NOISES OFF...

It's only the first game. I think Manchester United got beat in their first game last season and they went on to be champions, so we'll draw something from that

KEVIN KEEGAN putting Newcastle's defeat at Everton in an optimistic context

We've seen the goal of the season already, something I've never seen done before. It was better than Nayim's against Arsenal because that was a miskick

ALEX

FERGUSON hailing David Beckham's wonder-goal at Selhurst Park

'I hope you don't have to be a foreigner to win penalties. Barnes was clearly pulled back. I feel we might have closed the game down more than we did. I would rather we win 1-0 and be dour'

ROY EVANS, the Liverpool manager, protesting about a lack of consistency in the refereeing at the Riverside Stadium

In a way the events of the week have given us strength. We achieved a bond and togetherness in adversity to get a result we deserved.

STEWART

HOUSTON again with a steady hand on the rudder at storm-battered Highbury

I am happy and proud to add the ball and the shirt to my trophies. It was a very interesting day which would have been better only if we had won

FABRIZIO

RAVANELLI Middlesbrough's new star, amid the ecstasy of a debut hat-trick