“Maybe the County Board could have a look at it again and come to some agreement that they could bring back in the captain of the county champions . . . It would be lovely and a great honour. . . It’s something you dream about as a kid.”
– De La Salle captain John Mullane tells TV3 reporter Sinead Kissane he wouldn’t say no to getting the Waterford armband in the new year. If it wasn’t before, after Sunday the clamour to give him the captaincy will be deafening. And if Davy Fitz’ needs convincing John’s mother is a Clare woman…
“I think he’s been watching Robert Pires too much!”
– Fergie after Wayne Rooney apologised for taking a dive against Villareal. Eamon Dunphy, naturally, blamed it on Rooney picking up bad habits from the man who calls himself “the first, second and third best player in the world.” Well if Wayne starts catching the ball to protect his ‘looks’ Eamon may be onto something…
“He’s made Darren Bent a better player, and that’s down to one word – man management.”
– Sky pundit Jason Cundy on Harry Redknapp. Miracle man more like… for the want of a better ‘word’.
“It’s been apparent to me for at least 18 months that he’s not going to be a serious manager… I think he’s lost the plot, and I have the highest regard for him as a person… He’s rambling and it’s really ridiculous…”
– Eamon Dunphy compares the “very, very intelligent” Roy Keane with Bobby Charlton and Bryan Robson in the failed great players-cum-failed managers category, this time talking to John Motson on the BBC. With friends like that…
“There’s fierce rivalry between Limerick and Clare. I honestly feel you’d have to win the All-Ireland in Limerick or you’re a failure… Wexford for me was the one place I hated going for the National League because you were all night in the bus. You can get a train to Dublin, you can get a plane to Dublin. Dublin is Dublin. We all need to get there at certain times.”
– The Jacks’ new hurling boss Anthony Daly, who says he’d love another crack as Clare manager down the line, reveals why he didn’t take the Limerick or Wexford jobs when apparently offered to him. Wonder what Justin McCarthy (supposedly the Shannonsiders’ first choice?) might make of that.
BBC Radio 2 jock Chris Evans: “So do you know any famous Joneses?”
Johnny Saunders: “Well there’s the Welsh rugby players, you know – Ryan Jones, Gethin Jenkins…”
– It’s hard to keep up with all them, er, Jenkinses alright…
“William was outstanding today. Absolutely amazing. He came out of that period with a lot of credit and his commitment is fantastic. He was outstanding today, just as he was against Dynamo Kiev. He shows he is a real fighter. Instead of giving up, he’s a fighter.”
– Arsene Wenger hails Gallas, who was stripped of the captaincy for seemingly slating Robin van Persie, whose devastating brace undid Chelsea on Sunday. The Dutchman insisted: “There’s no problem at all. He’s a respected colleague and a very good player.” Amazing what a week and two wins will do.
