Frank Rijkaard Quotes

You don't have to commit a lot of fouls, especially if you are 1-0 down. If you are 1-0 down, then don't commit 10 fouls in the next ten minutes.

Real Madrid, they are the best counter-attacking team in the world.

In '82 Brazil showed that you can't win the World Cup without a solid defense.

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.

Defending isn't just about tackling and heading, it's also about getting the ball down and playing - starting the attack from the back.

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

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.

In Rome, I was already trying to help in shaping the game, but the style was a little bit different to what we do at Liverpool.

Not many know this, but in training sessions, I like to play in the center-back position sometimes. I think I'm good at that position, and my father used to be a central defender. Some people don't realize that if you play in that position, you can better understand how the defender thinks.

I played as a 10 and, in Sweden, they let me take as many touches as I could. All of a sudden, I come to Arsenal and I have to play one and two touches - it was a little bit alien to me.

We have four parts of our game: working against the ball; in possession; losing the ball; winning the ball. If you are good in all four parts, you have a good chance of winning.

With a line of six in the defence and then three in front of that, it's not always easy to find the spaces to score the goals.

Playing an ultra-defensive side is very difficult.

Scoring goals looks nicer and much more attractive than a last-ditch tackle for younger people.

United's history was built on attacking football, which does not always mean that the team kept clean sheets or did not concede chances.

Considering Messi's quality and everything he represents, I don't think I've seen him playing with a guy following him around the pitch the entire time with the sole purpose of not letting him play.

Most of the time, you're just trying to be the point guard out there based on the play call and the defense that you're getting; that really dictates where the football goes.

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.

They (Leeds United) used to be a bit like Arsenal, winning by one goal to nil or even less.

If you have the ball, you must make the field as big as possible, and if you don't have the ball, you must make it as small as possible.

Football is a simple game. It's just very hard to play it simple.

Good players win you games, good formations stop you losing them.

One of biggest rules in football is you have to avoid crosses.