“We’re not Brazil.”

– Giovanni Trapattoni can’t hide his disappointment at ending up in Malahide instead of Rio de Janeiro.

 

“Without a shadow of a doubt, he will be a Clare manager within the next 10 years.”

– Clare forward Tony Griffin on where he sees Davy Fitz’s future.

 

“I have sympathy for Scolari. He had my support. Two or three other players will say the same thing, I’m sure.”

– Chelsea spokesman/sometime centre-half John Terry on the filleting of Luiz Felipe. Wow, that many. Next up: Guss Hoodwinked.

 

“It looks worse than it is. I get brilliantly paid for a good job, it’s easy to get up each morning. Pressure? People in this game don’t know what the word means. Pressure is driving a lorry up and down the motorway 12 hours a day. Pressure is a surgeon performing an operation to save someone’s life. Pressure is losing your job and doing your head in trying to think of ways to pay the mortgage.”

– Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, who unlike his former chairman wasn’t rearrested during the week, reflects that £4m a year is the sort of pressure panacea he can live with. Joe Kinnear’s heart surgeon might agree.

 

“I’m not sure about when he was playing in America and still got called up to win his 100th – he was effectively playing third division football. By that token why don’t they call on Geoff Hurst now, put him on the pitch for a minute so he can win his 50th.”

– Slightly and understandably cynical 1966 World Cup winner Ray Wilson on Becks’ besting of Bobby Moore’s caps count.