http://m.espn.com/soccer/story?storyId=840411&lang=EN&wjb=&pg=0 Some good stories here, although an old article. We get two mentions.
Alan Little and Gwyn Thomas have to be in any hard man XI for me. Little Shez not far behind either....
When you read about some of the stuff the ones in the article got involved in, off the pitch, I don’t think I’d put any Barnsley player I’ve seen in the last 40 years in the same category and nor would I want to.
'Hard men' of yesteryear would not get through a match in thr modern game. All teams had their own one and I think Alan Little was one of the toughest in a Barnsley shirt. But Leeds had Norman Hunter, Tommy Smith at Liverpool,Chopper Harris at Chelsea etc . But the game has evolved since those days. Diving in the penalty area has always been around but is now to the nth degree. Not sure if VAR has contributed to making players throw themselves to the ground more or less since it has been introduced. However one thing I am sure the players that Alan Little tackled knew about it .
I disagree to a certain extent. I honestly think there's no place for them now, as they'd not be able to get close to a modern footballer. Hard men were often such, because they were hiding other limitations to their game. I watched an Ice Hockey documentary a little while ago, and the enforcer role has died out too partly for that reason. They became so ineffective, it was a waste having them in the team. Its slightly different I suppose, as an enforcer was there simply to fight, but I reckon its part of the reason you don't get many 'hard men' in football now.
I’d agree with that. Who do you think out of the current Premier League crop is closest to being a stereotypical ‘hardman’? I’m struggling to think of one. One in recent memory was Costa but he was just more of a knob than a tough tackler.
I don't watch much Premier league football, so I'm struggling to think of one to be honest. There's not many typically physical teams in the PL at the minute either, such as Stoke, Sunderland or Wigan. And barring Allardyce, no 'traditional' managers either. Even Leeds are alright to watch, under Bielsa.