Glenn Hoddle Quotes

My perfect formation would be 4-3-3 with one holding and then the two going forward. I would be one of the ones going forward.

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.

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

When you play against a Spanish team, especially Madrid, it is quite an open game.

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

Most teams - whether they like it or not against Manchester City - you're going to find yourself quite often penned in your own half.

When I play against a winger, because I'm a winger myself, I understand what they are going to do before they try and go past me, so it makes it a lot easier for me.

At the World Cup, most teams changed their style when they played us and maybe were more defensive. In the final, we didn't know if Holland were going to do the same, but the important thing was we beat them in the end.

I experienced how Pep Guardiola worked every day. He had football on his mind round the clock: 'What system does the opponent like to play? How do I want to set up my team, who do I want in which position?'

After every move, ask yourself what does my opponent want to do to me, and how can I prevent it?

Harry Kane is a very complicated player to stop.

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

Some coaches spend their time trying to get an overview of all eleven defenders. I prefer to zero in on one guy at a time to get the right clue.

I've become accustomed to playing against four defenders throughout my career, but in Italy, I have to play against five.

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

The strikers are the first defenders. And the first defender is the first striker to build from the back.

Pep is a super coach! He is excellent. He is the best at analysing an opponent and the concept of a game. I don't know what impact he had on German football, but he left a mark on all of us at Bayern because of how he analysed and educated the players in each position and the way he taught us to play.

A lot of wide receivers, they always run their routes at 100% speed. As a DB, that allows you to get a feel for how you need to play them.

I want to know what coverage it is every single time. I want to line up and be able to read what the defense is trying to do to me so I can get open.

A guy like Darrelle Revis has been in the NFL a long time. They study tendencies. They know what you're doing from the way you line up. When you run a route, you almost have to be perfect at it. You can't slip. Timing has to be perfect with the quarterback going against a smart guy like him.

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.

You need to be aware of the qualities of every striker you face, as I always am, but sometimes you need to be smart and more than 100% ready for anything.