Hard as nails c*nts

MrJoeSoap

So, who's your favourite 'ard man 'en?

For me its all about Scott Parker, the guy takes some amount of punishment every time he steps out on the pitch. Brave is an understatement for little Scott, against Everton on Saturday he absolutely launched himself into a header at waist-height and almost got decapitated for his trouble.

The week before, against Chelsea, he made two brilliant blocks from powerful free-kicks and got straight back up to play on. Best tackler in the Premier League by some distance.

Arsenal and Newcastle fans might remember his legendary performance against Jens Lehmann a couple of seasons back, playing on and on until he literally couldn't give any more, he lost a couple of teeth that day too if I recall.

So who's your favourite? Razor Ruddock? Vinnie Jones?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8QUzr94sYA

kinaldo

Wor Batty.

Xavi6

Ha ha Detective Gerry Lynch would be proud of the title!

So many 'choppers' out there.

For City in my lifetime we've had Andy Morrison, Jamie Pollock and Richard Dunne. They all love a tackle.

Thinking outside the box I'd consider these boys hard b*stards:
- Duncan Ferguson
- Vinny Jones
- Neil Ruddock
- Stuart Pearce
- Julian Dicks

Further afield I wouldn't cross these lads -

Andoni Goikoetxea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpcBkpOf4z8

Javi Navarro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDtPPfotPLs

Mr.Nice Guy

Of all time I would say Roy Keane.

Out of the current bunch I would say Wayne Rooney. He seems to have the proverbial 'red mist' about him and you always feel he's got the potential to lose it and do something rash.

hoolio

Ah but i think there's a difference between being "hard" and just being a violatile thug.

For example say Michael Brown - commentators will call him "commited", he's not, he's just malicious. Rooney's hot streak doesnt make him hard, it makes him a liability, likewise with Steve Gerard's love of the odd two footed tackle.

I think Brian McBride is hard as nails, in a really odd understated sort of way.

cson

Spot on Hoolio, theres a difference between being hard andbeing a tramp. Like you pointed out, Michael Brown is plain nasty. I'd have to go with Roy Keane if I'm honest, he had a bit of tramp in him too, but mostly he was a work hard play hard guy.

From my own club I suppose Tony Adams or Keown were the hard men that I can remember, maybe Vieira as well. Nowadays Arsenal don't really have a hard man (In fact most teams don't) but I have to say, Fabregas is fiery little fella, kept pushing Lampard in the back on Sunday, goading him and then that "tackle" on Cole

hoolio

Yeah Roy Keane always seemed to swing between old school tough and sickening thuggery, depending on his haircut.

Ah come on, arsenal are all too pretty to be a hard dressingroom. So to speak.

Dont be at yourself

Gattuso. He's a fiery little fella, and seems to be a genuine nutjob. I've rarely seen him maliciously try to 'do' someone though.

Seems to be the same off the pitch too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU5U69BLmr0

Guy:Incognito

C Ronaldo. Th epoor guy gets viciously assaulted numerous times in every game making him end up on the ground, yet gets up everytime like he wasnt touched. Double rock hard bastard.

Bit OT but I really liked the bit in that programme the other day (about the 57 and 07 cup finals) where the guy says about getting levelled (obviously a guy from the 57 final) and sayign how he'd jump back up so that the other guy wouldnt think he hurt him. t's a pity that attitude is mostly gone from the game.

Of recent times I'd go with somone like Keane. He could dish it out and wouldnt be lying on the ground if he wasnt genuinly hurt (most likely because he wanted to kill whoever put him there in the first place )

chopperbyrne

Myself.

My nickname speaks for itself!

Gattuso is definitely one of the best hard men around nowadays.

Salgado at Madrid used to be, not so much anymore though.

Gravison is another one.

Bluetonic

Joe Parkinson or Barry Horne, hard as nails but very fair.

No play acting, no messing, just work horse commitment.

Fratton Fred

Stuart "Psycho" Pearce is mine.

I remember when he broke is leg playing for West Ham. You could hear the crack on TV and he just went "Oh Bugger" and tried walking off :eek:

tonc76

Graeme Souness and his replacement at Liverpool Steve McMahon

Two hard as fvck players :eek:

jem

tonc76 wrote: »

Graeme Souness and his replacement at Liverpool Steve McMahon

Two hard as fvck players :eek:

I was going to mention these two, others would be Claudio Gentile
Daniel Passarella, Archie Gemmill, alan ball etc

Helix

ruddock for that hilarious challenge on cole

that was the greatest tackle ive ever seen

PHB

I do think the 'hardest' players are the creative players who just keep getting up. Ronaldo is one of the modern ones, but I always thought Zidane was incredibly tough. He got fouled and fouled and fouled and would keep going.

Juan Pablo

chopperbyrne wrote: »

Gravison is another one.

Gravesen is not hard! He's just bald. It has been assumed he is a defensive midfielder due to his folically challenged bonce also, and as any Everton or Real fan would attest, he is not. I honestly believe Real meant to buy Carsley that time! For a hard Dane, Stig Toefting would fit the bill. The like of Norman Hunter and Ron Harris were also "proper 'ard".

ciaran76

Barry Horne would be up there for me.

Richard Gough too.

_blank_

Terry Butcher

http://www.tractor-boys.com/Butcher%20blood.gif

Didn't Der Kaiser Beckenbauer play with a broken arm once too?

And didn't Johann Cruyff play with a dislocated shoulder?

Eirebear

wow....never thought id get to mention Terry Hurlock in two threads so close together!

UnitedIrishman

Nemanja Vidic is one hard c*nt.

For me Stuart Pearce is the ultimate hard player, quite a decent autobiography aswell. The time he broke his leg he was determined to stay on and asked if they could do an x-ray at half-time (it was close to finish of half) and get him back on in the second half.

patmac

Keano for me for that tackle on Overmars in the 1st minute of the Dutch game, they were scared to go near him after that. As for Ruddock not very hard judging by his crying and whinging on 'I'm a celebrity get me out of here'
There's always Leeds Utd circa 1970 Giles, Bremner, Hunter and all.

gustavo

Steve Birks again
also Lee Thew
Trifan Ivanov

therecklessone

cson wrote: »

Spot on Hoolio, theres a difference between being hard andbeing a tramp. <snip> but I have to say, Fabregas is fiery little fella, kept pushing Lampard in the back on Sunday, goading him and then that "tackle" on Cole

So which is he?

therecklessone

PHB wrote: »

I do think the 'hardest' players are the creative players who just keep getting up. Ronaldo is one of the modern ones, but I always thought Zidane was incredibly tough. He got fouled and fouled and fouled and would keep going.

I'm sorry, but by that logic Wildebeast are the best hunters in the wild, they keep getting eaten but they still come and come and come...:D

PHB

It's not the same. Giving tackles isn't what makes people tough, it's taking tackles. George Best was imo one of the toughest players of all time. Constantly kicked and it didn't matter, he just kept running. One of United fans fondest memories of him is when he rode that tackle to score in Europe. The fact that he rode the tackle meant he was just as 'hard' as Keano or whoever, but he had a level of skill miles beyond him. He could do both. 'Hard' men like Vinny Jones can only do one thing, players like Best can do both. I also have a huge amuont of respect in this area of players like Mark Hughes, who I think would eat up todays hard men like Terry for breakfast.

Nalz

PHB wrote: »

I also have a huge amuont of respect in this area of players like Mark Hughes, who I think would eat up todays hard men like Terry for breakfast.

Like alot of debates comparing times and older players, Hughes is now considered from a different era. Even though its only 10 or 11 years a go since we saw Sparky lead the line (before he dropped into midfield), he wouldn't get away with some the challenges and moves today.

Raekwon

Dion Dublin for me.

He broke his neck playing for Villa against Sheffield Wednesday and was nearly paralyzed, but he was back playing for Villa three months later. Plus he headbutted Robbie Savage in the face in a Birmingham derby match! Love it!

ParkRunner

The current Man Utd defence are pretty hard (apart from Rio and O'Shea) Brown, Vidic, Evra and Neville would throw themselves in the firing line at any sign of a shot at goal. Carragher too for Liverpool I admire for that

RedorDead

Helix wrote: »

ruddock for that hilarious challenge on cole

that was the greatest tackle ive ever seen

Was that not in a reserve game??? How did you see it????

Berndt Trautman for playing on with a broken neck. Lunatic!

Xavi6

RedorDead wrote: »

Berndt Trautman for playing on with a broken neck. Lunatic!

+1. Forever will be a City legend.

cson

therecklessone wrote: »

So which is he?

Obviously he's a hard man

pd101

Gabriel Heinze doesnt pull out of too many tackles.

Im_No_Superman

Steve Bruce and Bryan Robson for me.

Jazzy

JOHN FASHANU

aidan24326

If we're talking good old-fashioned hard then Roy Keane is the man. Dirty at times but mostly a hard-as-nails fcuker. Even Viera was half afraid of him at times, and Viera himself is a big man.

Mark Hughes was a tough man in his day, made of concrete. Never really dirty though. Rarely went down, you could kick him and he'd just keep going.

chopperbyrne

Kevin Moran used to break his nose every second game and just play on.

el dude

aidan24326 wrote: »

If we're talking good old-fashioned hard then Roy Keane is the man. Dirty at times but mostly a hard-as-nails fcuker. Even Viera was half afraid of him at times, and Viera himself is a big man.

Vieira was never afraid of Keane. That tunnel thing only highlighted it. Keane giving it the big "I AM", if he was really a hard man he'd of nutted him. Roy Keane was a thug. So that rules him out straight away.

Very few hard men in the game any more. For player to be considered hard, he must be an honest player too imo. As much as i hate to say it, Terry is a hard bastard, and a complete ****. But he doesn't go out to hurt people. Caragher would be another one. Kilbane's a fairly hard fella too, that lad would play with a leg hanging off. Sheraer was hard as nails. Pearce. Ince.

And i like the thinking behind the Zidane one. Definitely a hard bastrd that fella. I presume whoever said Ronaldo was joking, the lad got a cut to his eyelash a few weeks ago and had to come off, then the following week after he scores he decides to point to it for whatsoever reason.

kinaldo

Almost forgot about ALAN SHEARER!!!

WellyJ

UnitedIrishman wrote: »

Nemanja Vidic is one hard c*nt.

For me Stuart Pearce is the ultimate hard player, quite a decent autobiography aswell. The time he broke his leg he was determined to stay on and asked if they could do an x-ray at half-time (it was close to finish of half) and get him back on in the second half.

Seconded, Vidic for me,

He's Serbian ffs.....

FatherTed

Every name mentioned here are fairies compared to Chopper Harris and Norman Hunter. Johnny Giles and Billy Bremner were tough too.

weemcd

As a young fella watching roy keane taken off for united as a blood sub, getting his slashed eye brow stiched up and returning to the game, (no idea what game it was though, would love to see it one youtube), cemented my opinion that roy keane was a hard cúnt.

Stromecek

He's small,
he's hard,
he's known to the guards,
it's Tony Shields,
it's Tony Shields!

The man is a committed all action hard c**t of a midfielder
never, ever pulls out of a tackle, and looks on the verge of
pure evil sometimes when he plays, good passer of the the ball too

leninbenjamin

i have to say, to whoever said Arsenal no longer have any hard men... look at Flamini. he's turning into a right wee menace that guy, doesn't shy from anything these days. Obviously no Kevin Moran yet, but he's getting there slowly but surely.

therecklessone

PHB wrote: »

It's not the same. Giving tackles isn't what makes people tough, it's taking tackles.

What you're describing isn't hard men, its players who get kicked a lot. They are not one and the same. If they were, the likes of Michael Owen and David Beckham would be considered hard as coffin nails.

Hard bast*rds can dish it out but also take it, and play a bit of ball along the way.

They are few and far between in the modern game, Vidic is probably the best example in the PL. Hughes was in his day, as was Robson.

Someone mentioned the Leeds team of the 70s, here's an example of a man who would eat them for breakfast:

http://www.donny.co.uk/Doncaster/ecards/images/Doncaster%20Rovers/68.jpg

Dave Mackay sorting out Billy Bremner. Would you fcuk with Mackay? Returned from a broken leg...twice...could play a bit of ball as well.

Dave!

Vidic gets my vote for today... He's an absolute rock. Can't remember what game it was recently, but someone went up for a header with him and their knee went up, hitting Vidic in the chest. They both hit the ground, Vidic gets up and doesn't blink, the other bloke is on the ground writhing in agony COULD have been the way he landed, but more likely his knee turned to dust as soon as it hit Vida!

He doesn't ever set out to hurt anyone either. There's alot of players who are just the hardest c*nts ever, but they often dip into thuggery, Keano being the obvious example.

edit: Does Zidane's headbutt during the world cup not make him a thug rather than a hard man? How many 'lapses' are you allowed to have before you're considered a thug?

Zapp Brannigan

Would say Vidic seems like a right hard man. Torres was flattened by him on Sunday and Torres isn't a pushover. He also doesn't seem dirty which is nice.

Other hardmen; Gattuso, Scott Brown and Carra.

semibluff

last season robbie savage was the sort of fkr that you hated to play against and loved to have on your team . . .

but thinking back
Dennis wise
Roy Keane
Julian Dicks
Paulo Montero

redzerdrog

Graham gartland

hes big hes hard he gets a yellow card graham gartland

Dave!

Paul Scholes is quite the hard c*nt too... Never bottles a challenge. Unfortunately his legs function independently from the rest of his body, so he's a sh*t tackler.

yabadabado

el dude wrote: »

Vieira was never afraid of Keane. That tunnel thing only highlighted it. Keane giving it the big "I AM", if he was really a hard man he'd of nutted him. Roy Keane was a thug. So that rules him out straight away.

Very few hard men in the game any more. For player to be considered hard, he must be an honest player too imo. As much as i hate to say it, Terry is a hard bastard, and a complete ****. But he doesn't go out to hurt people. Caragher would be another one. Kilbane's a fairly hard fella too, that lad would play with a leg hanging off. Sheraer was hard as nails. Pearce. Ince.

And i like the thinking behind the Zidane one. Definitely a hard bastrd that fella. I presume whoever said Ronaldo was joking, the lad got a cut to his eyelash a few weeks ago and had to come off, then the following week after he scores he decides to point to it for whatsoever reason.

anyone that i wud have called a hard man also had a bit of a thuggish element about them.all the greats really so i wudnt say that rules them out.terry is a hard man as was shearer and both of them never mind leaving the boot in or leaving the elbow swinging.
does any one remember the program channel four did a few years back about the hard man XI.ill try and see can i find the list.sounness jack charlton ,chopper harris were on it .as was some fella called Gentile who was spainish that german keeper who nearly killed a french forward in a game and keane was the only player to make the team that was still playing