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Sir Bobby Robson's way with words
31 Jul 2009"Hitler didn't tell us when he was going to send over those doodlebugs, did he?"
- On his refusal to name his England team before a World Cup qualifier against Sweden in 1989.
"If you're a painter, you don't get rich until you're dead. The same happens with managers. You're never appreciated until you're gone, and then people say: 'Oh, he was OK'. Just like Picasso."
- Before a Champions League match with Barcelona in December 2002.
Sir Bobby to Bryan Robson: "Good morning, Bobby."
Bryan: "You're Bobby, I'm Bryan!"
- After Bryan had come down to breakfast while Bobby was on the phone one morning.
"We used to have Shaka Hislop on our books but I've never heard of Shakira. Is she a singer?"
- On learning that the pop diva was staying in the same Barcelona hotel as his players in November.
"The little lad jumped like a salmon and tackled like a ferret."
- On Paul Parker at the 1990 World Cup.
"They can't be monks - we don't want them to be monks, we want them to be football players because a monk doesn't play football at this level."
- On Newcastle's discipline problems.
"I'm here to say goodbye - maybe not goodbye, but farewell."
- On leaving the England job in 1990.
And more words of wisdom:
"I would have given my right arm to be a pianist."
"If we start counting our chickens before they hatch, they won't lay any eggs in the basket."
