Premier League - Managers: Fergie pleased

Eurosport - Thu, 05 Mar 12:25:00 2009

A brief look at the reaction to Wednesday night's Premier League action, with Alex Ferguson reflecting on a tough battle at St James' Park.

2008-2009 Manchester United Alex Ferguson - 0

Newcastle United 1-2 Manchester United

Chris Hughton: "Yes, I do (think Newcastle will survive). It's vital that we put on that type of performance right through to the end of the season. I was delighted with the performance. In the form that Manchester United are in, to be able in a lot of periods of the game to take the game to them, take the lead and go very close to getting a second speaks volumes for this group of players."

Alex Ferguson: "It wasn't a great performance. We got off to a terrible start, and Newcastle were pumped up for it. We expected that and we should have dealt with it better. But coming from 1-0 down was a good result for us. It required a lot of grit. Our football has been better, and we were maybe careless with passing of the ball. Newcastle knew it was a massive game for them and went about their job in the right way. We could have been 2-0 down actually."

Manchester City 2-0 Aston Villa

Mark Hughes: "That was one of our most accomplished performances - if not the most accomplished. It is baffling at times why we cannot produce that kind of performance away from home, although in fairness, there have been some positive signs recently."

Martin O'Neill: "We are not nervous - we are excited. Really, if you are not excited by the position we are in, you shouldn't be playing. We are in this position because we deserve to be. It would be a shame to throw it up now without a fight - but I don't think we will."

Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 Middlesbrough

Harry Redknapp: "That's 10 points from five games, and you'd be flying with that average. It's still all to play for - with 12 teams in it, I think. Even Fulham would be looking over their shoulders. This was a massive game because of the games we have coming up - three away and Chelsea at home. Another three victories should be enough. But there are 11 games left, and we want to keep pushing on."

Gareth Southgate: "I thought we were poor defensively. We looked a threat going forward. It was open - which was exactly what we didn't want, because they have better footballers than us. We came here in good spirits. Were we too buoyant? We certainly had belief. It was a big blow - but it's about how we respond now. I don't think there was complacency, but we didn't do the right things at the right times and we weren't as resilient as we should have been."

Blackburn Rovers 0-0 Everton

Sam Allardyce: I couldn't fault the team for effort. Unfortunately, we just needed a quality finish. In the second half, with the chances we had - you will never get many against Everton - we did not convert. That is probably why we are sat here 0-0."

David Moyes: "Steven (Pienaar) had a good opportunity, and I thought he should have scored. We are disappointed, because we wanted to take three points. A point at Blackburn is not a bad result, but I would have liked to have played better and passed better."

Stoke City 2-0 Bolton Wanderers

Tony Pulis: "Players of (goalscorer James) Beattie's age sometimes need the challenge of proving they can still play in the top flight. It was one of the reasons why we went and got him. He wanted this chance. His goalscoring record is smashing. Not only that, it is what he does around the place as well. He is a very good team man; he gets the players together. He has brought something else to the dressing room. He is a larger-than-life character."

Gary Megson: "You won't see a worst (goal) conceded up and down the country, never mind in the Premier League. Most of the time when the first goal goes in it completely changes the game. I thought we had more possession than ordinarily we do have but we weren't good enough with it. We did not compete with Stoke when they were putting balls into the box. We did not have all 11 players performing at the level they are capable of and that has cost us."

Wigan Athletic 0-1 West Ham

Steve Bruce: "The game was ruined as a spectacle. Carlton Cole shouldn't have been sent off. Referee - use a bit of common sense. It had the makings of a decent game but how he sends someone off in the first half for something as petulant as that I don't know. I feel a bit sorry for him because in my opinion Mr Attwell is not ready to step up to the plate."

Gianfranco Zola: "I told the referee I didn't think it was a reckless challenge, Carlton didn't even look at the defender - he just went for the ball. He didn't want to cause any damage and it (the sending off) was too much. The referee is a human being and they make mistakes and we are here to support them. We explained it to each other at the end of the game. He said he thought it was a reckless challenge."

Fulham 0-1 Hull City

Roy Hodgson: "The official said to me that John (Pantsil) complained to him about being abused by somebody. The referee didn't hear anything so he couldn't take any action. It's unusual to see John quite that angry so something has obviously happened out there, but what it is I don't know. I'll investigate it with John. I wouldn't have thought he was abused by fans - if players got angry about that they'd be angry every time a game is played."

Phil Brown: "It was a grind tonight to say the least but we've been pretty before and have been turned over. This match wasn't about being pretty, it was about winning. I wouldn't have said we deserved to win but a clean sheet always gets you somewhere near winning. It wasn't a good performance. We've played much better than that and lost or got a point. Full credit to the defence and Manucho for coming on and scoring the goal."

Eurosport

Comment 52 - 71 of 131

Sort comments by: Most recent
  1. Sbot on Taffy met!!! ; )

    From PolyphobiaCymru, on Wed 4 Mar 5:55PM
  2. gafyn_richard_adams78, IAWN M8

    From Taffy G, on Wed 4 Mar 5:41PM
  3. igwe g, at least Taffy G has a brain to speak of -­ yours got flushed down the bog one day when you had a­ big @#$%.

    From PolyphobiaCymru, on Wed 4 Mar 5:36PM
  4. Taffy G u have a brain the size of an electron

    From Godwin, on Wed 4 Mar 5:25PM
  5. glory glory man utd

    From ChristineW, on Wed 4 Mar 5:24PM
  6. igwe g , don't tell me to grow up, you brought up­ the subject - pardon the pun. Need a ladder to reach­ the sumit of mount krinkly kleenex to get to your bed­ every night innit?! : P

    From PolyphobiaCymru, on Wed 4 Mar 5:24PM
  7. igwe g,I BET U WAKE UP EVERY MORNNING WITH A STIFFY,­ AND A DAMP PATCH, THATS WAT U GET ABOUT THE THEATRE OF­ DREAMS.DOES THAT TO PEOPLE, YOU WOULDNT KNOW UV NEVER­ BEEN THERE, YOU SHOULD HEAR THE ROAR FROM SCOUSE LAND,­ ITS BIG ENOUGH

    From Taffy G, on Wed 4 Mar 5:10PM
  8. igwe g, CHANGE THE RECORD U SORE SCUM LOSER,

    From Taffy G, on Wed 4 Mar 5:07PM
  9. No. 65 & 64 u need to grow up

    From Godwin, on Wed 4 Mar 5:02PM
  10. Now igwe g has discovered the art of bashing bishops,­ choking chickens and tugging at his pocket Elvis... ­ Clever boy!!!

    From PolyphobiaCymru, on Wed 4 Mar 4:29PM
  11. Igwe g is funny because he is still bandying his new­ found favourite word - one of which Liverpool fans are­ acustomed to after years of stagnation, mediocrity and­ very inconsistent form... L-O-S-E-R Luh Hoo zer...

    From PolyphobiaCymru, on Wed 4 Mar 4:27PM
  12. man utd love2 tbag:)

    From johnsack33, on Wed 4 Mar 4:22PM
  13. To all the Man U haters. GLORY GLORY!!!

    From Larry, on Wed 4 Mar 4:20PM
  14. Comment hidden due to it's low rating. Show

    No. 58 and Man U fans are Bishop chokers

    From Godwin, on Wed 4 Mar 4:20PM
  15. hahahahahahahahaha makes m laugh how ppl say united use­ politics and stuff have u eva seen em play? slick and­ stylish :)

    From stephen, on Wed 4 Mar 4:15PM
  16. haycomel, the reason it was called a 'plastic­ treble' is because it was missing the most­ important and prestigous peice of silverware. The­ Premier League.

    From W R, on Wed 4 Mar 4:10PM
  17. I wish someone would put John in a Sack, and into the­ Mersey - untethered! LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL! : P

    From PolyphobiaCymru, on Wed 4 Mar 4:01PM
  18. Comment hidden due to it's low rating. Show

    Man U beat a side full of ladies to win the world club­ cup, and they keep making so much noise about it. Just­ get your hankies ready cos tears will roll when NC and­ Inter give you losers a double whipping.
    Dumb losers

    From Godwin, on Wed 4 Mar 3:57PM
  19. Comment hidden due to it's low rating. Show

    A lot of dumb Man U fans just keep writing loads of­ @#$% here, and it seems they all are dumb as Fergie.­ Man U has won this, Man U has won that. Man U will win­ this. Yea Man U will, cos they keep playing politics­ instead of playing football.
    How many goals have your­ strikers scored? Just some whores diving round the­ pitch with jerry curls. Ronaldo should be competing at­ the World Diving events instead of playing football.­ Whats the point when every decision by refs go Man­ U's way. Man U is just a big cheat in the EPL and­ this is why they win trophies

    From Godwin, on Wed 4 Mar 3:48PM
  20. johnsack didnt UTD win the two major cups last year ?

    From bast337, on Wed 4 Mar 3:39PM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account