Keane did it once - sure he's hard and has put in some strong tackles but you make out that he crippled someone every game - not true. He's far more than just a good athlete, his passing skills and reading of the game were sublime - some of the goals he scored were outstanding - very skillful player is also hard as a nut.
If strikers deliberatly broke peoples legs they'd get banned - simple.
Keano recieved 13 Red cards in his professional career over 630 games - pretty good ratio really
I agree with you, and I did not mean that he crippled players every time.
Just that he was too 'hard' for me. As I said I think it's too easy to chop someone down after they beat you. Have the guts to chase them and try to regain the ball.
Sure he did some good defensive/offensive work, but I still cannot sympathize with someone who ended a player's career and said he did it on purpose, and that the c**t even deserved it!
And as for others, who question Gattuso's code of honour (and I meant that he can be tough too but after he chopped you down he'll give you his hand to get you back up) and that I would like to "water down" the greatest game in the world, please remember that people like Maradona, C. Ronaldo, Cafu, Dunga, Ronaldo, Zidane, Totti, Liedholm, Kruiff..these are the people who made the game what it is nowadays.
It's about being a champion as it is being a good person, to give a good example to all those who watch, breathe, live football, in my view.
That's why, when people tell me that Materazzi is one of the greatest defenders in the world, I always reply: "he's a great player and a little little man". (if you don't know what I mean just google: materazzi fouls) and see what I was talking about!
newzealandpower2008-04-12 08:28:51
VUW AFC - Victoria University Football for life
