"I saw the Barcelona president go into the referee's room at the end of the game. I am sure he was delighted to see him."

-Alex Ferguson, giving a typically restrained, impartial and well-thoughtout analysis of the referee's performance in last week's Champions' League match.

"I was in shock afterwards. It was like being in a car crash, getting a bump and then thinking you're okay. It's 10 minutes later when you start shaking, and that's a bit how I felt."

-A shocked, stunned and shaking Gordon Strachan on unsexy Coventry's 5-1 home defeat by sexy Newcastle.

"Dennis Bergkamp on his bad days is better than most on their good days."

-Kenny Dalglish (on Sky Sports yesterday) on being asked if Arsene Wenger should drop an out-of-form Bergkamp.

"Josef is being fairly selective in his search for new players."

-Celtic managing director Fergus McCann, denying that he won't provide funds for new players, tries to explain why manager Josef Venglos hasn't made a single signing for the season. Celtic fans were, no doubt, comforted by McCann's words.