Lothar Matthaus Quotes

When I was made captain, one of my things was that whatever happens in those four years, you don't want to make major changes just before a World Cup. We'd done it before, and it never worked.

When I had people scratchin' my shorts a bit, it played better. We lost a bit of that in all the personnel changes and it's an element we need to get back.

But it's been a learning experience; learning the NBA, learning the travel schedule and certain coaches, their styles, what they like to run out of timeouts, personnel, tendencies.

People talk about tactics, but when you look at it, tactics are just players. You change things so that the team can get the most out of the skills they have to offer, but you don't go any further than that.

People seem to expect when that happens, for players to be brought in that are so much better than the ones that have left. In the end they might be better but in the beginning they might be worse. Because they all have to gel and get to know each other and get to know you.

We cannot try to play in a manner that does not correspond to our players' characteristics.

You've got to be extremely careful, because you could be with a great team, and you could be the product of a great team. There are some players that stand out despite the teams that they play on, and there are some players that are good because of the team that they're with.

A winning player is nothing more than a player on a winning team. A losing player is a guy who played on a losing team that year.

You have to let the team develop. You can't say, 'Oh, I got empty seats, I'm going to change the team.' It just doesn't work that way.

I want to build a team who can play home and away the same.

It's no good if you are at a so-called best team, but you sit on a bench.

To say we have to play a certain way, or try to, every game is great in theory, but depending what players you have got you have to play to their strengths and cover up their weaknesses.

Each season and each team is different. It takes on a different personality every year.

Each team is different but you give yourself a better chance if you keep the team intact.

We have to talk about the players we have.

It's more difficult to achieve something with the national team because players from several clubs get together and less frequently.

Every matchup is very important regardless of who the bigs are, who the guards are.

What I'm trying to say is that within the styles, first, there's something clear: the style is given by the players on the roster.

Teams do not make their debut in the first XI - individuals do - but it is the team that enables the individual to get the best out of himself. Football IQ, I call it, understanding roles and the team structure.

If a team has multiple looks, it's so hard to stand in front of your team and say, 'This is the scouting report. This is what you have to prepare for.'

At a massive club like Liverpool, people will come and go. It is our job to keep the wheels moving and momentum going.

I think the NBA just, overall, when you need somebody to blame, the first person that you go to is the coach. But at the end of the day, you need the right players that match each other. Not just the best players. Chemistry helps.

You want to build your own team for the highest level, and that happens more with teams that stay together.

Whether it's the best player or the 12th man next to the Gatorade cooler, understanding the personalities on your team is key.

Obviously every team is different, and you don't want to try and be them.