Charles

“[On England's elimination from the 2002 World Cup after losing 2-1 to Brazil] Never was Steven Gerrard more noticeably missed, for his ability to pass, rather than kick the ball over 40 yards and for his steely mentality. Not for the first time, Eriksson's substitutions were baffling. The situation cried for Joe Cole, the one England player with a trick to beat a man, but it was the convalescent Kieron Dyer who was sent on, in place of Sinclair. Owen, never fully fit, was withdrawn after 80 minutes, at which stage Eriksson sent on Darius Vassell and Teddy Sheringham in a move which smacked of desperation, rather than tactical nous. From Sven-Goran Eriksson: The Final Reckoning”
― Joe Lovejoy

“And art exists that one may recover the sensation of life; it exists to make one feel things, to make the stone stony.”
― Viktor Shklovsky, Art as Technique

“Gregory Rasputin, his bloodstream filled with poison, his body punctured by bullets, had died by drowning.”
― Robert K. Massie, Nicholas and Alexandra: The Classic Account of the Fall of the Romanov Dynasty

“[On England's elimination from the 2002 World Cup after losing 2-1 to Brazil] The dressing room was like a morgue. Nobody moved, nobody spoke. The players were traumatized. They had a glimpse of immortality and let it slip. Some might get the chance to redeem themselves, others - notably Seaman - certainly wouldn't. From Sven-Goran Eriksson: The Final Reckoning”
― Joe Lovejoy