The 25 Best Press Conference Answers
Managing in football is always a difficult job. The media limelight is fixed firmly on the man in the dugout and the pressures of coaching a team can often take its toll on the person in question. This often leads to clashes with sections of the media, be it in a press conference or an interview after a match. We often see a manager storming out of a press conference or replying irritably to pointless questions. Other individuals take a more humorous approach to answering the journalist’s questions, using sarcasm or funny anecdotes to lighten the mood somewhat.
It isn’t always the managers who produce quality answers for the media, as players can often produce pearlers of their own and there’s nothing better than watching someone in the footballing world take on the media at their our game. We’ve compiled a list of 25 press conference/interview answers that either made us giggle, dropped our jaws or made us shake our heads in disbelief:
25. Mick McCarthy – Wolves had just survived on the final day of the 2010/11 season, but Mick McCarthy got a soaking he didn’t quite expect. His response? Sheer optimism.
24. Kevin Keegan – King Kev resigned as England manager after a 1-0 defeat to Germany in the final game at the old Wembley. Although Keegan’s demise was expected, what the media didn’t understand is why he chose the Wembley toilets as the perfect place to break the news.
23. Eddie Mitchell – Bournemouth Chairman Mitchell had an unpleasant spat with Mark Chapman on a 606 Phone-in after he rather unfairly sacked his manager, Lee Bradbury. Mitchell took offence to the line of questioning and resorted to a rather fouled-mouthed way of responding.
22. Mario Balotelli – Imagine one of the worst things that could happen during your announcement as the new caretaker manager of Inter Milan. Microphone not working? Journalists throwing tomatoes? Nobody showing up? Well, having former Inter star Mario Balotelli turning up uninvited can’t be much better. Yep, that’s what the Manchester City star gets up to on his day off.
21. Harry Redknapp – They say sarcasm is the lowest form of wit. Well, not in the case of Mr Redknapp who dismantled a hack who asked him a daft question after Tottenham’s 1-1 draw with Leeds in the 2010 FA Cup.
July 30th, 2012
As a Spurs fan, obviously I enjoyed Arry telling a Sky reporter where to go. However, for me the best press conference answer was by Steve Coppell.
In a Reading game against Neil Warnock’s Sheffield United, Steve had a run-in with the Sheffield United Assistant Manager, sparked by said AM making obscene gestures in the direction of Coppell.
At the post-match, on radio, the interviewer asked him what the gestures were, to which Coppell scathingly replied,
“This is radio. What do you want me to do?”.
July 30th, 2012
Did Rob Palmer get the interview after, you can hear him trying ‘Come back Harry’ has anyone got a clip of it, obviously sky wouldn’t be happy if they had to use MOTD’s coverage.
July 31st, 2012
Great collection Tom. I could listen to Ian Holloway for hours.
July 31st, 2012
‘Arry!! Telling him where to go. Gotta love that