Mike McCarthy Quotes

I think that to stop an offense, you must go to the heart of that offense. If it is a particular move, a screen, the break, an outstanding scorer, whatever it is that they like to do and rely on, you have to work in your plans on taking that completely or as much as possible away from them.

The old adage that you shouldn't change a winning team doesn't apply in modern international football because managers have to study the opposition and pick players who exploit their weaknesses.

I think you try to improve every season and every game and be prepared about certain defensemen you're playing against, certain ways to find open ice.

It's college basketball and there's a certain amount of uncertainty. As an assistant coach, you do the best job you can to win.

I consider that part of my job as a pro: to know who you're up against and how the attacking players play, what kind of characteristics they have, their qualities, how they move, their preferred foot.

I experienced how Pep Guardiola worked every day. He had football on his mind round the clock: 'What system does the opponent like to play? How do I want to set up my team, who do I want in which position?'

That's one thing that you see across the league with backups. You're only one play away from getting in there, so you'd better know what you're doing.

Well Xabi is entitled to his opinion our team would never criticise another but we will look to exploit his lack of pace!

The more you know about your opponents, the more you learn how to beat them. Where the holes open to run through, blocking schemes, even down to player tendencies and what hand they like to carry the ball with.

Your mind is just constantly moving, thinking of different scenarios, not only on your team but their team too, trying to figure out things they are doing.

In Italy, the coaches are very attentive to the details. They really study things, and that is a big difference here. They look at your movement, your positioning. They study you and work out how to stop you.

We work on our set pieces for every opponent. It's a moment of the game that requires a lot of hard work, defensive and offensively. We try to invest our time in set pieces.

I've always believed if a young guy has a chance to play, why would you explain where his weakness is? The only reason would be to help the other team, or to help a gambler.

I think, generally speaking as a player, when I hear the word 'scout,' it's usually, 'The Seattle Storm are playing the L.A. Sparks tomorrow; the assistant coaches are scouting the L.A. Sparks.' And then they come to us and give a scouting report on the players and the team.

As a basketball player, you want to play. There's only so much stuff I can go over doing one-on-one drills in practice and watching the team and watching film.

We're always trying to evolve and find more efficient ways, more fluent ways to evaluate our players, evaluate our opponent and evaluate our prospects.

When I watch a match, I always try to understand what the batsman is trying to do so that I know what I should do to get him out.

I think what we've tried to preach to our players is we're going to let the best players play.

I feel like I need to find ways to disrupt the other team and apply that pressure they might not be used to. I think being able to set that tone is something I'm priding myself on.

My coaches do all the breakdowns of my opponents, and I leave that up to them.

It's important to know as much as I can about the players.

I thoroughly enjoy this profession and everything that goes into it - from improving your own guys and also the game-planning and studying the opponents. I enjoy that, I really do.

As a player, I had no idea whatsoever about getting a team ready for a game, what it entails.

Anytime you get to play a team twice, you have a feel for what they do and how they play.

What I liked of Mourinho is his work ethic and the way he organizes his team against the opponent. He knows the strength and weakness of the opponent, and he will give the details for what he wants. And for me, that was impressive.