Dave's cold babies

David O'Leary is in the habit of referring to his players as his "babies" but, in the opinion of Grigory Yesaulenko, they're …

David O'Leary is in the habit of referring to his players as his "babies" but, in the opinion of Grigory Yesaulenko, they're just a shower of big girls' blouses. "They began to create tension, saying they were cold and that the pitch was bad. If they don't like it, let them go to Africa to play," said the Spartak Moscow vice-president last week when his club's UEFA Cup match against Leeds was postponed because of a frozen pitch. Real Madrid, he pointed out, had played in freezing conditions in Kiev, but not Leeds, oh no. Why? "Because Real Madrid were real men - these guys got afraid."

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan is a sports writer with The Irish Times