kicking people.

Nicely done

 

[KirkDuyt]

Surely this is some sort of honey trap to goad people into saying Souness to ban them??

I have no idea if Souness was good, I'm not 100 years old. I have to check Google to see how you spell his name for Gods sake.