Phil Jones Quotes

If we don't start playing better on defense, it's going to be hard. We can't just sit there and win shootouts.

Rafa Benitez was keen on defending - all dropping back together if you lose the ball.

Any good defensive team has a strong anchor, because he cleans up mistakes.

That's how you get better on defense; not just 'oh, man, my guy beat me,' but you have to think about, 'okay, my man beat me, so I either have to pick up the next man, or I'm going to give somebody a foul.

When I've watched teams that play with five at the back and wing-backs, I've looked at their starting positions and positions out of possession because that comes a little bit more unnaturally to me.

It's just always been a knack for me to play defense.

I'm a defender, and my first job is to make the team secure at the back; that's my primary responsibility.

I like consistency in defenders.

We know it's impossible sometimes to have good defending against Cristiano Ronaldo but we want to keep the ball, with good possession, as then he can do nothing in attack.

I'm a defensive-minded player.

I need to work on defensive play and being consistent.

We believe defending is very much a team job, and we can't just rely on a back four and a goalkeeper.

I would prefer to play for and against an attacking team, but I am now used to playing against defensive teams.

As full-backs, we like to get high and wide. It's the style of football that I enjoy playing.

For me, it is very important to control a situation in defence. You can always score goals, but you have to add stability in the defence.

Think about the deflections. The offense can't score every play. They're just trying to get a good shot. If I can deflect a pass, even if it doesn't cause a turnover, it will throw their timing off half-a-second. That half-a-second might mess up their shot.

That's something you want to preach throughout the whole defense - getting the ball back to the offense.

We have four parts of our game: working against the ball; in possession; losing the ball; winning the ball. If you are good in all four parts, you have a good chance of winning.

What Liverpool do really well is they try to get you inside but then close you down.

Playing an ultra-defensive side is very difficult.

Harry Kane is a very complicated player to stop.

Keeping up your concentration is one of the hardest tasks when you're a centre-back because a team like Bayern tend to dominate and can give you sense of false security.

I'm a defender first and foremost - blocks, headers, vital tackles, or even just the communication side of it, which is massive but doesn't really get recognised.

The game changes when you play good defense and don't come up with the ball.

Centre-backs usually get criticised for clearing the ball long, but it's easier doing this than risking a pass. If you lose the ball at the back, it's almost a goal. Most centre-backs don't risk this kind of game, depending on the holding midfielder in front.