08.12.05
Premiership Pissing Matches Off To An Early Start
We’re hours away from the start of the EPL season and two of the Premiership’s most reliable quote machines, if not most accomplished managers, are already in a foul mood. Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho (above) was interviewed on Sky Sports today and was asked (naturally) about the perception that his club have a massive competitive advantage given what seems to be their unlimited financial resources.
Replied Mourinho,
“Rio Ferdinand, was he free? Wayne Rooney at Manchester United – not free! Thierry Henry at Arsenal? When I heard the numbers of the new deal – was he free? I have this same comment every month, every week, but I forget about it.”
Up north, Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson was equally testy when asked about the remarks of a former colleague. From the Guardian’s Fiver :
Responding to Slippery Peter Kenyon’s comments, made no later than last week, that this season’s winners “would come from a select group of one – Chelsea”, Sir Alex took aim before taking a metaphorical boot to his former colleague’s forehead. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t miss. “You can’t talk like that,” he spluttered, before adding a sly: “Fortunately, it is not someone speaking with any knowledge of the game. Because it is not the manager, you can take it with a pinch of salt. You have to dismiss all other sources.”
