The controversial elements of this weekend’s games have spilled over to Monday’s sports pages like a geneourously filled pint of English stout – the Daily Mail is telling us that Derby Manager Billy Davies has given Lawrie Sanchez the same bit of advice that fans have been handing to referees since the dawn of man. Davies said of Sanchez and his deluded thoughts after the game:
“I think a new pair of glasses is needed.”
Derby inched close to grabbing all three points but Fulham ‘keeper Antti Niemi insisted on doing his best superman impression, repelling all shots and earning a subsequent man-of-the-match award. Derby pushed but were constantly denied by a 10 man Fulham side, who had to play the entire second half with only 10 men after Paul Konchesky’s sending off.
After Billy Davies was presented with opposite number Lawrie Sanchez’ opinions on the game (that Fulham could have won it) Billy gruffly responded:
“Lawrie’s got to say that, hasn’t he? Because his team has just been battered. The performance of Antti Niemi prevented us from getting three points. He was inspired, top class. Unfortunately, we got him on one of those days.”
It must have been a day of mixed feeling’s for Sanchez, whose Fulham team got booed off the pitch, and whose man of the match only came into contention because of a Kasey Keller injury. Sanchez, struggling to see the reporter, such is the diabolical standard of his glasses, said:
“I just know that if we had lost I certainly would not have been stood here smiling. It would have been a really bad day. It has been an okay bad day.”
Translation: Thank god for Annti Niemi.