Pleaty’s managerial philosophy was simple:

“A game is not won until it is lost.”

But Pleat the co-commentator had a few refinements to make to that philosophy:

“Eighty per cent of teams who score first in matches go on to win them. But they may draw some. Or occasionally lose…..”

In the gantry, he often found the sweet spot:

“He hits it into the corner of the net as straight as a nut.”

He was a huge admirer of genital dexterity:

“For such a small man Maradona gets great elevation on his balls.”

All kinds of dexterity really:

“Stoichkov is pointing at the bench with his eyes.”

His approach to player underperformance could be callous:

“If there are any managers out there with a bottomless pit, I’m sure that they would be interested in these two Russians.”

But he certainly understood what made a player tick:

“There’s Thierry Henry, exploding like the French train that he is.”

Player bonding was never a problem in Pleat’s teams:

“Our central defenders, Doherty and Anthony Gardner, were fantastic and I told them that when they go to bed tonight they should think of each other.”

Pleat never took anything for granted:

“Had we not got that second goal, I think the score might have been different. I’m not sure.”