Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Top 10 Greatest Football Manager Quotes

Milos Markovic in Editorial, Soccer Specials 25 May 2017

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Sam Allardyce’s famous quote / Image by SoccerNews.com

Inspired by a surprising and for us truly saddening news of Sam Allardyce’s decision to leave Crystal Palace and retire from management, SoccerNews.com team decided to sit down and dig deep through the football records to honour a man such as Big Sam with a top list of 10 greatest football manager quotes.

The former Blackpool, Notts County, Bolton, Newcastle, Blackburn, West Ham, Sunerland and Crystal Palace boss who also had an ill-fated short spell at England national team is the man of many words himself, some of which were rather special and inspirational.

“All this tippy tappy stuff everybody keeps going on about as the right way to play football is all a load of bollocks.” , Sam Allardyce was quoted describing the Barcelona style of play.

The manager who never got relegated out of the Premier League remains remembered for his one special quote which inspired out creative team to design this special Instagram post in honour of Big Sam.

“I won’t ever be going to a top-four club because I’m not called Allardici…

…just Allardyce.”

 

Football world will miss a man like Sam Allardyce.

A post shared by SoccerNews.com (@soccernewscom) on

So here it is, a list of 10 famous quotes from football managers who graced the Premier League (and Scottish) fields over the past years. The quotes you are about to read have not been stacked up in any particular order so feel free to line them up as you like and do tell us which one(s) you like and remember best.

1. Soon after arriving in West London back in 2000, the Italian manager Claudio Ranieri publicly pondered over the perilous nature of his job in a very thoughtful manner.

“Football managers are like a parachutist. At times, it doesn’t open. Here, it is an umbrella. You understand, Mary Poppins”, Ranieri said.

The Dilly Ding Dilly Dong Italain manager had a hatful of silly quotes during his time at Leicester City as well.  

2. Louis van Gaal’s was another manager who left a much more deeper trace in the Premier League with his quotes and sayings than results.

One of those is remembered today.

“Running is for animals. You need a brain and a ball for football”, he said.

3. Liverpool fans have a proper gem in their manager Jurgen Klopp who is ‘booming’ them on daily basis. Among many inspiration quotes coming from the German tactician, the one on his slightly less-than-stellar playing days is perhaps the most special one.

“I never succeeded in bringing to the field what was going on in my brain. I had the talent for the fifth division, and the mind for the Bundesliga. The result was a career in the second division.”, Klopp said.

4. And while we are talking about ‘special’, who can forget Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea presser, when he introduced himself to the English football as a Special One straight fro mteh start.

“Please don’t call me arrogant, but I’m European champion and I think I’m a special one.”, Jose Mourinho said at Chelsea for the first time.

5. Football can be a dangerous game, but it is always important to preserve your spirit. Former Partick Thistle manager Jonh Lambie knew exactly how it’s done.

“Tell him he’s Pele and get him back on.” John Lambie after Colin McGlashan did not know who he was after suffering a concussion.

6. Legendary Bill Shankly remains treasured through some of his most inspirational quotes such as this one about the meaning of football. And life.  

“Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I’m very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”

7. Ian Holloway always had a special way with words, but his comments on Cristiano Ronaldo might come as too much for the feeble-hearted.

“He’s six foot something, fit as a flea, good looking – he’s got to have something wrong with him. Hopefully he’s hung like a hamster – That would make us all feel better. Having said that, me missus has got a pet hamster at home, and his c***’s massive.”

8. Arsenal’s legendary manager Arsene Wenger has always taken full pride at his team’s style of play. The efforts he’s putting in these days might not be enough to keep him at Arsenal for too long, but his famous quote remains as a nice reminder to critically-oriented Gunners.

“My job is to give people who work hard all week something to enjoy on Saturdays and Wednesdays.”, he said.

9. Another quote involving Arsene Wenger, but not in the most positive way however, remains one of the shortest but most lethal quotes ever said to the Frenchman. Jose Mourinho’s feud with the Arsenal boss has been well-documented and we all remember when the Portuguese said this:

“He is a specialist in failure.”

10. Ultimately, there is a most fitting way to conclude this football list. Johan Cruyff has been one of the most exciting footballers and managers to watch in the history of the game and his famous quote remains as the perfect explanation of the beautiful game we still struggle to completely comprehend at times.

“Football is simple, but it is difficult to play simple.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Milos Markovic


Formerly a Chief Editor at the largest sports site in Serbia Sportske.net, Milos Markovic is an avid football writer who contributes to a variety of online football magazines - most prominently Soccernews.com and Futbolgrad.com. His feature articles, editorials, interviews and match analyses have provided informed opinion and views, helping the football aficionados keep up to date on relevant events in world football.

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