"When I was on the touchline all I could hear was Benitez giving me directions. At times I'd think 'why don't you just put the batteries in and turn me into a robot'. Sometimes I just wanted to play my natural game, but there were so many instructions: how to go forward, how to defend. He has been through so many players, so many strikers, so many midfielders that he takes the best attributes out of them" - Jermaine Pennant.
"There are players at Liverpool and you think 'how is he getting a game?', but Rafa has faith in them. He thinks some of the players are the best thing since sliced bread" - Pennant is still talking.
"I could put him in central defence and he would be as good as anyone" - Rafa Benitez on Dirk Kuyt. Anyone else surprised he hasn't tried?
"The Champions League is a very different and difficult competition, but we have confidence we can beat anyone" - Benitez ahead of the clash with Fiorentina.
"Our mentality in that opening period was just not right, we were bad all over the pitch and I cannot really recall a performance like that. They were on top of us all the time, we played badly and they were just better than us" - Benitez after the defeat to Fiorentina.
"I am not slower now than I was seven, eight years ago, no chance" - Michael Owen.
"Get him tied down dear - rings are cheap now" - Sir Alex Ferguson to an embarrassed Jonny Evans' girlfriend.
"When you look at the tackles he gets each game, well quite frankly the lad has reason to dive...if not he would break himself" - Patrice Evra on Ronaldo.
"In the derby against United I had also decided not to celebrate our goals but, after the bad treatment I received from the supporters that day, I have changed my stance on that. If I score in the next derby then I am sure that I will celebrate" - Carlos Tevez.
"I have always worked in clubs who make money, and I would not feel that I do my job well if we lost money at the end of the season - never, no matter what happens on the sporting side - because you put the club in trouble and, in my opinion, that cannot be accepted from any manager" - Arsene Wenger.
"It's not because I'm against spending money; I have nothing against spending money. It is not a personal thing, it is just that I have a squad that is strong enough to compete" - Wenger again.
"Can you buy players at Waitrose? It's not a supermarket, you can only use the transfer market you have" - Wenger again.
"Obviously you are going to have your critics but now is the time for strong men to make strong decisions and I am going to have to make some big decisions" - Phil Brown.
"We didn't play very well. We lost all the battles, all the duels. We didn't win anything. We were poor. This is the worst game I have played in since I have been at Chelsea" - Didier Drogba pulls no punches.
"Names like Roberto Carlos and Benjani were mentioned. But nothing materialised. And you know when people have money because things happen quickly. The only thing I'm guilty of is taking people at their word. So I'm not embarrassed, not hurt or humbled or anything like that - I am just disappointed. I bought into a dream and I wanted to make that dream a reality. But it took me less than a month to realise that it was all heading to a different conclusion" - Sol Campbell attempts to explain the inexplicable.
"I'm putting everyone on the transfer list and I've told them so. When you come to a place like Meadow Lane with all their quality and riches you cannot role over and have your bellies tickled for you" - Port Vale boss Micky Adams reacts badly to defeat against Notts County.
"Sometimes when you are in the middle of an 'action' and you get a little push, and you know there's nothing more to take. Basically, the guy pushed you and finished the whole action. Then you're in the right to show, in a way, to the referee that you've been pushed. Know what I mean?" - Robin van Persie tries to explain the difference between diving and exaggeration.
"I am angry with myself, my team and with everybody right now. Not everyone, including myself, is doing what he is capable of. It's as simple as that" - Gianfranco Zola.
"When I got us up at Sunderland, maybe I got a bit of luck. Maybe I was just very, very lucky and I have been found out" - Roy Keane.
"You look at yourself as a 23-year-old thinking you can't be bothered to train today, then you look at Sir Bobby doing press ups in the snow at 70. It brings it home to you that you have to give it all you can while you have got the opportunity" - Kieron Dyer belatedly wins some respect.
Your Comments
SaintInBristol
"@BigShow
I've done some proper research and this is what I managed to find;
January 20th 2007: Liverpool v Chelsea, Pennants first goal.
Next game: On bench, came on 71 minutes.
Didn't score, but notable;
February 19th, 2008: Liverpool v Inter Milan at Anfield in the Champions League. It¿s 0-0 with 20 minutes to go. Pennant comes on has a hand in both goals. Liverpool win 2-0.
Next game: On the bench.
March 8, 2008: Scored against Newcastle in a 3-0 Liverpool win.
Next game: On the bench. Brought on as an 87th minute sub.
April 19th 2008, Liverpool beat Fulham 2-0. Pennant scored one goal and made the other.
Next Game: Unused substitute.
Maybe he has a point?"
pa___ul
"although I wouldn't count citing Champ manager as the greatest logic, I think andyinasia has it spot on. If you have a creative genius who can't tackle then by all means give him a bit of leeway, it'll be interesting, in this sense, to see how he uses Aquilani. Pennant was a half decent winger with a bit of pace and decent fitness, he should be getting back and also, in the final 3rd, producing telling crosses. He didn't! Riera is an example of how it's working. How much "creative freedom" would you give Masch?!?"
BigShow
"They've missed some of the quotes from Pennant. He also said something about being disappointed after he'd scored and got an assist at being dropped from the team for the next match. Well, I've looked it up, he only scored 3 goals in his whole Liverpool career. The only one I can remember (against Chelsea) didn't also have an assist. So that's a maximum of twice that he scored and assisted and I've no idea if he was dropped for the next game but I doubt it. Basically, he's full of s*** methinks. He was an alright player and had potential but you can't complain when you sign for Benitez and he specifies your role. The guy's a tactician and very detailed in his preparation. What did Pennant expect when he agreed to play for Benitez, total creative freedom with no defensive responsibility? Pull the other one."
BorussiaTeeth
"lol @ treeman. Does anyone else worry that Keano's just too honest for his own good? I've cringed my way through half his managerial career - just spout some of the usual b****cks Roy and take a bit of the spotlight off you!"
andyinasia
"In Football Manager-speak, if you have a player with low intelligence, you give him low 'creative freedom'. If he has the intelligence and ability to express himself and make the right decisions, you allow him high creative freedom. Pennant 1, Gerrard 20. Simple."
ajsr1982
"I agree alistair - there are certain players who you do not ask to defend, partly because they can't, and partly because you hinder the better, more creative part of the game. If you want a RM who is gonna work his socks off and get up and down all day, buy a player of that ilk. Don't buy a flair player and ask him to do something he's not comfortable with. Houllier did this with the likes of Smicer, Cheyrou, and a few others, and ruined them, as their first responsibility was to protect the full back, rather than get at the opposition full back."
trumpton
"Haha Treeman...although I'm thinking that an E in maths for young Jermain would be the highlight of his academic career"
alastair
"treeman: I know what he means though - it's like Jorge Valdano said, some managers try to control every aspect of the game, particularly (Valdano believes) those who weren't good enough to be players. The aspects of the game that it is easiest to control are defensive, as these tend to be based on positioning and work rate, but those teams will generally fall short as they don't allow for creativity - and how can you make that systematic? It's no coincidence that Benitez' teams are at their most dangerous when they can no longer win the league, or when they're three nil down in the Final, because then the shackles come off somewhat. Early in the season, when all is not lost, Benitez is too conservative and Liverpool start too slowly.
Mourinho has the same approach, but had the resources to buy the strongest players (and some luck with injuries). Ferguson has always trusted his players to play their own game, as has Wenger (possibly too much, practising set pieces once in a while might be an idea).
Just a thought, but he may be right. Of course, he could just be a workshy snivelling ingrate."
treeman
"Oh dear Jermain, the Manager was giving you instructions? I feel your pain, man, I had this teacher, and he was all like "here's how to do the sum, man", and I was all like "nah mate, just let me do my natural maths", and so I stopped going to classes, and like, I really feel I expressed myself in the exam. They even gave me an "E", which I'm guessing stood for "Expression". What an utter moron."
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