Fergie and O'Neill Blame Modern Football Boots
It's a debate that's developed over the past few seasons - Are players sacrificing their own safety by wearing modern lightweight football boots? The argument could easily be seen as a difference in football generations, but now two of the games most respected managers have spoken out.
Speaking after the game against Wigan, in which a large number of his Sunderland team wore lightweight speed boots. Martin O'Neill said there was nothing to the "flimsy" boots, "Do I despair? I must admit I do throw my hands up when I see some of them," O Neill said. "What has happened?"
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"It makes me laugh, the players of today. There was an incident in training yesterday when someone stamped on Steven Fletcher s foot. You know he is limping round for two or three minutes and you re kind of glad.
"The boots are so flimsy. If anyone stands on them, you are going to get injured, like a punctured toe, because there is nothing to them."
Not fans: Fergie and O'Neill not keen on boots like the Vapor and adizero.
Martin O'Neill's comments are a direct result of the influx of colourful and lightweight football boots, players have increasingly switched to over the last decade. His opinion is one shared by Sir Alex Ferguson, with the Manchester United manager taking even less interest in boot development by forcing all academy graduates to wear black boots with studs and no blades.
Under new rules Manchester United's junior players have been banned from wearing anything other than old-school black while on club business. "The restrictions are on the youth team," said former defender John O'Shea. "They are told they have to stick to wearing black. Once in the reserve or first-team squad there are no restrictions, but if you are wearing flashy colours and don't play too well you're likely to get singled out."
Traditional: The classic black leather boot Fergie and O'Neill prefer.
Sunderland manager O Neill went on to question whether players could perform to their potential in the lightweight boots. "These injuries are to do with the boots which are so light," he said. "Now, the boots they wear, the studs - or the lack of studs - I honestly don t know how they stand up in them. I genuinely do not know how they do it."
Between O'Neill and Ferguson they've raised issues over modern football boots concerning, weight, colours and sole-plates. But is this just a generational opinion; we don't hear the players wearing the football boots complaining, or are their concerns justified?
We'd love to hear your opinions on lightweight football boots, everyone will have their own with arguments for and against, so let us know where you stand? Join the conversation online, on Twitter and on Facebook.
