Michael Ballack Quotes

Of course I want to play every game, but only 11 can start.

There is not really any point in having a big squad if you don't use it.

I've got to think through all of those things - competition for places, players who need match minutes, and keeping the unity of the squad.

I think to progress in major tournaments and to be at your best, you need a big squad, and you need to rotate it.

The season lasts a long time, and we need not only a high-level squad but also a big squad.

I think what Brendan Rodgers did was right; I thought it was successful. He was able to show that he was able to change several players, prove to everybody in the team that no-one's guaranteed a spot, rest a lot of key players, and at the same time walk away with a very reputable result.

I don't play them a lot of minutes. I have great starters. I have All-Stars, world champions.

The old adage that you shouldn't change a winning team doesn't apply in modern international football because managers have to study the opposition and pick players who exploit their weaknesses.

If we kept all the players I liked personally, we'd be a lot worse team over the years.

When it comes down to it, it's about putting the players on the field that will be the best 11.

It's up to the coach to decide who is in the best shape to play each match.

They say that when it comes to the depth chart, it can change any day and that we dictate how the depth chart goes. If one person has a great day, he might be going with the 'ones.' If a person slips up a little bit, he might be going with the 'twos' and 'threes.'

If you are not playing a player, any player, for two, three, four games, then you don't have to give a reason for that. But if it gets to eight or nine games, then you have to explain the situation. What's going on?

I want to play every single player, but I can only play 11 at a time.

Managers now don't just use 11 players; they have to care about all the squad of 25 or more players.

We're trying to win football games, and whoever we feel like gives us the best chance is who's going to play behind center.

It is never a problem to have good players on the bench.

When I was with the Giants, I played for Dusty Baker, and I love Dusty to death. I think he's a great manager and great person, but he platooned me. His reasoning was to get everybody in the lineup. It wasn't that I couldn't play every day.

When you make your final list for the World Cup or European Championship you don't take the 23 best players, that is for sure.

The coach can only choose 11 players to start. It is a difficult decision.

Football never stops, and that's why you need a big squad.

I don't drop players. I make changes.

I have a lot of respect for Wenger. But a player needs playing time. And a coach has to put his faith in a player if he feels that he needs it.

Messi never wants to be subbed off, but it's my task to take care of him.

You go into training camp and you fight for jobs and often times things work themselves out. Like players just take the job, they play so well, they win it, and makes it easier on the coach to decide who is the guy that gets those minutes.