Quotes of the week

"All you ever hear is sour grapes from them. I just wish they could lose without it having to be someone else's fault."

"All you ever hear is sour grapes from them. I just wish they could lose without it having to be someone else's fault."

- David O'Leary all but ends his chances of succeeding Arsenal Wenger as Arsene manager with these comments after Leeds' win over the Highbury maestros.

"He's Australian, he's in the Commonwealth. They fought the war with us. I know that might sound like b******s to you but we let foreign people in who have no allegiance to the country."

- An emotional 'Arry Redknapp after Australian megastar Hayden Foxe was denied a work permit and, thus, denied the opportunity to play for West 'Am.

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"Unfortunately - and this is not a criticism of them - Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit's knowledge of players was very limited."

- Chelsea managing director Colin Hutchinson. . . can't imagine how he'd pay tribute to the lads.

"We've tried to sign several players but other clubs have got some in. It's a bit like when the girl you fancy is attractive to someone else, so you've got to be crafty and hit the dance floor before everyone else."

- Crystal Palace manager Alan `Night Fever, Night Fever' Smith.

"I had him in a sticker collection as a kid and he still has the same hairdo."

- St Johnstone's Marc McCulloch on Dundee's Claudio Caniggia.

"We call him Trigger like the bloke out of Only Fools and Horses. Sometimes I think he's winding me up, it's scary how slow he can be."

- Steve Carr pays tribute to Irish team-mate Jason `not so speedy' McAteer.

"I think this time I'm out until the winter break. I hoped I could help my mates in the Champions League. Bad luck!"

- Nicolas Anelka revealing on his personal website, in a less than gutted kind of way, that Paris SaintGermain will be without his services until after Christmas . . . all of which was news to the club's medical staff.

"I cannot die until all four Beatles are in heaven. Only one is there now, so I am safe."

- Maradona . . . whose drug rehabilitation treatment is clearly not running altogether smoothly.

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan is a sports writer with The Irish Times