showboating in football - c or d?

anything that pisses Fergie and Wenger off is good

Anything that fucks off Arsenal players and makes them look silly at the same time is good in my opinion.

Haha xpost.

regardless of the opposition, showboating is a good thing.

particularly in brazilian cup finals, as a convenient way to start a riot.

I think it's great. people are always saying that they don't want to just see teams win, they want "entertainment". Well, if that isn't entertainment, what is?

Kerlon has managed 33 games in the last three year. So it's good to see that those who say showboaters lack the temperament for a full season proven wrong.

Having said that, Cuauhtémoc Blanco now plays for Chicago Fire, and you know that the MLS is a place where dudes who don't take the sport seriously are gonna get found out quick.

Mark, players behaving like performing seals isn't entertainment in its own right. Watching an exciting attacking side utterly demolish a team widely regarded as equals or betters IS.

The thing about showboating really is it's indicative of a lack of respect but when you are beating your biggest rivals 4-0 going into the business end of the season with them five points above you in the league it's kind of a useful psychological weapon. It's not like managers don't flaunt their own open lack of respect for one another ahead of crunch games.

If you're Manchester United doing it against a lower league side in the cup, or even against the likes of Reading or Wigan, it's a different matter altogether.

It's classic.

But so is the inevitable reducer.

Nani's wasn't too bad, as he was getting away from the opposing player, but you can definitely make a case for saying that showboating is humiliating. The one in Brazil (mentioned above) that started a riot was a case in point - the lad was ball juggling in midfield during a championship decider. It's easy, IMO, to see why the other team got riled.

What are the best reducers you've ever seen? I liked Deco's on some Dutch bloke in the last world cup. Flamini's would've been a beauty if he'd connected properly.

Any time some Italian centre back kicked Maradona in the arse in the late 80s.

I assumed Kerlon played few games because he got his head clotheslined off in every third one

Matt DC spot on. Also the irony of Arsenal moaning about showboating given the way they love to rub people's noses in it... it's like Thierry Henry never happened.

The Guardian did a six-of-the-best reducers a while ago. The classic was Vinny Jones on Steve McMahon in 88. Another cracker was the 1970s FA Cup final replay when Chelsea moved Chopper Harris to right back just so he could deal with Eddie Gray, which he did, painfully and effectively, in the opening minutes.

i don't mind a reducer, but i have a problem with the ref turning a blind eye to it.

if nani can make gallas or whoever look like an ass, that's gallas's problem, the rules still apply.

roy keane's pre-emptive reducer on overmars is still a career-high moment internationally.

More recently, the Neville brothers did a pretty good job of wrecking the burgeoning Premiership career of Jose Antonio Reyes.

another high moment in premiership refereeing, that.

That was staggering.

Wes Brown did Robben a good 'un in last year's Cup final.

I think the whole point of a reducer is that you do get away with it - a booking is okay, a red card is just ugly thuggery.

It's classic.

But so is the inevitable reducer.

Spot on.

My favourite example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYlqql38XkY

I just realised that the ref waves play on at the body-check one about 20 seconds in :)

Isn't another point of the reducer that you get it in early in the game? Any player showboating to that extent early in a match is more likely to get hauled off.

Edgar Davids upturning Ray Parlour about 30 seconds into his Spurs career is another personal favourite, although Ray can never be accused of being much of a showboater.

cafu got minced once while juggling his way up the pitch, can't link from work.

ray parlour, the romford kerlon

I'm pretty sure Davids did that purely to endear himself to the fans, mind.

scoring a few goals could've done that too, but it was a big ask

or even looking bothered, as opposed to cranky.

I seem to recall D. Batty being brought on against Brazil, and just running up to a Brazilian (juninho?) and planting both sets of studs in his upper thighs. Good old Batts.

So definition of reducer - pre-emptive strike that the ref is so impressed/surprised with he lets you get away with it.

reducer- harsh tackle that an old-skool ref approves of.

alan green on 5 live said "there's a time and a place for it" and i thought "yes, when you're 4-0 up against a hated rival".

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/07/23/joy_of_six_symbolic_reducers.html

Ah yes: 3. Benjamin Massing (and chums) on Claudio Caniggia, Argentina 0-1 Cameroon, World Cup, June 8 1990

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

Haha at the Argies all treading on Massing's stockinged foot

Happy memories.

The best thing about that Nani showboating was the Arsenal defender running after him and then falling flat on his face.

Not a reducer as such, but I found it after reading about it in the comments on that guardian article:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkAz5CT6apM

That's the kind of red card that makes you a hero. He must've ran 100 yards to get it.

Can't see, but is that Tommy Gemmell on Helmut Halle?

Actual winner - Neil Simpson on Ian Durrant, not even booked for it. Maybe the worst tackle I've ever seen.

No Ole Solskjær in a last man tackle on Rob Lee in a Man U v Newcastle game. You just know he's decided he's off when he's still got 50 yards to run before the foul.

Durrant one was more of a shredder than a reducer, horrific tackle.

Can't see, but is that Tommy Gemmell on Helmut Halle?

http://www.kremole.com/video_367248/bad_tackle_hellmut_v_gemmell/

^ this is classic, even has "bad_tackle" in the url :)

Schumacher on Battiston?

i welled up a little seeing that solskjaer tackle

Actually, Souness on George McLusky was an attempted reducer only he didn't get away with it.

Schumacher on Battiston?

-- aldo, Monday, 18 February 2008 14:12 (4 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

^^^Probably my favourite few moments in footballing history.

That's the kind of red card that makes you a hero. He must've ran 100 yards to get it.

I literally lolled at that tackle. What a champ.

hang on a minute - i just looked at that solskjaer footage again..

how on earth was rob lee not offside??????!??!?!?!??!

oh wait, you can't be offside in your own half?

in his own half when the ball was played

yeah, xp

sorry just worked it out!

more youtube!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v292/aldo_cowpat/194734738qj5.gif

I can't check this, but I think this is the Simpson/Durrant one according to the thread I stole the link from:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4wLqXGXB28

This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Scottish Football League

;_;

aldo's one from another angle
http://pds4.egloos.com/pds/200707/19/51/d0031151_12070750.gif

This should be the Souness/McLusky encounter I mentioned above:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvdesakrwn0

Does this Simpson/Durrant work?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc5MCFZcwyU

no

Kosovo declaring independence is the geopolitical equivalent of showboating

Simpson vs Durrant

http://www.bebo.com/FlashBox.jsp?FlashBoxId=4242329266&FlashViewType=Personal&MemberId=2292051879

From the comments:
Ross Burnett said...

Durty Scum Tht Ruined Ians Career

Hammy said...

They won the free-kick stop moanin lol

Steven Clark said...

A fraction mis-timed