Jose Mourinho Quotes

If you play on possession, you don't have to defend, because there's only one ball

The only thing I would like is to have more control of the game in terms of possession.

When I see a game on the television, and you see afterwards 'possession percentage 60-40,' that doesn't say anything for me because it could be that one team is playing the ball between the back four 120 times.

Statistically, the chance of creating a goal is higher within 10 seconds of winning the ball.

The important thing for me is we want to keep the ball, we want to have the ball because we are Arsenal football club.

When you've got the ball 65-70% of the time, it's a football death for the other team...It's death by football.

If you run the ball, you control the clock. If you control the clock, you usually control the game.

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.

I like to be in contact with the ball, have possession, to play.

Statistics can be so misleading. It is funny, though, how often at the moment you see one team had 60 per cent of the ball but still lost.

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

I experienced that the ball is the most important thing. When you have the ball, the other team really can't do anything.

I think time of possession is overrated, unless you are scoring.

If I don't get the service or if I don't the ball in the box, where I want it, I start drifting into midfield. I go and look for the ball. I try to be important for the team in other areas.

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.

When I don't have control of the ball, what do I do? I press to get it back. It's a way of defending.

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.

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

All coaches say, 'We want to control the game. We want the ball. Blah, blah, blah, blah,' but it's impossible to have the ball all the time.

I like to control the ball and analyse the game.

Losing the ball is not going to help your team, so I am trying to change that.

Iceland won't change. No matter who they play, they're 4-4-2.

If you have a good midfield, you have a good team.

In Spain, you get seven clear chances a game to receive the ball and shoot. In Italy, you get very few clear balls, and you have to fight everyone to score; that makes you improve and develop.