Souness - player power makes bosses think twice

Graeme Souness believes footballers wield such power in the game today that even Alex Ferguson has "to bite his lip" on a daily basis.

Souness, who managed Liverpool, Rangers and Newcastle, admitted he had physically manhandled players in his time and had wanted to punch them. He claimed old-school bosses such as Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have had to change to survive.

Souness's comments come in the wake of the altercation between Stoke manager Tony Pulis and striker James Beattie and Jim Magilton's suspension by QPR over an alleged assault on Hungarian midfielder Akos Buzsaky.

Souness said: "I can't comment if the two most recent players have a case or not but I know I would always come down on the side of managers because managing today is an extremely difficult job.

"I've no desire to go back into management. Managing players today is a very, very difficult job and for people like Alex Ferguson who have been there through all the changes, like Arsene Wenger, they must have to bite their lip every day of the week they go to work because they are old school.

"They have evolved and all credit to them they have managed to manage in the modern game. They have had to change."

Altercations

Souness, speaking on Radio 5 Live's, admitted having had physical altercations with players in the past which stopped short of punching.

"That's not acceptable," said Souness.

"But I've been in a situation where you want to do that, most managers have.

"It's very hard, especially after a game that you maybe felt an individual wasn't doing what he was told to do or not being part of the team and I think every manager (has wanted to) throw a punch at some time but I think he just can't do that.

"I've not thrown a punch. Physically, I've actually got hold of someone but that's 100 miles away from punching someone."

According to Souness, even Ferguson has to tip-toe around the stars at Old Trafford.

"I'm sure he has to be a diplomat," Souness said.

"He would be a very different manager today from the one he was when he started at Aberdeen all those years ago.

"Players have such a powerful influence. Without naming names, at one of the biggest clubs around today the managers are changed on a regular basis and I'm sure the big players at the club had some input in that."