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Tackling has always been an integral part of the beautiful game, but in the modern era it is a dying art. A perfectly timed tackle may have pundits and fans alike purring but get it wrong and you must be well prepared for a plethora of media endorsed criticism.

It has been in the spotlight in recent weeks after Nigel de Jong’s tackle on Ben Arfa and Karl Henry’s thuggish lunge at Jordi Gomez in Wolves’ defeat against Wigan with many re-iterating a desire for drastic action in order to stamp such tackles out of the game.

Danny Murphy called upon managers to take responsibility for reckless challenges saying: “You get managers who are sending their teams out to stop other teams playing, which is happening more and more – the Stokes, Blackburn’s, Wolves. The pace in which some players go into tackles now is ridiculous. There are no brains involved in the players who are doing that.”

He continued “If you are going at someone at a certain pace and you don’t get it right you are going to hurt them. Players should be culpable for that, in terms of punishment I don’t know what – but they need to show a little bit more intelligence, especially the ones who are doing it repeatedly.” Whilst Fifa’s top medical official Dr Michel d’Hooghe claimed that some players come on the field to “break a career” and that “some acts really are criminal”.

And although I like the next man enjoys a full-blooded challenge that results in dispossession, such tackles may soon taint the unblemished beauty of the English Premier League. Questioning the malice of such challenges would prove peripheral but it would hardly be surprising if old school managers like Mick McCarthy, Tony Pulis or even Sam Allardyce had told their players to get stuck in to their opposing number or  to let him know your there.

All is well and good if challenges are hard and fair.

The challenge from Wolves skipper Karl Henry inside ten minutes at the DW Stadium however touched upon absurdity – at least a red card and Gomez curling home a beautiful free kick just past the hour offered amnesty. Nigel De Jong’s challenge on the contrary did not receive a card at all.

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It with this you have to question the stringency from referees on such issues and whether they should be coming down harder on players for challenges that put opponents out for months in order to alleviate this from the game. Harsher punishments may separate the blatant offenders from those who actually “aren’t that type of guy” as Mancini described the man nicknamed the “Lawnmower” during his time at Hamburg.

For although we like to defend our players, I can only imagine the fury a tackle similar to those seen in recent weeks would elicit if a player from my team, Birmingham City, was on the end of it.

Liverpool welcome back Luis Suarez last night for the visit of Tottenham Hotspur, as they look to get their push for fourth place back on track.

The Uruguayan hit-man has completed his eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra, as well as a further one-game suspension for a gesture at the Fulham crowd, during Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat at Craven Cottage in December.

His return will serve as real boost for the Merseysiders who, despite excellent results in both domestic cup competitions, have seen their league form stutter in the absence of Suarez. The Reds have secured a meagre seven points from a possible 15 during his spell in the stands, finding the net just seven times. Only the inconsistencies of their rivals have kept the Anfield outfit within touching distance of the much-coveted fourth spot.

But now, with the return of their talismanic striker, there is once again an air of optimism around the club, with fans and players alike believing that a challenge for Champions League football is a genuine possibility.

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And there could well be method behind the renewed confidence, with all of the pieces falling into place for Reds chief, Kenny Dalglish. The return of Suarez will finally enable the Scot to link up his first choice attacking trio, with Steven Gerrard back to full fitness and Andy Carroll beginning to find his feet, after some impressive recent displays. The two developed an exciting understanding initially, but injuries and suspensions have seen the skipper pushed into a deeper role, limiting his link-up play with Carroll. Now Suarez is once again available, Liverpool’s lack of cutting edge could well be addressed, with the Uruguayan’s ability to find space between the lines hinting at more fluid attacking displays.

Although he has been missed, Suarez’s recent rest from first team duties may well prove to have been a blessing in disguise. The month off will have come as a welcome break for the striker who has not had a full pre-season since 2008/09, at his former club Ajax. Uruguay’s recent successes on the international stage have restricted the 25-year-old’s recovery time, with the South Americans finishing fourth in South Africa 2010, and going all the way during last year’s Copa America. Although he has not looked jaded during the beginning of the campaign, burn-out remained a source of concern for the Anfield medical staff.

Perhaps the biggest source of optimism for the Reds remains the stability of their opponents during the end of season run in. Chelsea and Arsenal offer the most realistic challenge, but both are dogged by inconsistency, and face fixture pile-ups due to Champions League commitments. While the season’s surprise package, Newcastle, may fall away as a result of a lack of depth and experience at the business end of the season.

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It’s obvious that the return of Suarez will have a positive effect on the Anfield club, and with other factors coming into place, King Kenny no longer has an excuse, it’s time for the Reds to deliver.

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Marseille squandered a chance to go top of Ligue 1 after being forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to Auxerre on Sunday.The hosts had taken the lead early in the second half but were pegged back 13 minutes before the end, leaving Lille one point clear at the top with five games remaining.

Midfielder Mathieu Valbuena struck in the 56th minute to give Marseille the lead, but just as it looked as though victory was theirs, South Korean striker Jung Jo-Gook found the back of the net.

The draw moved Auxerre into 14th, just one point clear of 18th-placed Nancy in a congested bottom half.

Lyon missed their chance to maintain the pressure on the top two after suffering a surprise 2-0 loss at Toulouse.

Claude Puel’s side finished the encounter with nine men, but conceding a goal in each half left their third-place under pressure from Paris Saint-Germain.

Toulouse defender Mauro Cetto opened the scoring in the 28th minute, but Lyon were not without hope at the break.

That changed when Brazilian Michel Bastos was given his marching orders after picking up two yellow cards.

Full-back Aly Cissokho put the ball in his own net on 68 minutes to make the possibility of a positive result almost impossible for the 10-man Lyon.

It proved just that and Cissokho was given a straight red card four minutes from time as his team remain ahead of PSG on goal difference.

Toulouse move into 11th after the win saw them break a five-game winless run.

Caen moved out of the relegation zone with a resounding 4-0 thrashing of Nice.

First-half goals from Romain Hamouma and Yohan Mollo put Caen on the front foot and when Nice’s Argentine defender Renato Civelli was sent off on the stroke of half time, the game was all but over.

It took until the 89th minute to seal the points as Hamouma completed his brace and Youssef El-Arabi also got in on the act in stoppage time.

Caen move into 15th while Nice slip to 16th, but both remain just one point clear of the relegation zone.

In the day’s other game, Montpellier and Brest played out a scoreless draw at the Stade de la Mosson.

More to come…

Older custodians of the game can seem sanctimonious when complaining about the youth of today. The typical refrain is that these young starlets, bolstered by their aggressive agents are demanding excessive wages before they have proved their worth. But when that view is voiced by current Premier League stars such as Ryan Giggs and Didier Drogba, is it time for football to take note? These two decorated players have achieved a substantial amount and are still consistent performers in their thirties. The context in which young players break through to the professional ranks today is markedly different. By receiving too much too soon are today’s youngsters lacking the drive and work ethic of these two influential players?

At the age of 36 Giggs won the PFA Player’s Player of the Year in April and the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year Award last December. Cynics may argue, with some justification, that the Welshman had won the sentimentality vote. Nonetheless it was testament to the performances he has delivered over the years, being the only player to score in every PL season. When questioned in a recent Guardian interview about the substantive money now sloshing about the system, even for youngsters, he said, “It just takes your eye of the ball. And you’re not as hungry as players used to be. You think you’ve made it before you’ve done anything.”

Giggs’ long-time agent Harry Swales concurred. “They get to be 16 or 17, they score two or three goals, the newspapers blow them up to be something superhuman.” Giggs revealed that when he made his first team debut as a 17-year old he was paid around £40 a week. To say that today’s climate is million miles away would be an understatement. The former Wales international is perfectly comfortable with the concept of a footballer earning vast sumes (he is worth a reported £24 million) but evidently believes you have to pay your dues first. His comments correlate with Chelsea’s Drogba who spoke nostalgically about his formative years when returning to the club where it all began, Levallois on the outskirts of Paris. Former coach Srebrenko Repicic said, “In his first season, Didier was only paid if we won. The bonus was 200 Euros, which was a lot of money for him, but if we lost he got nothing.” His distaste for losing has persisted and he fondly remembers his time there. “This is where you learn your values, like sharing and solidarity. They are sometimes lost in pro football.”

But do the words of Giggs and Drogba resonate? They manifestly do in the blue half of Manchester where Roberto Mancini has warned Adam Johnson to stay grounded. Given the winger’s form he may have seemed an unlikely target but the Italian disciplinarian clearly maintains that he can improve and work harder. Additionally there was outrage in some quarters at the wage demands of their summer signing Mario Balotelli. The volatile but highly talented former Inter Milan starlet is yet to feature in the PL. The Milanese Champions League winners allegedly offered to double his wages but the 19-year old opted for a transfer and the opportunity to earn £180,000 a week. Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp was unusually downbeat when appearing on a BBC documentary concerning England’s chances at the next World Cup. He questioned the ability of the next generation when compared to their inflated egos and forthright agents.

However young, emerging players cannot be blamed for the milieu in which they operate. Since the likes of Giggs and Drogba broke through football, for good or ill, has altered fundamentally. Would they have rejected the grand opportunities being offered to Balotelli and others. Moreover the majority of fans are unperturbed by the scale of players’ wages but particularly if they are perceived to have earned them. By definition young prospects, yet to reach their twenties, have not earned the right to command such lucrative contracts. Youngsters could still be handed these contracts but with a caveat that wages will incrementally rise in tandem with performances. The argument may seem needlessly moralistic but proven winners such as Giggs attribute their enduring spirit and character to a relatively humble start.

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I was watching Sunday Supplement, waiting for some more moments of comic genius, when something really strange happened. Henry Winter was in a heated debate with Shaun Custis about the merits or otherwise of persevering with Fernando Torres in the Chelsea team, and I found myself taking Custis’s side.

Winter was adamant that Torres should remain in the team, to re-find his form, which Winter assumed was bound to return, citing the tired old cliché that if only his scissor kick onto the bar against Sunderland had gone in, he would then have gone on a run of goals. Yes, one goal opens the floodgates, it’s a scientific fact, and it never fails to happen.

Custis disagreed. And his reasoning was surely the more logical of the two. He said: “You get to the point where you think this is just not working”, mentioning that Sturridge should have run in the middle of the attack, suggesting that you could at least move Torres out wide, if he must be played.

Winter: “Needs someone to put arm around him and tell him he is loved.” Having agreed that mentally he was gone, his confidence shot to pieces, he argued that putting on the bench wouldn’t solve matters. But then playing him isn’t either surely? And Winter pointing out that he used tob e brilliant and has “won finals for Spain” is not really of much use now is it?

Steve Cording in the Evening Standard this week agreed with Winter in as much as he defended the seemingly starling goal scoring stats, pointing out that the stats cover the number of times he hasn’t been allowed 90 minutes on the pitch, his treatment under Ancelotti, and a team formation that isn’t suited to him. He added:

 “Chelsea go away this week for five days warm-weather training in Majorca. It is the perfect opportunity for the manager to make his striker feel wanted again. Not just an arm around the shoulder but the man-management that tells Torres he is important and not a player who will be subbed as soon as things go awry.”

I can’t say I agree to be honest. Torres has had ample chance to re-find his form, previous occasional goals have not opened the floodgates, and what’s more, he is beginning to handicap the team. Maybe there is a point to be made on tactics – but the Chelsea manager cannot revolve his tactics around one misfiring striker, so it may be the player rather than the system that will have to be sacrificed. But as the other Sunday Supplement guest Martin Lipton screeched into the cameras, he has played under two different managers and four different tactical set-ups, and nothing seems to be working.

Meanwhile, commentators are desperate for him to succeed. I can see why, in a way. Being your average bitter, prejudiced football fan, I would normally take great delight in seeing a rival’s big-money signing flop so spectacularly. But I don’t really. It is painful to see a £50m player that only a couple of years ago was one of the world’s elite strikers so utterly stripped of his power, of his talent, a man so devoid of confidence you pray for a goal just to give the man a break, to ease the pain not only for him, but for everyone watching.

And despite what I have said, I can see why Villas- Boas perseveres with him. It’s hard to ditch a £50m signing. He pretty much needs him to re-find his form – the consequences of him not are too shocking to contemplate. And whilst the “one goal will change everything” theory is rubbish, each single goal will chip away at the frailties he now possesses.

“Strikers live off goals,” Villas-Boas said recently. “Their confidence builds up and the movement improves. You can’t say that he is not trying. He is making the right movements, he is present in the box. One day I think it will go for him.”

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But it is now 919 minutes since he scored a goal for club or country – and that was back in October against Genk. He has not scored for 11 consecutive Premier League matches – not surprisingly the worst barren run of his career.

To a lesser extent, this scenario is also playing out at a couple of other clubs. One obvious example is Andy Carroll, Liverpool’s replacement for Torres, a £35m purchase who looks like a hung-over Sunday league player, another player whose value has more than halved in under a year. Over at Manchester City, £27m Edin Dzeko has also had a small crisis of confidence, failing to find the net for a relatively long period. He can rest more easily though having grabbed a couple of goals in the last fortnight, and having 14 goals for the season. The pressure on him isn’t quite the same, nor the inability to hit the target.

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But should Chelsea persevere, can they afford this pampering of their biggest ever signing? So far, disaster has been averted – at least the disaster that is not qualifying for the Champions League, the biggest disaster of all for those teams looking to consistently challenge for titles. With 16 games to go, Chelsea are 13 points behind Manchester City. The title challenge has gone – they can’t overhaul City, United and Spurs. They are 5 points clear of 5th place, but they have the heavyweights of Arsenal and Liverpool behind them, both of whom are capable of putting together a run of results. They are still in the FA Cup, and the Champions League. Their season can still be a successful one. The problem is that they average one goal a game over the past seven league games, which if they are to pick up points puts an awful lot of pressure on the defence to keep clean sheets. They need to score more goals (in the league at least), so logic suggests the striker with 9 league goals has more merits than the striker with 2. If current form continues, Andres Villas-Boas has got some difficult decisions ahead. Few other strikers would get such a chance like tihs – is it simply because of his price-tag, and a case of pining for the great player we all used to know?

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Napoli manager Walter Mazzarri has admitted his future at the club is in doubt despite helping the club to their best season in two decades.Mazzarri is in his second season in charge, having joined seven games into the start of last term, and has helped Napoli into a near-guaranteed third placing in the Italian top flight this campaign, as they sit eight points clear of Lazio with three games remaining.

Napoli will travel to Lecce on Sunday, before finishing the season against giants Inter Milan and Juventus, and Mazzarri was sceptical on his job security for next term, despite steering the club to its best finish since winning the Scudetto in the 1989-90 season.

“The fact that I say it’s not granted I will remain in Napoli should be enough to the club. Does (Chelsea manager Carlo) Ancelotti have doubts? Let’s have a look at how many managers are having doubts now, and how many managers will surely remain where they are for next season,” Mazzarri said.

“I think any manager will make his considerations at the end of the season and after that decide whether to remain or not, sometimes out of his own choice, sometimes the club’s choice.”

Mazzarri, however, was more intent on securing third place in the league, as Napoli still require two points to make a formality of their participation in the Champions League next term.

“Our aim tomorrow (Sunday) will be the same as Lecce’s, because first of all we must reach the Champions League, that’s our fundamental aim, so I believe, our motivation to win is even greater than theirs, or equal anyway,” he said.

“The fact that they will have one of their most important players back on the pitch will be a further drive for us, because we know (David) Di Michele is a strong player.”

Football FanCast brings you another top ten list, this time, featuring the greatest and most unexpected comebacks of all time. Find out who makes the number one spot below-

10. Peterborough 4-4 Cardiff City, 2010

What does a manager say at half-time to a side bottom of the Championship and 4-0 down at home? That’s the position former Peterborough manager Mark Cooper found himself in during a league game at London Road last December.

Changes were made at half-time and The Posh fought back to make it 4-3 with one minute left on the clock through winger George Boyd.  Substitute Josh Simpson then grabbed the dramatic equaliser in extra-time. A perplexed Cooper said after the game:

“I didn’t say a lot to the players at half-time – in fact, I thought about getting in my car and going home!”

9. Turkey 3-2 Czech Republic, 2008

EURO 2008 Comeback Kings Turkey scored two goals in the last five minutes to qualify for the knockout stages in Austria & Switzerland, at the expense of opponents Czech Republic.

At 2-0 down with 15 minutes left to play it seemed as though Turkey were heading home. The momentum changed however when Arda Turan made it 2-1. Two late goals from striker Nihat Kahveci secured the unlikely comeback and sent the Turkish fans into ecstasy.

8. West Germany 3-2 England, 1970

Reigning champions England looked comfortable defending a two-goal lead in their World Cup Quarter-Final against West Germany in 1970. Goals from Alan Mullery and Martin Peters had put England in the driving seat

Sir Alf Ramsey then took off star man Bobby Charlton to ‘rest’ him for the semi-finals. The gamble back-fired spectacularly when Germany fought back to level the scores before German legend Gerd Muller scored the winner in extra-time to complete a sensational comeback.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_6EEAwm-cE

Click here for PAGE 2 and some real thrillers…

7. Tottenham 3-5 Manchester United, 2001

Tottenham Hotspur were in dreamland after racing into a 3-0 first-half lead, totally outplaying reigning champions Manchester United at White Hart Lane in 2001.

After some Fergie hairdryer treatment at half-time, The Reds were a side transformed in the second-half as Andy Cole, Laurent Blanc, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Juan Sebastian Veron and David Beckham scored to complete the remarkable comeback.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2MHphmbp1E

6. Werder Bremen 5-3 Anderlecht, 1994

Belgian side Anderlecht even surprised themselves when after 66 minutes they found themselves 3-0 up away to German side Werder Bremen in the Champions League group stages in 1994.

No-one could have predicted what happened next however with Werder demonstrating that famed German spirit to pull back an astonishing five goals in 23 rollercoaster minutes. A classic Champions League encounter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7S9O1aoytc

5. Tottenham 3-4 Man City, 2004

Ten-man Manchester City pulled of arguably the greatest FA Cup comeback of all-time at White Hart Lane in 2004. Goals from defender Ledley King, Irishman Robbie Keane and a Christian Ziege free-kick put Spurs 3-0 up after 43 minutes.

Midfield enforcer Joey Barton was then sent-off just before half-time and coach Kevin Keegan would have been thinking about damage limitation as he headed to the dressing room. City amazingly managed to level the scores with a fight-back of epic proportions, before forgotten man John Macken headed in a looping 90th minute winner.

A blown away Keegan said after the game:

“They’ll talk about this game long after we’ve all gone”

4. Charlton 7-6 Huddersfield, 1957

It’s not often you see your side score six goals and still lose a game of football. Indeed, no side before or since,  has ever managed it since.

That is exactly what happened to Bill Shankly’s Huddersfield side that at one stage had held a 5-1 lead over ten-men Charlton. The Addicks then fired in five goals in 19 minutes before The Terriers drew level at 6-6. With seconds left, four-goal hero Johnny Summers crossed for John ‘Buck’ Ryan to make it an unbelievable 7-6. Shankly allegedly didn’t talk to anyone for days after the game. Read the match report HERE.

Click here to find out the TOP 3 football comebacks of all time…

3. Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich, 1999

Despite only overturning a one-goal deficit, the timing and manner of Manchester United’s dramatic Champions League win over Bayern Munich in 1999 ensures this crazy night at Barcelona’s Nou Camp goes down as one of the greatest comebacks of all-time.

Trailing for most of the match to Mario Basler’s sixth minute strike, substitutes Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer both scored in injury-time to secure an unprecedented Treble for United. “Name on the trophy!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JybopUgbvfE

2. Angola 4-4 Mali, 2010

The opening game of the African Cup of Nations produced one of the most spectacular comebacks ever seen in football. Host nation Angola were cruising at 4-0 with 11 minutes left before Mail scored four times to level the game, with striker Mustapha Yatabare netting the equaliser in the last-minute of extra-time.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhWeSypwQ7Q

1. AC Milan 3-3 Liverpool, 2005

Liverpool pulled off the greatest comeback of all-time in the 2005 Champions League Final against Italian side AC Milan. 3-0 down at half-time and sinking without a trace, The Reds scored three goals in an astonishing seven-minute second-half spell.

Ukrainian Andriy Shevchenko then missed from point-blank range before The Reds clinched their fifth European Cup with a penalty shootout victory. Watch the epic encounter in the brilliant video below.

Have I missed any games out? You can read more of my blogs HERE or follow me on Twitter.

Liverpool old boy taking the Championship by storm

A look into the future of the Premier League

Wayne Rooney has stated that Manchester United’s experience and persistence in the second half of the season will stand them in good stead in the race for the Premier League title.

The Old Trafford outfit are three points adrift of cross-town rivals Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, as the pair fight it out for superiority in the English top flight.

Despite the players at Roberto Mancini’s disposal, Rooney feels that his side have the necessary track record to overtake City in the title race.

“We relish this part of the season,” he told reporters at a press conference, which was covered by The Daily Mail.

“Once we get into the new year we can see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. Every game is massive and we don’t want to be dropping points.

“But I always feel we are at our best around now because we can see the end of the season and that there are trophies there to be won.

“That’s why we stay focused and, more often than, not we’re always there at the end.

“The next three or four weeks will be exciting.

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“We understand and know what we have to do. We need to prepare ourselves the best way we can and hopefully get the results we need,” he stated.

By Gareth McKnight

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Liverpool fans must be wondering what if Kenny had been appointed manager sooner as the Reds close in on a top five finish. Dalglish has performed absolute wonders at Anfield and you sense it is only a matter of time before he is given the job on a permanent basis.

At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Liverpool blogs that includes the ten positives to take out of the Reds season; Kenny plotting a £7m swoop, while a welcome headache for Damien Comolli.

We also look at the best Liverpool articles around the web this week.

*

Are local derbies losing their sense of occasion?

Transfer links with Tottenham and Liverpool the real reason for the demise?

Bad player or badly treated at Anfield?

Liverpool plotting £7m swoop for Frenchman

TEN positives Liverpool can take from this season

Will UEFA initiative ensure equality for all football clubs?

The ‘Unsung’ hero down Anfield Road?

FIVE Bosman deals for Comolli and Dalglish to peruse

A welcome headache for Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli

What actually makes a BIG club then?

Liverpool’s Player of the Year: the nominees are in…

*Best of WEB*

Valued at £9m, but is he the solution to our left back woes?- Live4Liverpool

Liverpool FC – The Times They Are A-Changin’ – This is Anfield

Why Dirk Kuyt is better than Gareth Bale – Our Kop

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Form and Formations: The New LFC – Tomkins Times

Mourinho to Liverpool? No Thanks!- Live4Liverpool

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Click on image below to see Riccardo’s good lady

The English Premiership is renowned for being one of the hardest and most keenly contested leagues in the world. Crunching tackles are common place and many a player would never dream of jumping out of a tackle. But the Premiership’s hardest players have some way to go to compete with one female footballer who is taking competitiveness to a whole new level. 20 year old American defender Elizabeth Lambert certainly gets stuck in when she plays as this video shows:

[youtube UvEobeNfGcc]

Lambert has been banned by her college team for her antics in that match, where she was kicking, punching and yanking opponents to the ground by their hair. Lambert is quoted in the Daily Mail as saying “I let my emotions get the best of me in a heated situation,” you can say that again. Whilst hard men in the Premier League may not go as far as the American defender during a game, some genuine tough players have played in England in the past. Here is a look at the top ten hardest players to ever play in the Premiership:

10: Jaap Stam – The 6 ft 3 in Manchester United and Netherlands central defender was certainly a formidable opponent to come up against. Stam was a straight character who was said to have a serious approach to football, and he went into every tackle as if it were his last. Centre forwards rarely had the better of battles with the Dutchman as his build and physique was up there with anyone. In his PSV days it is rumoured that a fight on the field immediately ended as soon as Stam came towards the confrontation. He definitely wasn’t a man to be messed with.

9: Colin Hendry – An old fashioned central defender, Hendry was as hard as granite and had an uncompromising approach to the art of defending. His tough nature meant that if the ball was in the air he would go and head it and nothing would get in his way. He once described a swinging elbow as shrugging off another player and was banned for six international matches as a result. The defender led Blackburn to the FA Premier League title back in 1995 and had courage in abundance, which he will need plenty of when he stars in I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here later this year.

8: Neil Ruddock – ‘Razor’ Ruddock was involved in plenty of bust ups during his football career, most famously clashing with Frenchmen Eric Cantona and Patrick Vieira. He seemed to enjoy dishing punishment out to his opponents and brought plenty of steel to the Liverpool defence for a number of years. His reputation as a hard man goes before him and to this day when he still appears in testimonials and charity matches he doesn’t exactly back out of tackles, as celebrity Tim Lovejoy will testify after geting his comeuppance after taking the mickey out of him.

7: Julian Dicks – The West Ham defender would have been more suited to playing football before his time, as he was a traditional hard man. The tough tackler had the nickname ‘The Terminator’ and many of his challenges were enough to make your eyes water. The shaven-headed defender sure had the look of a hard man and his no nonsense approach endeared him to the Hammers’ fans. It seems since retiring he hasn’t lost any of his aggression either, as Dicks has admitted that he has smashed his golf clubs in anger after losing his rag after a fluffed shot.

6: Marco Materazzi – The Italian defender is known as ‘The Matrix’ due to his unpredictable personality and wasn’t adverse to a crunching tackle every now and again. Materazzi seemed to have a switch that when he got angry he took it out on his opponents and illustrated that during his time in the Premiership with Everton. He knew how to wind up opponents as well as the infamous incident with French legend Zidane proves. He was head butted by Zidane after allegedly insulting the Frenchman’s family and got a taste of what he himself dished out during his career.

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5: Patrick Vieira – The Arsenal midfielder wasn’t your typical hard man in terms of thuggish behaviour, but he certainly knew how to commit fouls. The Frenchman wasn’t a psychopath like so many of the traditional hard footballers, but he brought some steel to Wenger’s youthful and skilful team. During his time in the Premiership he picked up ten red cards which is some effort, and had disciplinary problems throughout his time in England. If he returns to the Premier League with Arsenal as has been rumoured, England football fans will get another taste this hard man.

4: Vinnie Jones – A member of Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang, Jones wasn’t afraid to get stuck in on the football pitch. He was well known in English football for his aggressive style and intimidating demeanour and certainly wasn’t a player to mess with. Infamously remembered for grabbing Gascoigne’s privates, Jones was an important part of Wimbledon’s 1988 FA Cup final victory when he went head-to-head with fellow Liverpool hard man Steve McMahon. Since retiring, Jones now plays hard men on the big screen, featuring as a British gangster in many a movie.

3: Duncan Ferguson – The Everton and Newcastle striker often threw his weight around on the pitch and used his height and weight to his advantage. He was regularly on the wrong side of referees for his dominating style of play in which the odd elbow was never far away. Off the pitch Ferguson has had four convictions for assault and most famously was unimpressed when he found two burglars in his house. Ferguson confronted the pair and one of them subsequently spent time in hospital, showing that he wasn’t a person you’d want to get on the wrong side of.

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2: Stuart Pearce – Pearce typifies what it means to play with passion and was always a player who was 100% committed. Nicknamed ‘Psycho’, Pearce was a tough defender who had a distinguished football career, playing for Nottingham Forest amongst others. He was so hard that he even tried to run off a broken leg and on another occasion just got on with the game when Boli head butted him in Malmo. His hard but fair attitude was respected across the country, and he showed what football meant to him by screaming after scoring a penalty for England against Spain at Euro 96.

1: Roy Keane – The Manchester United midfielder was so hard that it was thought that even Sir Alex Ferguson was frightened of him. The uncompromising midfielder was at the heart of United’s Premiership success for a number of years and led the side to many domestic and European trophies. In his most infamous incident on the pitch, he effectively ended the career of Manchester City’s Alf-Inge Haaland with a horrendous revenge tackle where he showed his studs. His determined, aggressive and competitive style of play makes him the ultimate Premiership hard man.

Is there anyone not on this list who you think deserves to be there? How do these hard men compare to the all-time hardest footballers, such as Tommy Smith and Dave Mackay? And can anyone currently playing in the FA Premier League claim to be as hard as those who have gone before them?