Soccer Players From England

"Yeah. We're in a special place, Ian. We've seen some football matches in our time. But, I've never seen? Seen a game like this, or been in a spectacle like this. I'll remember this for the rest of my life. Yeah, yeah. You'd much rather see seven goals than a one-nil defensive display, wouldn't you? At least they're getting entertained."

"It's hard to decipher this game. It's been a very good German performance, but Ian? You cannot underestimate how bad Brazil have been today, it's like? It's like amateur hour watching them. But, their attitude has just been appalling. I know, I keep saying appalling. Because, I'm running out words. They've just given in. They've just completely given in, actually trying to run around and play football."

"Defensive displays, and this is just blowing it completely out the water. Nil, seven! I know! Thank? Thankfully, a couple of the people have scored a couple of times. So, they just put the number next to them. Otherwise, there's no space."

"Please, do not adjust your television set."

"Yeah, they're just too good. But also, this is the worst I've seen Brazil play and start a game. Yes they've started slow in other games, Ian. But, I've never seem them so disorganized. At least France in the quarter-final were nice and tight and compact to try to stop the Germans playing football. Brazil are just all over the place, so open."

"Well? You just repeat yourself all the time, don't you? Ian, how bad is it in this goal? Look, space. Who's picking Philipp Lahm up? Nobody, nobody. The crowd venting their anger, yet again."

"But, they need a goal or two double quick."

"Men against boys, Ian. Isn't it?"

"Yeah. Look at the space, Ian! Look at the space! Oh, great strike. But, look at this Ian. How bad is that? Simple, no? Ugh! Yes, he gets a bit lucky. That's a lovely strike by Toni Kroos. But is anybody going to close down? Is anybody going to be, make it hard to beat? Are they going to be organized, Brazil? Because at the moment it looks as if eleven players are just running around the field with no idea. Yeah."

"He looks happy to come on the field, six-nil down. Come on Willian, get on there! Score seven, make your country proud. Yeah, they will score again. Germany, won't they? They've got twenty minutes left. If they keep up? Yeah. Look, Marcelo looks as if he can? Can't run anymore. But, Germany will score again if they want. Look at that, I mean? It looks as if Brazil have got nine men on the field; it looks as if it's eleven against nine."

"Simple as you like. Look at this with the goal. Lovely ball in, Toni Kroos takes his time. Look at this for the pass. Have some of that. Intelligence of Muller. Julio Cesar does well, but Klose is there for the rebound. What a beautiful goal, simple. Running off the ball, incisive passes. Brazil have to watch out; they've already been warned. They're going to go down by a lot more if they continue like this. But, a wonderful achievement by Miroslav Klose."

"Again! Oh, what can you say? Fernandino, or is it Luiz Gustavo? Gets for? I think it's Fernandinho. But, what a lovely goal. Fernandinho. Yes it helps, when you're three-nil up. But, what a pass by Sami Khedira! Talk about mentally strong, cold as ice. Puts it on a proverbial plate for Toni Kroos to get his second of the game."

"Whenever they start defending. Mats Hummels brings the ball twenty yards, and then? I think it's David Luiz dives out of the challenge with him. You're four-nil down! Go and be aggressive and kick somebody! Go and do something to influence this game!"

"We all fancied Germany today, we didn't think it was going to be this easy."

"We're ten minutes into the game, nearly eleventh minute. There's lots of space already on the field. Brazil have to come a little bit tighter, Ian. They can't be so expansive, from back to front. Otherwise? The Germans will cut them to shreds."

"Well? I hope the people in the United States are sitting, enjoying this game. Because, they will never see a World Cup semi-final like this. For the rest of their lives. I am shell-shocked!"

"How we started the game and how we're going to finish the game, are just extraordinary. Polar opposites."

"Ian, I think? This will definitely be the best World Cup we'll have ever seen. We're lucky, we're privileged."

"That's a Sunday morning goal; it's certainly Sunday morning defending. Simple as you'd like, thank you very much! What a present!"

"Eighteen months ago Sweden were arguably one of the best three teams in Europe, and that would include Germany, Holland, Russia and anybody else if you like."

"He would talk to me like I was the best player in the world and I went out at St James’ Park feeling like I was going to play like the best player in the world. I am 5ft 6 or 5ft 7ins tall but I am telling you this: when I put that kit on and I was standing in that tunnel with Bobby Robson, I felt like I was Didier Drogba."

"When Gazza was dribbling, he used to go through a minefield with his arm, a bit like you go through a supermarket."

"Manchester United dropped points, Liverpool dropped points, Chelsea dropped points, Everton dropped points, so in a way we haven't lost anything at all really, although we dropped all three."

"Bobby Robson is one of those people who never die, not so much for what he did in his career, for one victory more or less, but for what he knew to give to those who had, like me, the good fortune to know him and walk by his side."

"What is a club in any case? Not the buildings or the directors or the people who are paid to represent it. It’s not the television contracts, get-out clauses, marketing departments or executive boxes. It’s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city. It’s a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father’s hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love."

"I'm not going to look beyond the semi-final - but I would love to lead Newcastle out at the final."

"He never fails to hit the target. But that was a miss."

"Tom Cruise, he’s a lot more famous than me."

"Soccer is a magical game."

"He's like a fish up a tree."

"He's hit the beans on toast."

""Barnacle" Bailey we called him."

"The game minus slow bowling is like bread without butter or, even worse, French cuisine without the sauces."

"“I just love Paul Scholes. He’s been the best footballer in our division for the last ten years. He’s a a wonderful player. If they get hold of him and stop him from playing I think Chelsea will beat them.""

"I have no hesitation in putting a name to the embodiment of all that I think is best about football. It's Paul Scholes. Many great players have worn the shirt of Manchester United. Players I worshipped, then lost with my youth in Munich. Players like Denis Law and George Best who I enjoyed so much as team-mates and now, finally, players I have watched closely in the Alex Ferguson era. And in so many ways Scholes is my favourite. I love his nous and conviction that he will find a way to win, to make the killer pass or produce the decisive volley. When a game reaches a vital phase, these qualities seem to come out of his every pore. He's always on the ball, always turning on goal. He's always looking to bring other people into the action and if he loses possession you think he must be ill."

"“I’m star-struck when I see Paul Scholes because you never see him. On the pitch you can’t catch him. Off the pitch he disappears.”"

"There is no doubt for me that Paul Scholes is still in a class of his own. He’s almost untouchable in what he does. I never tire of watching him play. You rarely come across the complete footballer, but Scholes is as close to it as you can get. One of my regrets is that the opportunity to play alongside him never presented itself during my career."

"“For any football player in the Premiership, Scholes is a player you want to emulate. One player does not make a team but there is no doubt that the presence of some players add extra motivation and confidence. Scholes is a player with character and is capable of transmitting that mental strength to his team-mates."

"“At La Masia (Barcelona’s Academy) his name was mentioned a lot. He’s a teacher.”"

"He is one of the top three to five players to have ever played in the Premier League - his passing, movement and technique set examples to everyone, not just younger players."

"Paul Scholes is a role model. For me – and I really mean this – he's the best central midfielder I've seen in the last 15, 20 years. I've spoken to Xabi Alonso about him. He's spectacular, he has it all: the last pass, goals, he's strong, he doesn't lose the ball, vision. If he'd been Spanish he might have been rated more highly. Players love him."

"“If he was playing with me, I would score so many more.”"

"I am a big admirer of Paul Scholes, he is one of the best players of his generation and I honestly think [Wesley] Sneijder is the only player in the world capable of replacing him."

""“Why isn’t he playing for England? It is crazy. Only in England. Scholes is a great, great player. So experienced and still, for me, one of the best in the world in midfield. Manchester United are lucky to have him.”"

""The one [role model] that stands out the most was Paul Scholes. I look up to him and was lucky enough a couple of games ago to play against United for Villa and I got his top. That's a big thing for me because in my eyes he's probably the best player in the world. Even now, even though he's old, he's still one of the best in the league."

"He’s the best midfielder I’ve ever seen. He can pass, score goals with his left, right, his head – he can do anything. And he can beat a player too, plus he loves to nutmeg you! He's unbelievable."

"“He did not get completely what he deserves as a player because he’s not a “media lion”. He’s not one who runs after the media to be in the papers. I respect that."

"When he passes the ball it stays passed. The ball goes exactly where he wants it to. I have always loved him for that. I played against him once or twice and he is an absolute genius. He is a role model for anyone who wants to play football. He is a joy to watch. In fact, I wish he was 21, then I could see his career all over again."

"I’ve still got Paul Scholes’ shirt at home which I swapped with him once. When I was at Liverpool he was one of the players I liked most. Maybe he’s not valued as much as he should be in England because of the style of football there and because he keeps a low profile. Perhaps he would have been more valued in Spain, where midfielders like him form part of the ‘ideal.’ Fans in Spain rate him very highly and I admire him a huge amount."

"I’d go for Scholesy as the club’s greatest ever player. I’ve seen him do things that no other player can do. The way he can control the tempo of games, and his range of passing, are both incredible. We’ve seen over the years that players just haven’t been able to get near him. And you can’t forget his goals either."