Top 10 football comebacks and what those involved had to say about them, after ...

Tranmere Rovers 4 Southampton 3 FA Cup 5th round replay 2001

In an 18 month period in which Tranmere dumped nine Premier League sides out
of cup competitions, this results stands out as the most dramatic. Going in
at the break 3-0 down, a Paul Rideout hat-trick was central to John
Aldridge’s men continuing their epic run of giant killings.

Southampton manager Glenn Hoddle: “If there are any lessons to be
learned from that we’ll make sure we never do it again. But it’s too late –
the horse has bolted and we’re out of the Cup … this is the hardest thing
I’ve ever had to deal with … the players are a disgrace to the club”.

Tranmere manager John Aldridge: “This great Cup result against
Southampton should really make the lads look forward to next week against
Huddersfield.”

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Newcastle 4 Arsenal 4 Premier League 2011

Take a comfortable four goal lead, add a half-time break, throw in a sending
off and long held defensive brittleness and you end up with an incredible
match.

After a barnstorming first 45 minutes Arsenal looked like champions in the
making – Theo Walcott gave them the lead in the opening minute before Johan
Djourou doubled the advantage almost instantly. Just 10 later minutes Robin
van Persie had made it three; then four before the break. The game changed
after Joey Barton provoked Abou Diaby in to lashing out and seeing red.
Barton scored twice from the spot with Leon Best, in for the recently
departed Andy Carroll, also on target. The stage thus set, Cheik Tiote
levelled with an 87th minute screamer. St James’ Park has never enjoyed a
draw so much.

Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger: “We panicked a little bit in
the second half, we have dropped two points, but psychologically the damage
is bigger. We have a very disappointed dressing room.”

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew: “I told the players at half-time I
wanted aggression. We needed to show we cared. They went out and played like
lions … When you’re 4-0 down after 26 minutes and you haven’t made a
challenge you have to fear the worst, and I did.”

Cheik Tiote: ‘It is the greatest goal I’ve ever scored and the greatest
moment of my career. Unbelievable. Incredible. Wow.

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Liverpool 3 AC Milan 3 Champions League final 2005

Some Liverpool fans had started to leave the Ataturk Stadium at half-time
after a first minute goal from Paolo Maldini and two from Hernan Crespo had
given Milan a 3-0 half-time lead. But the game was spun on its axis in a
frenetic spell that saw Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso
level before Jerzy Dudek gave it the ‘spaghetti legs’ in a penalty shoot out
before saving from Andrea Pirlo and Andrei Shevchenko to complete the
‘Miracle of Istanbul’.

Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti: “We had six minutes of madness in
which we threw away the position we had reached until then.”

Paolo Maldini: "That was one of the best finals I ever played in. We
played really well, much better than Liverpool, and we really deserved to
win much more than them … but that’s football."

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Charlton 7 Huddersfield 6 Divison 2 1957

Charlton manager Jimmy Trotter pulled off what has to be one of the most
effective tactical changes ever seen when he moved left winger Johnny
Summers across the front positions through the duration of the match in this
second division game. Summers had already scored once before the change, but
10-man Charlton still trailed 5-1 with less than half an hour to play. He
scored four more after the break and had a hand in the two other Charlton
goals.

Charlton manager Jimmy Trotter: “Things had not been coming off
for [Johnny] Summers so I moved him from inside-left to centreforward. As a
last resort, I switched him to outside-left, his last chance to make good.
How well he took it!”

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Leeds 4 Preston 6 Championship 2010

Preston actually took the lead through John Parkin at Elland Road before
Luciano Becchio and Alex Bruce and a double from Davide Somma put Leeds in
charge. Preston drew level when Callum Davidson converted a penalty before a
Parkin double completed his hat-trick and Iain Hume ended what Leeds
resistance remained with a late header.

Leeds manager Simon Grayson: “I’m drained and hugely disappointed.
You work hard to do things but sometimes football kicks you where it hurts
… Hopefully it doesn’t come along again, because otherwise it could be a
long season. It’s unbelievable and embarrassing.”

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Hungary 2 West Germany 3 1954 World Cup final

The Germans had been thumped 8-3 in the group stages by a Hungary team
unbeaten in 30 oddd matches and the clear favourites for the final. The game
appeared to be going to script when Puskas and Czibor put Hungary 2-0 up
inside eight minutes. However, what became known as the ‘Miracle of Bern’
was completed by a dramatic comeback in the rain by a German side that acted
as a focal point for post-Second World War recovery for the nation.

Herbert Zimmerman, German commentator: “Headball! Blocked! Rahn
has to shoot from the background. Rahn shoots! Goooaall! Goooaall! Goooaall!
Left-footed shot from Rahn! Schäfer pushed his way past Bozsik. 3-2 for
Germany … You may think I’m crazy! You may think I’ve cracked! But even
football players should have a heart!”

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Tottenham 3 Manchester City 4 FA Cup 4th round replay 2004

Going in at the break 3-0 down away in an FA Cup tie is bad enough. But when
one of your players, Joey Barton in this case, talks his way in to a red
card when leaving the field you know it isn’t going to be your day. Well,
you almost know. Sylvain Distin got a goal back and Paul Bosvelt gave City
hope with a deflected shot, Shaun Wright-Phillips levelled before Jonathan
Macken headed a late winner.

Tottenham manager David Pleat: “We have let ourselves down and the
supporters will be gutted.”

Manchester City manager Kevin Keegan: “We’re 3-0 down and a man
down,” Keegan said to his coach Derek Fazackerley as they came back out
for the second half. “Where’s the nearest jobcentre?” … “It
was the Cup tie of my lifetime, really … At half time we were playing for
pride … and looking for a miracle.”

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Reading 5 Arsenal 7 Carling Cup fourth round 2012

Where to start? Reading were well worth their 4-0 half-time lead before
Arsenal capped a much improved second period of normal time with Theo
Walcott’s late, late equaliser. Arsenal took the lead for the first time
through Marouane Chamakh in extra-time, Pavel Pogrebnyak levelled to set up
penalties … but then … Chamakh and Walcott repeated their trick. The
Arsenal fans who left early really missed a treat.

Reading manager Brian McDermott: “We dominated the first half. We
didn't play second half. They've got good players, they can hurt us. It was
suicide what went on in the second half and extra time. It was kamizake,
even at 5-5. Just extraordinary. It's embarrassing what happened to us.
We'll have to take that on the chin and move on.”

Will he watch the DVD? “No, I’ll probably throw it in the bin.”

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Juventus 2 Manchester United 3 Champions League semi-final second leg 1999

Having taken a 1-1 first leg result to Turin, Filippo Inzaghi made the task in
hand a difficult one with two goals in the first 11 minutes. With Roy Keane
booked and set to miss the final, should United make it, the English side
were up against it. But Keane rolled up his sleeves, produced one of the
most inspiring of European performances to drag his team back in to it.
Dwight Yorke and Keane levelled the match before Andy Cole scored late on to
put the seal on United’s return to the biggest stage of European football
after a 31 year absence.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson on Roy Keane: "It was the most
emphatic display of selflessness I have seen on a football field. Pounding
over every blade of grass competing if he would rather die of exhaustion
than lose he inspired all around him. I felt it was an honour to be
associated with such a player".

Source:
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