They [Chelsea] are a financially doped club. They have enhancement of performances through financial resources which are unlimited. It puts pressure on the market that is not very healthy. They can go to Steven Gerrard or Rio Ferdinand and say ‘how much do you earn? We’ll give you twice as much’. I don’t know if there is anything we can do to stop it.
--
The phrase 'financial doping', first used by Wenger in a press conference on the eve of the 125th FA Cup final. (21 May 2005)Arsene Wenger
» Arsene Wenger - all quotes »
Steven Gerrard was awesome today. We were just laughing in the dressing room that at one stage we thought he was heading his own crosses in.
Steven Gerrard
Is he the best in the world? He might not get the attention of (Lionel) Messi and Ronaldo but yes, I think he just might be.If you don't have a player like Steven Gerrard, who is the engine room, it can affect the whole team.When we were winning league titles and European Cups at Real, I always said Claude Makelele was our most important player. There is no way myself, (Luis) Figo or Raul would have been able to do what we did without Claude and the same goes for Liverpool and Gerrard. He has great passing ability, can tackle and scores goals, but most importantly he gives the players around him confidence and belief. You can't learn that -- players like him are just born with that presence.
Steven Gerrard
When The Smiths began it was very important that I wouldn't be that horrible, stupid, sloppy Steven. He would have to be locked in a box and put on top of the wardrobe. l needed to feel differently and rather than adopt some glamorous pop star name, I eradicated Steven which seemed to make perfect sense. Suddenly I was a totally different person. Now when I meet pre-Smith people who call me Steven, I sit there and wonder who they're talking about. I always despised the name Steven, though being spelt with a 'v' rather than a 'ph' made life slightly more tolerable. But it was very important that Steven be drowned nonetheless.
Morrissey
If you'd asked me seven or eight years ago I would have said I wasn't Frank Lampard's biggest fan. But his all-round game has improved massively. He's had to work at his game. I don't think he's been naturally the most gifted player in the world. From what I hear he's a good one to practise and he's improved to be one of the best midfielders in the world. Credit to him for that. He's more of an all-round package now than he was at West Ham when he was probably carrying too much weight, not that he was fat. His goals record is unbelievable, just like Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes. We see a lot of players who come on the scene and just fade away. But he seems as hungry as ever and plays lots of games. He looks after his body. He's a fit lad and when you've got a midfielder who can put the ball in the back of the net it's bloody priceless. When you look at him and Gerrard, by God, Fabio Capello's a lucky man to have two such outstanding players. The hallmark of a top player is not to do it over two years but over eight or nine.
Frank Lampard
Wenger, Arsene
Wenness, Godfrey
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