Everton’s Tomas Gravesen Has Been Fooling Everyone For Years
by Dexter on October 11th, 2007
| 270 words |
Edward corrects a long running myth about people with shaved heads and crazy eyes.
As an Evertonian I was ecstatic to have Tommy Gravesen back at Everton, but I also new that his return would bring with it a flood of myopic punditry. I am so tired of people making the brain-dead move of instantly associating a man with a shaved head and the moniker “Mad Dog” with the stereotype of a tough tackling midfielder. Gravesen was a terrible tackler, and he has never been a midfield battler. Gravesen’s attempts at being the enforcer consisted of careering around the pitch following the football like a celebrity stalker on amphetamines.
However, Gravesen does have sublime skills, is a lovely passer of the ball - he has the same type of talent as Zidane (albeit in far less abundance) of being able to send such a perfectly weighted pass that the ball literally stopped at the intended recipients feet. Grav also had the unfortunate problem of occasionally getting carried away and trying to take on the whole team, but instead of progressing towards their goal, he invariably ended up by one of their corner flags. It made me laugh when Real bought him to be their enforcer. Giving Grav the label of a tough tackler in weak journalism.
It is only because of his shaved head and wild eyes that people think he is a pseudo-keano, that and the fact people got him confused with Carsley (and now Johnson too). Even Arteta has more right to the tough-tackling moniker than Grav. The nickname “Blue Arsed Fly” would have suited Grav far better.
Gaz - October 11th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
haha funny article and its definately true. Although Gravesen stares at people with the look of death, he tackles like a sunday league player; lots of effort, but never going to get the ball!
I laughed as well when Madrid brought him in to be their Patrick Vieira. Maybe they bought the wrong baldy…Could you ever imagine Carsley playing for Real Madrid around Zidane, Beckham and co a couple of years ago? funny thoughts. If we made that mistake with Bent, then maybe Madrid did the same…hahaha
COYB
Daz the Essex Toffee - October 11th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
So so true, it’s wound me up for years, a bit like all those people who say Arteta is a dead ball specialist when his corners very rarely beat the first man.
Greek - October 11th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
For me the beauty of Madrid’s mistake was that we went out and got Arteta in as a (more than ample) replacement.
Nathan - October 14th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
He was an absolute joke at Celtic. Though he scored a couple goals against Rangers, and bagged his first career hat-trick while in the hoops he mostly ran around like a headless chicken on crack. He continuously tested Strachan’s patience with his inability to follow simple tactical and positional duties, plus he gave the ball away time after time after time. I was over the moon when he signed for Celtic and still like Tommy G. I hope he gets back to his best during this loan spell and gets all this “Galactico” bollox out of his system, so he can come back and do the business for the tic.
jackms1878 - April 28th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
altough its true he was a bad tackler but he was never scaired to have a go at it, he would never shit out! tommy g was and still is a reborn scouser !!!!1 love him MAD DOG 4EVER xxxxx COYB NSNO OTBIGE YIMH-YIMS 1878