“Thursday night games are difficult to contend with given the level of physicality we deal with in the Premier League.”

Until that issue is addressed, no Premier League team wants to be in the Europa League. That’s the reality, even if some don’t want to admit it.

We struggled with it at Newcastle and we were not alone in that among the English clubs.

It’s important that top clubs don’t lose sight of the fact that it’s the English Premier League and English players should be involved.

If you’ve seen the Harry Potter films, we use the term ‘dementors’ – people who can draw the life out of you in terms of your energy.

I didn’t listen to half of the criticism I received. I just didn’t let it enter my brain.

You have to have tactical plans to get a deal over the line.

You feel vulnerable when you hear things that are not being said.

I would not want to be the Europa League in the current format, that’s for sure.

You always have to have faith in your own abilities and that has to be evident to your players.

You are bound to want a player at some stage who is represented by this guy and you will have to try to work around the personality of the agent.

I don’t like people who drain my time and energy.

You tend to work out what makes them tick, what they respond to.

The one thing I hate about other managers is waffle that is nowhere near the truth. I would never conduct myself like that.

I have had situations in the past when you are close to signing a player and the money involved switches from euros to pounds to dollars. It is a difficult process, but one we have to work with.

Amid all the negativity at Newcastle, we achieved some great things.

When you are in charge of a top club, where expectations are high you have to deal with that.

Speculation in oil stock companies was another great evil … From the first, oil men had to contend with wild fluctuations in the price of oil. …

It’s just funny that Americans have to contend with 2000 channels, and 60 different specific news sources, and the confusion that it creates, and the junk that we get to see is hilarious.