Quotes that missed mark

May 31 2009 by Ian Robson, Sunday Sun

THEY’RE not over the moon, it is all over, but the things they say in football continue to amuse.

Here are just three examples of the footie-in- mouth disease running through the sport as the season ended . . .

Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias on Alan Shearer: “We want him to be the manager 110 per cent.”

110pc? If the board think there is a figure of 110pc, no wonder the books need to be looked at!

Damien Duff on Newcastle’s relegation: “No disrespect, but we are too big for the Championship.”

No disrespect but is that THE Damien Duff? The same Damien Duff whose own goal helped put Newcastle in the Championship?

And finally, from Sunderland owner Niall Quinn: “We don’t need frilly players here. We need proper men.”

As the women’s team did substantially better than its top team – the women were runners-up in the women’s FA Cup – you have to wonder if there are plans for a mass sex-change operation at the Stadium of Light of the female-to-male variety.

That’s all tongue in cheek, of course, including the bit about Newcastle’s board.

But there is something about football that seems to encourage runaway verbals.

Sir Bobby Robson is well-known for his comments that seem right at the time but, when written down, lose all meaning.

Favourites include: “We didn’t underestimate them. They were just a lot better than we thought.”

And, on losing a player to injury, he said: “Where do you get an experienced player like him with a left foot and a head?”

They don’t make them like that any more.

And, as we all know, in a year’s time, everyone’s a year older and it could be a different ball game.