Glenn Hoddle Quotes

I like the idea of playing with a bit more tactical freedom, either in a deeper role or supporting the strikers more often.

When you play the top sides you cannot afford to be as open as 4-4-2 can leave you. Consequently teams adapt their formation.

In the Premier League you need creative players to open games up.

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

As England manager I always felt we needed an extra man in midfield to retain the ball, but that was more as an attacking ploy to help create opportunities. It came from my experience playing international football in a 4-4-2 and spending half my time chasing the ball.

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.

It's not so easy for us when we play teams who have a different mindset, like Chelsea or Inter Milan, because they have the intention of trying to stop us rather than playing a game that is more attractive for the spectators to enjoy.

I don't say we are a defensive team. I say we are a strong team in defensive terms, but at the same time lacking sufficient fluidity in attack because that will take time to come.

I don't want Kylian to play like Neymar and keep the ball. Kylian is incredibly dangerous in the final move, and I want him to stay that way.

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.

Any coach in my era will reference or look at Guardiola's teams. If you look at the style of play, he has had a huge influence on football. And he has innovated it again.

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.

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.

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

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?

There is no Benitez 'method.' We try to be more solid in defense without losing the quality in attack.

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.

It is well-documented that Bournemouth like to play football. I think I can give them a slightly different dimension when the ball goes into the box.

I always tried to defend high up the pitch, to be in the opposition's half and play the game there.

The most important thing in Guardiola's theory is to play football, and this always stays the same. The basic idea is always the same, but different opponents offer different space which you can use to play in.

I like to be in contact with the ball, have possession, to play.

It is impossible to do it for the whole game, but when you have the ball for most of the game and have players like Samir Nasri, David Silva, Yaya Toure, and Raheem Sterling, they keep the ball so well.