Sadio Mane Quotes

Obviously, I don't have any real speed to work with so I have to use other things. The modern game is very speed based so as soon as managers see that you haven't got that pace it can be tough.

Rather than opera, football is more like ballet or a chess game. You can really see it in a team like Arsenal, especially when Dennis Bergkamp was playing. He seemed to be able to read the game like a chessboard and knew where a player would be several seconds later and put the ball there for him.

Busquets reads everything. Players like Busquets or Xabi Alonso in midfield have the capacity to read the whole game.

When we lose the ball, I don't want to win it back directly. I act smarter now, have better anticipation, and also start earlier when somebody tries to lob the ball over me.

Usually, the most intelligent player is a midfielder.

I like to control the ball and analyse the game.

The key is developing your game in both directions: in the build-up, joining the attack at the right moment and also in defence. You have to win the one-on-one situations and need the required pace and technique. These are the decisive factors for a defender.

I try to exploit things against everybody; that's part of the game: beat the guy that guards me while you're beating their team.

I spent the best part of 20 years trying to stop people like Chris Waddle from playing. Now I'm convinced that good touch and loads of movement are the way forward.

Great players, they start becoming immune to what the defense does to them.

It's not being disrespectful, but the less you know an opponent, the more work you have to do.

Guardiola has helped me so when I receive the ball, I have space.

If we want to be a top team, we can't get to 3-0 and suddenly decide not to play without the ball. We have to play with intelligence right through the game.

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.

I need to work on timing and the pace of the game. I need to know when to slow it down and speed it up.

Knowing your opponent is fundamental. Because then you can know their characteristics better.

The game changes when you play good defense and don't come up with the ball.

It's about winning the ball, making this step or making the right decision. If you make all of these steps then wins, a final position in the table will come on its own.

If teams play Bayern, they bring another attitude to the pitch than if they play teams who are not Bayern.

It's far, far better to be prepared: the more you know about the other team, the better.

My focus in the training sessions is always about movement to create openings and opportunities. When you don't have the ball, you still need the discipline to know where you should be, who you should be marking, but when we have the ball, it is important to be able to move around.

The biggest pass for a defender is a pass forward.

Obviously, in football you can study somebody, but at the same time, once you get out there, I think there's just a natural kind of feel for where you think guys might be or where they're going to go and knowing beforehand what's going to happen. It's just like chess.

Defending is definitely an art.

I've got to be smarter with the football.