“To be honest, even though I’m in the women’s game, I don’t really watch a lot of women’s football.” The England captain Steph Houghton’s reply on The Greatest Game podcast to Jamie Carragher’s somewhat loaded question was not ideal. However the vitriol aimed at the defender on social media feels massively exaggerated. Defining “a lot” is extremely problematic for starters. It is incredibly difficult to believe Houghton does not watch a huge amount of women’s football. Manchester City and their manager, Nick Cushing, are known for a thorough tactical analysis of opponents. Walk through their training ground and you will often see a player sitting with a coach talking through tape. Houghton studies footage. She continued: “If it’s on the telly, I mean … I won’t break my neck to go and watch it, whereas, if there’s a good game on in men’s football, our whole nights revolve around watching that.” One person online said the impact of Houghton’s comments could be seen in this reply to a TalkSport article on Liverpool’s draw with Chelsea: “The women’s England captain doesn’t even watch women’s football.” Except many people do not need an excuse to mock the women’s game. It is extremely…