Top 70 Ron Atkinson Quotes (2025 Update)

1. “Zero-zero is a big score.”

— Ron Atkinson

2. “You can see the ball go past them, or the man, but you’ll never see both man and ball go past at the same time. So if the ball goes past, the man won’t, or if the man goes past, they’ll take the ball.”

— Ron Atkinson

3. “I’m going to make a prediction – it could go either way.”

— Ron Atkinson

4. “He must be lightning slow.”

— Ron Atkinson

5. “I never comment on referees and I’m not going to break the habit of a lifetime for that prat.”

— Ron Atkinson

6. “Well, either side could win it, or it could be a draw.”

— Ron Atkinson

7. “Well, Clive, it’s all about the two Ms – movement and positioning.”

— Ron Atkinson

8. “Carlton Palmer can trap the ball further than I can kick it.”

— Ron Atkinson

9. “Women should be in the kitchen, the discotheque and the boutique, but not in football.”

— Ron Atkinson

10. “Jari Litmanen should be made compulsory.”

— Ron Atkinson

11. “He dribbles a lot and the opposition don’t like it – you can see it all over their faces.”

— Ron Atkinson

12. “There’s nobody fitter at his age, except maybe Raquel Welch.”

— Ron Atkinson

13. “That was Pele’s strength – holding people off with his arm.”

— Ron Atkinson

14. “They’ve come out at half time and gone bang.”

— Ron Atkinson

15. “The ball goes down the keeper’s throat where it hits him on the knees to say the least.”

— Ron Atkinson

16. “All I do know is that I’ll never be able to achieve what Tommy Docherty did, and that is take Aston Villa into the third division and Manchester United into the second division.”

— Ron Atkinson

17. “I’m sure Bobby won’t want them to be losing the match before winning it.”

— Ron Atkinson

18. “There’s a little triangle – five left-footed players.”

— Ron Atkinson

19. “I think that was a moment of cool panic there.”

— Ron Atkinson

20. “He’s not only a good player, but he’s spiteful in the nicest sense of the word.”

— Ron Atkinson

21. “There’s a snap about Liverpool that just isn’t there.”

— Ron Atkinson

22. “He’s the equivalent of the Spanish David Beckham.”

— Ron Atkinson

23. “For me their biggest threat is when they get into the attacking part of the field.”

— Ron Atkinson

24. “Yordi circumnavigated Ledley King there.”

— Ron Atkinson

25. “They scored too early.”

— Ron Atkinson

26. “The Spaniards have been reduced to aiming aimless balls into the box.”

— Ron Atkinson

27. “That’s not the type of header you want to see your defender make, with his hand.”

— Ron Atkinson

28. “The keeper was unsighted – he still didn’t see it.”

— Ron Atkinson

29. “I tell you what, if the Cameroons get a goal back here they’re literally gonna catch on fire.”

— Ron Atkinson

30. “Now Manchester United are 2-1 down on aggregate, they are in a better position than when they started the game at 1-1.”

— Ron Atkinson

31. “He had acres of time there.”

— Ron Atkinson

32. “Scholes and Van Nistelrooy drugged the last two defenders.”

— Ron Atkinson

33. “Heskey needs to punch his own weight.”

— Ron Atkinson

34. “I’ve had this sneaking feeling throughout the game that it’s there to be won.”

— Ron Atkinson

35. “Chelsea are the team who can break the Arsenal and Manchester United monopoly.”

— Ron Atkinson

36. “His head just disappeared into his shoulders.”

— Ron Atkinson

37. “On another night, they’d have won 2-2.”

— Ron Atkinson

38. “His white boots were on fire against Arsenal, and he’ll be looking for them to reproduce tonight.”

— Ron Atkinson

39. “They’ve certainly grown, the Japanese. I mean grown in stature, playing-wise.”

— Ron Atkinson

40. “Woodcock would have scored but his shot was too perfect.”

— Ron Atkinson

41. “Apart from picking the ball out of the net, he hasn’t had to make a save.”

— Ron Atkinson

42. “Chelsea look like they’ve got a couple more gears left in the locker.”

— Ron Atkinson

43. “There’s a few tired limbs in the blue legs.”

— Ron Atkinson

44. “Liverpool will think ‘we could have won this 2-2’”

— Ron Atkinson

45. “Scholes is very influential for England at international level.”

— Ron Atkinson

46. “He sliced the ball when he had it on a plate.”

— Ron Atkinson

47. “Stoichkov’s playing on the wing, in this situation he likes to come in and scalp the centre-half.”

— Ron Atkinson

48. “How are they defensively, attacking-wise?”

— Ron Atkinson

49. “You half fancied that to go in as it was rising and dipping at the same time.”

— Ron Atkinson

50. “They are playing above the ground.”

— Ron Atkinson