‘I’m fed-up listening to people talk BULL about tactics, formations and football science’: Graeme Souness throws his pen in frustration as pundit calls for teams to stick to basics
- Souness was working as a pundit on the Champions League semi-finals
- He argued forcefully that getting to the ball first is everything in football
- Scotland legend said ‘football science’ mattered little without commitment
- Souness hurled his pen across the desk to passionately make his point
Graeme Souness has raged against those who ‘talk bull about tactics and formations and too much football science’.
The Scotland legend was discussing the Champions League semi-final between Tottenham and Ajax on Virgin Media Sport in Ireland on Tuesday night.
And he didn’t hold back when passionately arguing that the tactical intricacies of football shouldn’t outweigh good old-fashioned commitment and determination.
Graeme Souness raged against those who ‘talk bull about tactics and formations and too much football science’ during a passionate defence of old-fashioned football virtues
The Scotland legend made his forceful point while working as a pundit on Irish television
Host Tommy Martin had asked: ‘There’s no much discussion about ‘is it about the systems or is it about the application or the attitude?’
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.’
To illustrate his point more forcibly, Souness then launches the blue biro he was holding across the desk.
The blue biro Souness was holding during his answer was thrown forward across the desk
Souness argued it was far more important to get to the ball first before worrying about tactics
Souness pictured on the sidelines during his time as Newcastle United manager in 2004
Souness was working as a pundit for Virgin Media during Ajax’s 1-0 win at Tottenham
Souness continues: ‘You might as well [mimes washing his hands of the situation].
‘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.’
The former Liverpool and Rangers manager was speaking after Ajax beat Tottenham 1-0 in London to take the advantage in their Champions League semi-final tie.