Niall Quinn "sacked by Man City for telling them to try a score a goal" in 1996?

[The Camel]

Twice during the commentary on Sunday's Man City v QPR game Quinn claimed that during the game mentioned here http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1229581/Liverpool-v-Manchester-City-Sportsmail-looks-classic-previous-encounters.html he was sacked by Manchester City for trying to communicate to the players on the pitch that they shouldn't time waste at the end of a game which stood at 2-2 because City still needed another goal to avoid relegation.

Is this true? (the sacking bit)

I've searched on google and cannot find anything about it.

Why would they sack him for that?

[ACE2M]

i didn't get it either.

[gatso]

they sold him to sunderland. surely you can't sell a player you've sacked?

[swinebag22]

City were relegated after this game and being skint had to sell our big earners to reduce the wages. Quinn had been at the club for a few years and was on big till, so was sold to newly promoted Sunderland.

Pretty sure that any comments made by him about being "sacked" are purely tongue in cheek. He was definitely a premiership player so a move was mutually beneficial.

He may have had a few harsh words to Alan Ball about the engame strat in that game, which probably made up his mind to sell him, but sacked...no way.

Daily Fail article is typically poorly researched and full of holes, e.g. Anelka cost a bit more than £1.3m (£12m IIRC) - Rosler is pictured wearing a kit worn in the 97/98 season (not 1996), so something else must have been the subject of his agony (probably relegation to Div 2 - or having to play with Lee Bradbury) or even this goal in the final home game - against QPR would you believe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWNjWfIHXL4&feature=fvwrel