Michael Laudrup Quotes

This is one of the challenges we have: knowing that playing without the ball is just as important as when you have the ball.

If a player is trying to intimidate a skilled player on your team, what do we want? We want our skilled players playing, so we shouldn't be doing that.

My philosophy about the game, for instance, is that you have players out there who really do different things.

There's two sides to the game, and you have to do the ugly side as well. If you're getting beat, and you're conceding the goals that we're getting beaten by, then it's because you're not defending and shutting people down well enough.

Why should I change my game if I don't even get a yellow card?

You have to defend the perimeter guys otherwise you're going to struggle getting playing time or staying on the court.

I like to win the ball back for the team and I can contribute going forward.

Against Chelsea, you will have periods in the game when you are right up against it, when they keep the ball. They are pretty solid the way they set their team up.

The teams that defend well are as important as those that attack well. If you don't concede goals it is much easier to win but it is all about having balance.

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

Back home, if you get scored on, you're the weak link. When I started getting good, they were like, 'If you're going to play on our team when we go play pick-up, and you start getting scored on, we're not going to let you play anymore.' I started learning how to help other people out with my defense.

Sometimes in midfield, it's nice because you do get a little bit more of the ball, and maybe out wide you rely on people to get you the ball.

What interests Chiellini and I is not conceding goals. We're able to create chances and it makes us happy when we take them.

A lot of guys are offensive minded, which is good at some points and times but bad at others - at lots of others. I wish I could say I want everybody to play defense as hard as I do. It's not a reality.

I always look forward to playing great players, great scorers, because I pride myself on my defense.

I think I have that ability to win the ball back quickly when we lose it.

When we have to defend, I just try to recover the ball for the team because it's important, but I always try to go forward when we have the ball.

Losing the ball is not going to help your team, so I am trying to change that.

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 want to be that guy who stops players.

If it's a shot for me, if I can make a play, create for someone else, I'll do that. A lot of times you run a play, everybody's watching, everybody's locked in, everybody's pulling over, and it just makes the game tougher for me.

If you start chasing around trying to get steals for your own benefit, then you really put your defense at a disadvantage. It's not a big thing for me; if it happens, great.

I'd say my main quality is keeping the ball and my passing.

I've done it before, and I might do it whenever we need to as a big guy... I'll take it. A hard foul is part of the game, which is good.

I will never go into a game aggressive because I will cost my team the victory if I am reckless. If I have got a personal vendetta with someone, or I don't like the way someone has done something to me in the game, I am just going to have to get over it.