Are they lying? Or do they mean it?

“I would recommend Italian clubs to buy Shay Given from Newcastle,” said Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni before the game against Montenegro, “he resembles Gianluigi Buffon and I am not exaggerating when I say this.. there is a vacancy for players like this in Serie A.”

Normally the kind of comment that would have the fans up in arms, totally seething, and yet the gentlemanly supporters from Newcastle Upon Tyne seem happy to agree.

From May, Giovanni Trapattoni will be adding the Republic of Ireland to his lengthy managerial CV, and the interweb’s Photoshop genii are already picturing the scene of his first training session. Above, the Italian sizes up big-boned Andy Reid’s shirt-come-tent, while Stephen Ireland’s fleet of dead grandmothers drive by.

[The Guardian Gallery via Pies]