THEY SAID IT...

“I can tell you that my players are in the dressing room and they’re actually arguing with each other, because these are things that we know we should do better. Again, it was one of those games where your opposition has one chance all game and score. You have 85% ball possession, but are not able to win the game. So yes, we are very angry with ourselves.”

Another lament from beleaguered Kaizer Chiefs interim coach Cavin Johnson after losing to Richards Bay.

“Bitterly disappointed, I’m proud as well. Someone said to me I don’t think any team have been as close to a final without getting there. We deserved to go through, we were 20 seconds away and a toenail offside, it’s ridiculous. Once the dust settles a lot of people will talk about that game for a long time.” Coventry City manager Mark Robins after his side fought back from 3-0 down to eventually lose to Manchester United in a penalty shootout in last Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final.

“If we are not winning on Friday evening then we can close the book, that’s the reality. You have to win this game, you have to make three points, simple, easy. That’s what it is. How you do it, it doesn’t matter 1-0 or something like that.”

Ernst Middendorp, coach of bottom-ofthe-log Cape Town Spurs, spells it out for his players ahead of Friday’s clash against fellows strugglers Richards Bay.

“What Ten Hag has in his time at Manchester United I didn’t have. I didn’t have that level of support. I didn’t have that level of trust. So I left sad because I felt I was in the beginning of the process. In some moments, I felt if they trusted me and believed in my experience, things could be different. There are a couple of players still there I didn’t want five or six years ago. I think they represent a little bit what I consider not the best professional profile to a club of a certain dimension.”

Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has said he did not have the same level of support at Old Trafford as current manager Erik ten Hag.

“They are in the fridge for two days. Don’t see each other, stay at home with your families. Try to rest, nothing special. Two days to prepare for Brighton and Forest. One game at a time.”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola gave his players time off after last Saturday’s FA Cup semi. City play Brighton this Thursday and Nottingham Forest on Sunday.