Top 972 Manchester Quotes & Sayings - Page 15

'Sir' Richard Branson may be the Julian Assange of British business, in that both believe the world revolves around them. Hence Branson's decision to set up an air service between Manchester and London, above the route of the train line that's been taken from him.

Ander is a fantastic young player, with great energy and creativity. We believe him to be one of the brightest young prospects in Spain and I am certain he will be a big hit with the United fans. I’m delighted he has made the decision to come to Manchester and play his part in the club’s future.

An official statement from Liverpool raised the spectre of a future where 'a club's rival can bring about a significant ban for a top player without anything beyond an accusation'. But on hearing this, many Manchester United fans would have been asking for a definition of the word 'rival'.

I once wrote a lecture for Manchester University called « Moments of Discovery » in which I said that there are two moments that are important. There's the moment when you know you can find out the answer and that's the period you are sleepless before you know what it is. When you've got it and know what it is, then you can rest easy.

You can recognize almost immediately if the film you're watching is the product of some kind of a hive mind or the result of a personal vision and genuine collaborations. 'Manchester by the Sea' reminds us of the potential of the latter and, for that reason, is the kind of work that makes me, as a filmmaker, want to continue. It's inspiring.

I admire David De Gea. I cannot remember anyone coming into Manchester United and being criticised the way he was. He was the subject of every debate in the media. You haven’t seen De Gea defend himself in the media or shifting the blame elsewhere. He just gets on with it.

Manchester United are always a team that try to play football, try to play football from the back.

I moved to Manchester United when I was a 17-year-old kid. Nemanja Vidic was five years older than me and Rio Ferdinand nearly nine years, and at the time, they were the best central defenders in the world. They never had a bad game.

I think the city isn't talked about enough, there are not enough people championing Birmingham. When I was at university in Manchester I wasn't a fan, I was a bit down on my home city. But as I've got older I love living here. It's easy to get around the country to gigs, and it's a calming, friendly city.

If ever there was one player, anywhere in the world, that was made for Manchester United, it was Cantona. He swaggered in, stuck his chest out, raised his head and surveyed everything as though he was asking: 'I'm Cantona. How big are you? Are you big enough for me?'

In terms of not retiring? I don't want to leave and think to myself, "Maybe I should have stayed a bit longer". I'm dwelling on it. I have turned down a few Premier League offers. But the fact is, after being at Chelsea for so long and a year with Manchester City, I don't want to get involved in a relegation dogfight.

In Ukraine as well as in Brazil, Manchester City is now considered one of the best teams in the world, and after I signed, people back home in Brazil congratulated me for signing for one of the top teams in the world.

Being part of such a great club like Manchester United fills you with emotion, and you gradually realise how much the club means to the fans and the people who work here. They really live for the game, so that does become part of you, and you can only appreciate that having spent time here.

I moved to Portland because Modest Mouse is there. I didn't necessarily mean to live there permanently, but I've got a really good feeling for it. The sensibility there really suits me. I happened to have grown up in Manchester, a city that was a pretty cool place to be a musician. It's close to Portland in a lot of ways.

I was at a local club, Penketh United, and Mike Glennie, a Manchester United scout, came to watch me. He spoke to my grandad and offered me trials, but there was also interest from Liverpool, and I had to pick - I was only young, but obviously my heart was with United at the time.

My role as Manchester City manager was different to being manager of clubs in other countries. You share responsibility more in other European countries. You have the last word, though, in who to buy and who plays and things like that.

This is Joe Hart we're talking about. People have very, very short memories. This is a guy who has won the league with Manchester City, has won the Golden Gloves I don't know how many times, and has 80 caps for England, so people have got to remember what and who he is and treat him with more respect.

I know it is difficult to play in a big club like Manchester United as a No. 10 because you know how many goals you have to score to play there. So I thought I had to add something to my game. I had to give more options to the manager.

We once went 13 games without winning. There's always pressure here. Winning is always important here. How do you handle yourself and compose yourself is important. (on Manchester United)

What do you think I am in Manchester for, the weather? I am here to win - only to win, always to win.

I went to a friend's 40th in Manchester, and there was a karaoke machine, and no one was having a go. My mate said, 'No one's singing because you're in the room.' I said, 'Who am I, Frank Sinatra?' They made me sing flipping 'My Star' to a backing track that sounded like '80s Roxy Music. It was pretty embarrassing, but I did it.

I moved to Manchester to join a band and ended up getting into acting, and I moved back to London to become an actor and ended up joining a band.

When I was young and visited England with my auntie, as somebody who was football crazy, I simply had to come back with a shirt. I can't remember why, but I came back with an Arsenal shirt and my brother had a Manchester United one.

Manchester City are a big team, and Chelsea are a big team.

I knew in advance I was coming to maybe the biggest club in the world, so I knew it wasn't going to be easy to play - otherwise I would have stayed in Bilbao. But I love the challenge; I love to have the chance to play for Manchester United.

I admire Arsenal and the philosophy that the young players have. Liverpool, with their Spanish players, they also have an incredible squad. And Manchester United and Chelsea are teams that are very big, like Real Madrid and Barcelona, with money and incredible players.

When I was younger I would play in front of crowds as small as 500 in the second division in Belgium, so I know what that's like. It might be easier in terms of pressure, but believe me, I would always prefer to be at a packed Anfield playing against Manchester United. That's why you want to become a footballer.

To be honest, I'm now at one of the best teams in the world. To be part of this club and to have this opportunity is great. I'm very happy to be part of Manchester City's team, and I look forward to trying to do my best to help the team reach their goals.

Manchester United? That's not an option. I am staying at Bayern Munich. Period. I had a great time under Van Gaal at Bayern, he has been very important for my career but I am very happy at my current club.

They wanted to play me central midfield when I was at Aston Villa, so that's why we left. Things were going good at Coventry, but then scouts from Manchester United and different clubs around England were watching me, and I don't think Coventry liked that.

I played for Chelsea for three-and-a-half years and I gave them my best to win against them and show my quality again. I didn't have anything to prove to them. I wanted to show my new club that I deserve to wear this Manchester United shirt.

Manchester City didn't pay all that money for me because they saw me once on YouTube. They saw me scoring good goals. And I haven't forgotten how to score goals.

I'm very happy at City, very happy since the day I came. I knew that the project was good, and in my head, there is nothing else but Manchester City, so how long I'm going to be at City is just never a question.

My feelings towards Manchester City will never change; I'm eternally grateful to them as a football club. They took me as a 19-year-old boy from Shrewsbury Town, took somewhat of a punt on me, and I've had some fantastic times.

When I hear people say Patrice never had someone to fight him for his place, I think they have bad memories. They forget very quickly how I got to become Manchester United's left-back. I fought with two great players in Gabriel Heinze and Mikael Silvestre.

When you come to Manchester United, in every transfer window - whether the team is doing well or badly - there are always players linked with the club because this club is always linked with the best players.

I was born in Karachi, where my father used to work in the sales department of a pharmaceutical company. The nature of his job required him to travel, so we moved to Athens, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Riyadh and then went to Manchester during the Gulf War, moving back to Lahore closer to my father's retirement.

I can remember certain Manchester United defeats the way most people remember family bereavements or great political events. The four-nil drubbing by Barcelona, the failure to score against West Ham, the New Year's Day calamity at home to Spurs, the mauling by Middlesborough.

I can remember how I felt the first time I was knocked out by Floyd Mayweather Jr. My first fight afterwards was against Juan Lazcano at the City of Manchester Stadium. Every time I got punched I felt like I would wobble.

A lot of Manchester now - it's creating jobs and that's great, but some of the character is getting sucked out. There's good and bad, but our personal perspective is that it's just a shame. You in Chicago protect your buildings, we don't have that. You'll find a good building will get replaced by a horrible looking thing.

I never really got that chance at Manchester City and developed into a utility player. Playing in all the positions has made me a better player because it's not easy to do that. Understanding the game has made me a more rounded player as well.

Part of being a Manchester United player under Sir Alex Ferguson, perhaps the most important part of being one of United's attacking players was that when you were in possession, you had to take risks in order to create goal-scoring chances. It was not an option; it was an obligation.

Sometimes I am questioned why I play better for the national squad than at Manchester City. I am the same at both places, but City is one team, and the Brazil national squad is another.

I used to go salmon fishing with the late Jim Slater, the renowned investor, and he would give me tips. He told me to buy shares in football clubs, so I invested in Manchester United before its shares went through the roof.

When I arrived at Liverpool, the budget was £20m gross. When I left, it was £17m, but still people said I must win the title. Manchester United had around £50m more every year, but they said I must compete against them.

To go and watch Manchester United, whether it's home or away, is entertainment; it's goals - whether you concede goals or whether you can score goals.

Maybe one small regret is that I never got to play with Paul Scholes - but I was never going to leave Barcelona and he was never going to leave Manchester United.

I think every kid grows up wanting to play for Manchester United. I never thought I'd be able to play against them, never mind play for them, so it's surreal, and I'm really looking forward to it.

My wish would be to continue playing for Manchester United. I have no personal problems with Jos Mourinho. One thing is for sure: I'm not going to stop playing football. I still believe in my own ability. I could still help Man United if given the chance.

You've got two huge clubs in Manchester that have got 'celebrity' managers, huge resources, massive turnovers. They can generate resources the rest of us can only imagine, and that's before the TV money even kicks in.

For me, Paul Scholes is on the same level as Ronaldo. The real Ronaldo, not Cristiano. I always thought he was a great player but after I played alongside him I realised he was Manchester United's greatest player of all time. He did his talking on the pitch which I respected most.

In Germany, we laugh at it. Mourinho just selects a topic to moan about - transfers, team preparation, a rival coach. But Pep Guardiola wants it all to be about the performance of his team. He's obsessed by possession, like at Bayern Munich, and will not compromise on that at Manchester City.

I am ready to work, I am ready for this job and I am ready for this challenge. (on being Manchester City manager)

My mum was very supportive, and I don't really understand why when I think of her humble beginnings. She grew up in one room with my grandma, my grand-dad and her siblings and a fire-pit outside to cook on. Now she's a homeowner in Manchester and has a business.

When I moved to Manchester, to work as a runner for Granada, I shared with a researcher called Vicky who took pity on my inability to cook and made me meals for three years. Put in charge of cookery on a live kids' show I'd buy cookies from a shop to show as 'ones we made earlier.'

You're asking if I'm happy? I've got 87 million in the bank, I've got a Rolls Royce, I've got 3 stalkers, I'm about to go on the board at Manchester City, I'm part of the greatest band in the world. Am I happy with that? No, I'm not! I want more!

I was working as a secretary in Manchester and thought I would always do that. Then I got this letter offering me a two-year fellowship where I could write; they would pay me a salary and give me a flat to live in. It was heaven.

When Jose Mourinho went to Real Madrid many moons ago, he no question was the man, but he turned them into a defensive side. He went to Chelsea, won the league and all of a sudden he's on the up again. The following year, complete and utter dismay and then he turned Manchester United into a side that finished sixth.

Manchester United and Liverpool have been bought with huge leverage, and we've got Roman Abramovich at Chelsea who can turn his loans into shares. It is really important for the Premier League to ask itself: if a club is being bought on such a mountain of debt, isn't that a possible recipe for disaster for the future?

I'm very lucky to go back to my old club, my old home, my old house. To start my new chapter in this second part of my life in the Premier League is going to be something happy. I have very good memories from those four years in Manchester.