Graeme Souness criticised for calling football a 'man's game' with Karen Carney in the studio

Graeme Souness came in for criticism on Sunday evening after claiming that Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur was a 'man's game,' with Karen Carney sat alongside him in the studio.

Souness was in the Sky Sports studio for the afternoon, as the two London sides went head-to-head in the first match between sides in the 'big six' of the new Premier League season.

Things really got heated in the second half as Chelsea twice felt that Spurs should have had goals disallowed, including an injury time equaliser.

Potential fouls and a couple of clashes between the managers, that resulted in both Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte getting sent off at full time, really got Souness' juices flowing.

After the match the Scotsman was really excited to point out that all the issues had been very manly, saying, "it's a man's game," and later "we've got our football back, men going at it," despite sitting next to Carney, who was capped 144 times by England Women during her career.

“It’s a man’s game”
“Men at it”

Get in the 🗑 what a disgraceful thing to say after the summer this country has just seen.

— Bethany England (@Bethany_Eng15) August 14, 2022

Awkward turtles, Graeme Souness talking about “it’s a man’s game again” sat next to an England centurion Karen Carney, two weeks after @Lionesses end a 56 year wait and win European Championships.

Come on. It’s not okay.

— Eniola Aluko (@EniAlu) August 14, 2022

Souness sitting next to a woman and he said “It’s a man’s game again” 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

— Marrotti (@AliquamScripto) August 14, 2022

no one:

Souness (literally sitting next to a Lionesses legend): IT'S A MAN'S GAME

— Adam Boultwood (@adamboultwood) August 14, 2022

Souness: ‘it’s a man’s game again.’

SkySports… #CHETOT pic.twitter.com/ORJJYrsU8W

— Dav (@woah_chill_out) August 14, 2022

Anyone else finding it bizarre how Souness keeps mentioning men with a female professional footballer beside him?
Man's game
Boys will be boys
Men at it

Why is this fucking dinosaur still on air?

— Ciaran Rigney (@Rigknee) August 14, 2022

Graeme Souness constantly banging on about football being a man’s game is crass at the best of times but doing so while he’s sat beside a woman … appalling show of disrespect.

And let’s not even get onto that weird Messi comment.

— Sachin Nakrani (@SachinNakrani) August 14, 2022

“Men at it”
“Bloke for bloke”
“Man’s game”
Souness comments post match
#CHETOT

— Moe (@realmodmoe2) August 14, 2022

Whilst of course some will complain about 'wokeism,' or talk about 'snowflakes' or some other nonsense, it very much felt like the comments about 'man's game,' were unnecessary and seemed to be repeated for the sake of making a point, especially with who was sat next to him.

Also claiming that we 'had football back' 'men going at it' also seemed to be particularly pointed considering an excellent summer of women's football.

There's no doubt the Liverpool legend would have liked to forget England had any sort of success in football and so maybe he was just trying to block the Euros out of his mind.

The Lionesses really captured the hearts of the nation, as they beat Germany in the final, and ended 56 years without a major trophy in the country.

Souness hasn't been the only man on television to put his foot in it when it comes to women's football in the past two weeks, with Good Morning Britain's Richard Madeley managing not once but twice.

The living embodiment of Alan Partridge managed to offend both final match winner Chloe Kelly and scorer of the semi final backheel Alessio Russo in the space of two days.