IT’S the end of an era.
After 15 years as a pundit, Graeme Souness has left Sky Sports.
The fiery Scot, 69, announced the decision as he held back tears following Liverpool’s thrilling 4-3 win over Tottenham on Sunday.
Speaking about hanging up the microphone, he said: “I’m going to miss you guys, the guys behind the scenes, our makeup girl, I’ll miss you all.
“You know, for me, I decided that football management wasn’t for me anymore. I had the wrong temperament for it, the wrong personality.
“And then I was given the opportunity to do this and it’s been magnificent. It’s just been the most fantastic time for me, because I love football, I care about football and I worry about it going forward.
read more football news
“But in Sky’s hands, it’s in good hands, safe hands, and I think over the years we’ve created a Premier League with great detail and I think we look after football very well.
“But for me personally, I’ve got the buzz of live football coming to some fantastic games and some fantastic stadiums and some great events.
“I think I owe 100 apologies to people, but we haven’t got time for that.
“I think people at home obviously don’t always agree with us, but it’s been great guys it really has.
“And it’s great right now to be amongst friends and nothing goes on forever, but I’ve got a lot of things coming up, I’m involved in my DEBRA charity and on the 27th of this month I’ll announce the challenge I’m getting involved in.
“But it’s been great so thank you to everyone.”
Over the years, Souness has provided much hilarity in the studio with his cutting criticism and honesty – look away if you are Paul Pogba and Jack Grealish.
And just like his tackling in his hey day, he’s not afraid to pull any punches. Here are his best moments.
The Pogba affair
Souness seemingly always had a bee in his bonnet about Pogba.
But, even though he drew Jamie Redknapp and Gary Neville in to heated debates about the World Cup winner, it was a moment with affable Micah Richards that was most surprising.
It came during a discussion on old comments made by Pogba’s former agent Mino Raiola about the Frenchman’s future at Man Utd. The playmaker would, of course, get his move in the end.
Most read in Football
But the pair spoke over each other and gesticulated furiously as they tried to make their points – while Souness even turned his back at one point.
Richards suggested Raiola had made comments without Pogba’s say-so but ex-Liverpool man Souness was having none of it.
He blasted: “Not a chance, not a chance. He’s echoing the thoughts of the player.”
Grealish ain’t all that
“He’s a good player, not a great player,” Souness has said of Man City’s £100million man Jack Grealish.
For Graeme, the former Aston Villa playmaker had yet to do it for Pep Guardiola’s side.
And, during his punditry, he let everyone know it.
Grealish hit back at those comments while away on England duty, by insisting: “I don’t know what his problem is, he always criticises me.”
Amusingly, Souness retorted on talkSPORT: “I’d love a night out with him.
“I’m not sure I could stay with him but I think I would enjoy a night out with him.”
Grealish has seemingly taken him up on his offer. He wrote on social media, “🤣🤣 let’s do it!! As long as I can bring Pogba as a +1.”
A case for the defence
Gary Neville is used to getting his point across when it comes to his beloved Manchester United.
But Souness didn’t agree with an assessment that former striker Cristiano Ronaldo needed support up front.
No, the European Cup winner slammed the club’s defence instead.
Neville said: “The biggest problem United actually have pre-dates Ronaldo. And for me it’s not a Pogba issue either.”
Souness interjected: “You had to throw him into the mix as well.”
But Neville carried on: “We can point towards two players, no goals is a mentality issue in a club, it’s a mentality issue in general.
“United have had just one clean sheet in the last 20 game across all competitions.
“They’ve conceded 31 goals to Chelsea’s 12, Liverpool’s 16 and Manchester City’s 21.”
But Souness cut in again and added: “That’s not about having a focal point. That’s not the issue.
“The issue is you’re too vulnerable.”
Neville attempted to diffuse the rising tensions and said: “We’re talking about two different things here, Graeme.”
But Liverpool legend Souness would not stop. He continued: “It’s not about having a focal point. That’s not the issue.”
Don’t interrupt him
North London derby day in 2018, and Arsenal have drawn at home to Spurs 1-1.
Alongside Souness in the studio is Gunners legend Thierry Henry, who begins with his assessment of the game.
Henry makes his point about Arsenal stars, their injuries and how unfortunate they’ve been.
Souness, though, had other ideas. “Arsenal have a lot of players that run with the ball,” he said.
“That would lend to the idea of stretching more, dribbling with the ball more than anyone else…”
Before he can finish, he’s interrupted by Henry – to which Souness barks “I’m talking” at him.
It was worth noting a season earlier, Souness was interrupted by Gary Neville – also during an Arsenal game at Man City – and gave him a death stare.
But he got his own back…
Fed up of being interrupted, Souness got his own back on fellow Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher last season.
It started with a debate about Romelu Lukaku’s infamous interview on Sky Sport Italy, when the Belgium striker revealed he wanted to return to Inter Milan.
Souness felt he should have got more than just being left out of the line up for an important televised game by boss Thomas Tuchel.
Carragher did his best to defend Lukaku, saying he didn’t say he wanted to leave Chelsea.
Souness interjected, “No, he did in as many words.”
The interjection alone spun Carragher’s mind, who pulled a hilarious face at the camera – that’s soon become a meme.
Beef with Mourinho
The Special One and Graeme clashed over Man Utd’s playing style, as well as fixture congestion.
“I have seen in the football media that certain pundits cannot understand why our players are tired,” Mourinho moaned his programme notes.
“A pundit is not honest if they cannot forget their colours or if they try to hide the truth from their audience. It’s not my fault if their managerial career was very poor.”
But Souness hit back after they beat Ajax in the Europa League final.
“They have turned up in Stockholm, and dug out a result playing the kind of football that is not Manchester United, that’s my biggest beef with them,” he said.
“They don’t attempt to get on the ball, and don’t play enough football for me. If you’re one of the big clubs in the world, which they obviously are, you have to play better football.
“They won’t win the big trophies playing like that, against the better teams they won’t win the big trophies. You won’t win our league playing like that. They don’t play enough football.”
Souness later said that the only reason Man Utd went with Mourinho was because rivals Man City had Pep Guardiola, and the Red Devils needed a big name manager.
‘Why are you looking at me like that?’
It’s not just fellow pundits who have faced Souness’s wrath.
In 2019, Liverpool drew 0-0 against Manchester United at Old Trafford – in what many perceived as a flat performance.
But, the former Anfield hero thought the Reds played well, when asked by host David Jones, and dominated possession.
With the camera zoomed in on Souness, it’s impossible to see what Jones did to incur such a confrontation.
But as Souness contined to make his point, he all of a sudden said: “Why are you look at me like that? Are you not agreeing with me?”
As the camera panned out, Jones looked around at the fellow pundits and said, “I just wonder if they agree with you.”
Read More on The Sun
“It was just the way you looked,” Souness added.
How he will be missed.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
