Alan McManus breaks down why Shaun Murphy's call for snookers to be outlawed is a bad idea
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Updated 27/04/2023 at 17:22 GMT
Snooker has not changed much down the years, although the Shoot Out was added to the calendar to offer a rapid-fire element to the game. There have been other suggestions to bring about change, with Judd Trump calling for a relaxed dress code. Shaun Murphy said this week that stopping playing for snookers could work, but Eurosport's Alan McManus disagrees.
'I don't agree' - McManus responds to controversial Murphy tweet
Alan McManus has said he disagrees with Shaun Murphy’s suggestion that playing for snookers should be removed from the game.
Voicing what he admitted would be an unpopular opinion, Murphy wrote on Twitter: "I think we should remove playing for snookers from the game. Once the frame is over mathematically, it’s over. What do you think?”
It sparked plenty of debate, both for and against, and Eurosport expert McManus added his voice.
The 1994 Masters champion and three-time World Championship semi-finalist earned the nickname Angles for his knowledge of every inch of the table.
McManus was a master of the tactical side of the game, and believes the sport would lose a part of its being if Murphy’s idea was ever followed through.
“Obviously Shaun has strong opinions on the game and that is what we want, but on that one - removing the option of playing on for snookers - I don’t agree with that,” McManus said. “There is an art to it.
“There are obviously guys who are exceptional at it when they need even two or three snookers, so do you take that away from them?”
It has been suggested that some players carry on when way behind in a bid to put off an opponent, but McManus feels that rarely happens and gave a high-profile example of when a successful snooker proved pivotal on the biggest stage.
During the final of the 2011 World Championship, John Higgins led Judd Trump 17-15 in the race to 18 but needed a snooker in the 33rd frame.
Had Murphy’s idea been in play, Higgins would not have had the chance to play for the snooker which he got to help seal his fourth world crown.
Higgins required two four-point snookers, but famously potted the colours up to and including the blue before laying a snooker on the pink.
Trump did not make the escape, and Higgins went on to play a fabulous double on the pink before knocking in the black to become world champion.
Taking up the story, McManus said: “In the 2011 World Championship final between John Higgins and Judd Trump, in the last frame that exact scenario (needing more than one snooker) happened. I think John needed a six-point snooker to win, so he peeled it down to a high-value colour. I thought it was really clever.
“Bearing in mind if John had not done that, there is every chance Judd Trump would have won the World Championship .
“I thought it was a brilliant piece of thinking. And if you go back and watch it, you will see why my opinion is that you should play on when needing snookers.
“I am not going to say it is a silly idea, as ideas are all about opinion and I like that, but I just think it would detract from the sport “
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