Marouane Fellaini Quotes

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

I don't want just pure roll out of the back four. I want productive mixed play... how many ways can you affect a game?

In my country, they used to call players who play in my position a defensive midfielder, but it is not defensive.

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

In the defensive midfield position, the player needs to give balance to the team and try to control the game. That's exactly what I try to do.

Luis Enrique has a clear idea, and the team has understood it perfectly. He asks us to press high up the pitch, to counter quickly when the opposition attacks and try to maximise the space between the lines with the speed we have.

It is vital to maintain possession and to win it back as soon as possible, because if we win it high up, then the opposition has to run 70 metres.

I can be the only defensive midfielder and try and break up play. Or I can play a little more forward.

In football, you don't hold on to the ball just to hold on to the ball. When you have it you need to be dangerous, create opportunities and score goals. And when you don't, you make sure the opposition doesn't.

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.

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

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

At Tottenham, I'm asked to take a lot of risks to keep maximum possession of the ball and build from the back.

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.

Sometimes you can get sloppy and control the ball right at your feet, and that gives the defenders a chance.

Maybe modern tactics mean that making the switch from defence to midfield is easier. Many years ago, full backs were more limited - you were just supposed to defend, and it didn't matter if you could get forward too.

If you look at Barcelona and the way they press high, or Bayern Munich, the way they press high... that's what makes them the best teams, because when they lose the ball, in the first three seconds, that's when they get the ball back, really, really high.

Teams that just play on one side of the floor are going to struggle against defenses that load up on that side.

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

Maybe other managers would see their team score one goal and then prefer to go back and counter-attack, then try to score the second goal. A lot of those managers are the best managers at the moment, but for me, it's very important to continue the way I play.

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.

Now and again, you may be picking a pass or two in behind, making something happen, but when we're attacking - especially at Liverpool - I'm focusing on protection, being disciplined, being careful, worrying about counter-attacks, things like that.

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

With Bayern, we want a lot of ball possession and to control the play, so I operate sometimes like the 11th outfield player. Thus I am included a lot into the build-up play and have a lot of touches of the ball.

Having a lot of attacking players on the field and a good balance at the back is the foundation of victory.