Louis van Gaal Quotes

It is vital to maintain possession and to win it back as soon as possible, because if we win it high up, then the opposition has to run 70 metres.

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

I'm a coach who likes to have the ball, but what I really think is, 'How can you be in charge of the game?' I think, but maybe I am the only one, that the defensive process can take care of the game. Why is that? Because teams wait to defend. If you create something where you go to defend, to steal the ball where you want, it's different.

At Tottenham, I'm asked to take a lot of risks to keep maximum possession of the ball and build from the back.

If you look at Barcelona and the way they press high, or Bayern Munich, the way they press high... that's what makes them the best teams, because when they lose the ball, in the first three seconds, that's when they get the ball back, really, really high.

My priority is possession. Attack, get a lot of players in the opposition half, take risks.

In England and Germany, perhaps, there is more of a focus on the physical side of the game, in breaking down the opposition's play, especially against the lower placed sides.

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.

I like to play attacking football, but I think the big difference is that we expect a lot more from our strikers, to do more pressing and to keep compact. We like to play a high line defensively and press the ball.

I don't want just pure roll out of the back four. I want productive mixed play... how many ways can you affect a game?

When you play at home in European football, you've got to come up with a happy balance where you get on the front foot and try to win it without leaving yourself vulnerable.

United are capable of setting up a low block and making it difficult, but they're also capable of coming out and pressing high.

When teams train now, it is about what they do with the ball and, if they lose it, how quickly they press to win it back.

Pochettino likes to play from the back, with the buildup, have the ball.

The manager might like it sometimes when I play up front because I can cause trouble for the defenders, but for me, my best position is defensive midfield, stopping the opposition, and then looking to impose myself on a game.

There are a lot of teams that don't want to play, that only want to defend against Barcelona, and that makes it difficult. We're always looking for the open space. A lot of times we'll face six defenders and four midfielders.

I often felt as a player in a 4-4-2, you end up being outnumbered in midfield and chasing the ball, so as a manager I liked wingbacks to push forward; it gives the midfield player on the ball three or four options.

It's not easy to create chances or a game when you're just receiving long balls.

You can't play man to man against Liverpool and out-pass them. You have to keep your shape and stop them.

For the strikers, we have more freedom, and even when we lose the ball, if we press together, we can get it back, and it is good system for Chelsea.

I don't like getting pinned back with a line of four in midfield. You risk losing too much space.

I like to be active in space in behind the opposition's midfield. That's where I can hurt the opponent most of all.

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

Now and again, you may be picking a pass or two in behind, making something happen, but when we're attacking - especially at Liverpool - I'm focusing on protection, being disciplined, being careful, worrying about counter-attacks, things like that.

It's a different playing style than at Monaco; there were two of us in midfield there, and here at Liverpool, there's three.