Fernandinho Quotes

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

When you are a coach, you are watching how the team is positioning itself on the field - if your team is in possession of the ball, you are already anticipating what could happen if you lose the ball.

I like playing just outside of my own penalty box, the player who receives the ball and organises the game.

Playing an ultra-defensive side is very difficult.

To be useful in defence, to win back the ball, you don't always have to go sliding into the tackle. It's also about your positioning; sometimes all you have to do is take a step back.

Casemiro has to cover the gaps left by everyone. That's balance for me; to make sure the game doesn't go mad.

Tackling and playing well in space against any spread offense is very important.

You know what to expect when you play Championship sides. They're very solid defensively, they're not scared to put their foot or head in, and they defend very well.

The best place to defend is in the opposition penalty box.

It actually took me a year to learn how to play running back - to understand what they were doing defensively and then what our guys were doing every single play.

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

Anytime you're a defensive player and your eyes aren't on your key, you're going to have an issue.

I'm a coach who likes to have the ball, but what I really think is, 'How can you be in charge of the game?' I think, but maybe I am the only one, that the defensive process can take care of the game. Why is that? Because teams wait to defend. If you create something where you go to defend, to steal the ball where you want, it's different.

You will not create a lot of chances in every game, but if you stop the opponent getting chances, you will win more.

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.

Any good defensive team has a strong anchor, because he cleans up mistakes.

I always try to go in there and stick to my base, which is the defensive end, and then just let the offense come to me.

That's how you get better on defense; not just 'oh, man, my guy beat me,' but you have to think about, 'okay, my man beat me, so I either have to pick up the next man, or I'm going to give somebody a foul.

At Tottenham, we are just bombing on as wing-backs, but sometimes on the international stage, where there is so much quality, you need to be more careful about the distance between yourself and the right-sided centre-half.

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.

If a team concedes a goal, then the first question is always of the goalkeeper.

Dominating the midfield is the most important thing in modern football. To succeed, you have to be good at everything.

I personally like the way John Stones plays because I think he's a great defender.

I know if I'm playing centre-back, there are certain places where you don't give your full-back the ball - because I've been the full-back!

It is an important part of the role of a centre-back to focus on building up the game and initiating moves.