“Sven-Göran Eriksson, confronted with arguably Europe's weakest qualifying group, has a problem; it is the same one that afflicted Jacques Santini, the France coach at the time, before Euro 2004. Not that there are no easy matches at international level; rather, there are no hard ones. In qualifying for the 2004 European Championship finals, France faced a group not of death, but of sun-block, comprising Slovenia, Israel, Cyprus and Malta, which they duly won by ten points, averaging 3.6 goals per game. We all know what happened next.” KnowsHardProblemNextGamesEasyGoalLevelsSunHappenedGroupsFootballTenEuropeFinalsInternationalIsraelCoachesBlockFranceSoccerRanAnalysisChampionshipEuroQualifyingCyprusMalta Author:Martin Samuel
“The last time I was charged by the FA they had a murder lawyer in against me, so it's going to be a hard case to win.” HardLastsWinningCasesFootballMurderLawyerManagersSoccerLast TimeChairman Author:Roy Keane
“One of the reserves came up to me and said 'I'm finding it a bit hard, it's the first time I've ever been dropped'. So I told him to do what Nick Faldo does and work at his game. Next thing I know he's doing exactly what Faldo does, he's taken up golf.” KnowsFirstsDoeSaidHardNextGamesBitsTakenFootballFindingsFirst TimeGolfManagersSoccerReservesChairman Author:Ron Atkinson
“I think if you've managed Celtic or Rangers you can go on to be Prime Minister of Great Britain, it's that hard.” IfsThinkingHardFootballGoes OnManagersSoccerMinistersBritainPrimePrime MinisterChairmanGreat BritainRangersCeltic Author:Gordon Strachan
“In England everything is liberalised. Within certain boundaries and rules everybody can do what he likes. Maybe London's society has a different tempo, a different dynamic. London is fast, productive, creative but it is not England. If you want to transfer that to football, you could say: in the four big English clubs and maybe in the one or two behind them there is a top level. Everything that comes after that rather mirrors English society. It's honest, fair and hard, sometimes also fast, but not always so perfect.” IfsWantTwoDifferentSometimesHardBigsCertainCan DoPerfectLevelsBehindsCreativeFourHonestFootballFairsEnglandMirrorsClubsLondonBoundariesLikesManagersSoccerProductiveChairmanTransfersTempoEnglish Society Author:Jens Lehmann