When Harry Attacks....

Xavi6

This aired on Fox Sports in Australia tonight. An amazing argument between Harry Kewell and Robbie Slater live on tv. I've never seen two lads go like this on the air before.

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/180613,kewell-slates-slater-in-tv-blast.aspx

Kewell Slates Slater In TV Blast


IN AN extraordinary TV interview, Socceroo and Galatasaray star Harry Kewell has vehemently denied allegations made by former Socceroo Robbie Slater in a recent column.

Slater wrote in one Sydney newspaper last week: “No player will say it publicly but there was disharmony. And here's one story to put a new spin on the spin. It's an incident involving Harry and another player, whose privacy I will respect.

“It happened at Australia's farewell dinner after the Socceroos' exit in South Africa. Put simply, the player told Harry to f... off, saying he was of no value to the Socceroos any more.”

Slater also questioned Kewell’s future effectiveness as a national team player while also praising his contribution to the green and gold.

He added: "While Harry has been a wonderful player for a very long time, I believe that there's little point selecting him for future Australia teams.

"He's approaching 32 and has had a long history of injuries. At that age, it's surely not about to get better.

"So one of the first jobs for the man who takes over as Socceroos coach is to make the call. It has to be made. Until now, no one has been brave enough to tell Harry his time is up.

Kewell appeared on Fox Sports FC TV show tonight live from Turkey where he was given a right of reply.

A fuming Kewell said tonight that Slater’s comments were “lies” and that they were “disrespectful”.

“I was disappointed that an ex-teammate of mine could write something like that. When he writes, ‘a player told me to eff off and that I have no value to the Socceroos anymore, I find that a little bit harsh,” said Kewell.

“What gives you the right to you Robbie to make that kind of statement without knowing the actual facts?”

Slater then replied that he stood by his comments and claimed he’d spoken to more than one player who were allegedly at the incident where Kewell was allegedly told to eff off.

However Slater said he wouldn’t name any player involved.

“Robbie, I was actually there at the table," said Kewell. "Name the player. If you’re a man you’d name him. What are you going on about? You’re 100% behind that [comments]?

“Because I’ve spoken to all the players and none of them have said that. No player I have ever played with [in the Socceroos] has ever told me to do that. Even when I first started with the national team.

“You’re lying. I don’t know why you’re creating this kind of thing. Why are you? ”

Kewell said that the allegations of a circus surrounding him had nothing to do with himself.

“It’s the circus that you [Slater] run, you and your friends. You want to cause trouble and disrespect my name in the Australian team," he said.

“I want to know why. What have I ever done to you? I am ashamed by it. What, are you jealous of me? What have I done to you?”

Kewell also said he took orders from the FFA about speaking to the media and spoke when he was told to by FFA media at the World Cup - fueling, say some, the circus about his fitness.

Slater responded by saying the comments were “ridiculous”.

The Galatasaray striker added that he was mystified why he wasn’t picked by Pim Verbeek in the opening World Cup game against Germany, saying he was fit to play.

“You ask all the medical staff, ask Pim, ask your best mate Arnie. “Ask them all. Was that my fault? It was Pim’s decisision not to play me, not mine. I wanted to play.

“We were all sitting there going, ‘how come I’m not playing?’ But we weren’t going to sit there and bitch. We don’t do that. We get on and do our work and support our teammates and our country.

“We don’t sit there and bitch, like you.”

Hopefully it goes on YouTube later cause it's epic viewing.

amcalester

From reading it Kewell sounds genuinely perplexed by what Slater is saying.

Do these 2 have a history of disharmony between them?

I don't agree that a coach should make the call and tell Harry his time is up. If he's not good enough don't pick him and if he is good enough then pick him. No point in saying he won't be picked again.

Xavi6

Kewell was absolutely livid. Simon Hill (the presenter) had to step in a fair bit and Slater was squirming nicely.

Hopefully it's uploaded soon.

Peyton Manning

Xavi6 wrote: »

Kewell was absolutely livid. Simon Hill (the presenter) had to step in a fair bit and Slater was squirming nicely.

Hopefully it's uploaded soon.

I think you'll be able to look at it again here for poops and giggles. Don't know if it's possible to download it or not (maybe use Real Player?).

It's blocked in the UK, so probably Ireland as well.

Xavi6

That's it alright. Pity it's blocked.

Dancor

Is the video/audio of this available yet?

I love a bit of gossip.

Frisbee

I'm really hoping for a Christian Bale style rant...

Xavi6

Here she is

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

Raekwon

Ah that was very tame I thought it was going to deteriorate into screaming match that they had to cut to an ad break to end

That_Guy

Raekwon wrote: »

Ah that was very tame I thought it was going to deteriorate into screaming match that they had to cut to an ad break to end

a la Souness V Dunphy.

yabadabado

ah it was harmless enough ,kewell is fairly pissed off,too right aswel Slater is probably talking bollox.

therokerroar

Well, that was a bit of a disappointment.

TangyZizzle

Talk about putting something on a pedestal.

yahoo_moe

Every time I see "Socceroos" it cracks me up. Hearing people say it while arguing is comedy gold.

flahavaj

I bought into the hype like a sheep and as such deserve the disappointment I now feel.:pac:

eagle eye

What a waste of good forum space:D

Nalz

big meh tbh

Xavi6

Apologies to those disappointed. I guess it would seem quite mild to a nation that regularly enjoys the expert trolling of Dunphy and co.

However over here soccer is the very much a 'thou shalt not diss' area at the moment, especially with hopes of hostin a World Cup. To see arguably the greatest Socceroo ever and another top ex international (in Australian terms) go at it live on tv is unprecedented.

Lesson in sharing has been learnt.

eagle eye wrote: »

What a waste of good forum space:D

I'll be Mr Pot and you can be Mrs Kettle

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055949822

glenjamin

Was anyone else expecting a rant from Harry Redknapp?

eagle eye

Xavi6 wrote: »

Apologies to those disappointed. I guess it would seem quite mild to a nation that regularly enjoys the expert trolling of Dunphy and co.

However over here soccer is the very much a 'thou shalt not diss' area at the moment, especially with hopes of hostin a World Cup. To see arguably the greatest Socceroo ever and another top ex international (in Australian terms) go at it live on tv is unprecedented.

Lesson in sharing has been learnt.

You see I follow the A-League and I actually really like Slater as a color commentator, he makes matches interesting. In fact I think he is better than anybody doing it in the English game. He is pretty forthright with his opinions most of the time too so this doesn't register as a suprise to me on his part but its not even a big deal anyways imo.

Maybe this is a case over there of Harry Kewell being a bigger star than we would perceive him as here.

Also I wouldn't agree for one minute that he is even close to the greatest socceroos ever. I'd have Schwartzer, Neill, Chipperfield, Vidmar, Lazaridis, Cahill, Bresciano, Emerton, Aloisi and Viduka all ahead of him.

He did reach a higher level than a lot of those but it was only for a very short time and in club football more than at international level. The likes of the players I mention above and there are more always bust a gut for their country anytime I seen them.

Xavi6

I couldn't disagree more.

Slater is despised by the majority over here. He is straight out of the Tony Cascarino school of self indulgent punditry. Everything is about how it was in his day and he offers no original insight into the game whatsoever.

Himself and his little entourage (Craig Foster and Mark Bosnish) came out with some outlandish comments about Pim Verbeek and the Socceroos during the World Cup, going so far as to suggest that a core group of ex internationals, i.e. the aforementioned trio, should become a panel for the manager to justify his team selections to. If this super group didn't agree with what they heard then Verbeek would have to go off, rethink, and come back with something else.

Have you ever heard of something so ludicrous?

On Kewell, I would have him above any of the others mentioned (Viduka? Seriously?) when you factor in both talent and dedication, but it's a matter of opinion of course.

eagle eye

Xavi6 wrote: »

I couldn't disagree more.

Slater is despised by the majority over here. He is straight out of the Tony Cascarino school of self indulgent punditry. Everything is about how it was in his day and he offers no original insight into the game whatsoever.

Himself and his little entourage (Craig Foster and Mark Bosnish) came out with some outlandish comments about Pim Verbeek and the Socceroos during the World Cup, going so far as to suggest that a core group of ex internationals, i.e. the aforementioned trio, should become a panel for the manager to justify his team selections to. If this super group didn't agree with what they heard then Verbeek would have to go off, rethink, and come back with something else.

Have you ever heard of something so ludicrous?

On Kewell, I would have him above any of the others mentioned (Viduka? Seriously?) when you factor in both talent and dedication, but it's a matter of opinion of course.

Jeez! That doesn't sound like Slater at all. Most of what I've seen/heard of him has been in color commentary not as a studio analyst. I know they were pretty annoyed about the Germany game but really you couldn't blame them with the players more or less giving in before the game.

But suggesting a panel to pick the team is ridiculous. I don't like Bosnich at all I have to say and I don't know much about Foster as a pundit. And I have to add that I think its ridiculous that a guy as talented as Bosnich who completely destroyed his own career should get a pundits job. What sort of message does that send out to kids and thats on top of the fact that I think he is useless.

super_furry

No idea of the background there, but Slater comes across as a bit of a snide coward. Don't blame Kewell for being angry at rubbish like that.

Either way, there is no accent in the world that sounds whinier than the Australian accent.

20 Times 20 Times

seriously very very tame , bit of a let down really.

Mister men

Hardly an attack now is it.