The World Cup is a competition in which everything needs to work to your advantage. Players need to be fit, decisions have to go in your favour, and details such as a red card can cost a team dearly.
Every player needs to be aware of the levels of fitness needed to play international cricket.
If you are not playing a player, any player, for two, three, four games, then you don't have to give a reason for that. But if it gets to eight or nine games, then you have to explain the situation. What's going on?
The rotation system at Bayern makes it nearly impossible to play week after week, even when you're putting in some top performances.
The training at Tottenham is intense, but the structure is set out perfectly - in the gym, running, sometimes double sessions. Every player at Tottenham is in great shape.
My saddest decision in football was leaving Paul Gascoigne out of the 1998 World Cup finals. But he wasn't fit enough and once that decision is made, as a manager and a group of players, you forget about who isn't there and focus on the job.
It's up to the coach to decide who is in the best shape to play each match.
Do you think that a Franck Ribery can always expect to play? No. When he is not on form, he will not play.
To be a striker you need to be in good shape.
For every player, it is important to be fit and have a good pre-season behind him.
Nothing is more important to England's arrangements for the World Cup than the state of David Beckham's foot.
I watch a lot of football and you hardly ever see Premier League players go down with cramp. The fitness, the intensity of Premier League football is phenomenal.
If we are going to win games, we need 11 fit players. Sir Alex Ferguson does not pick half-fit players.
Messi never wants to be subbed off, but it's my task to take care of him.
The type of game I play, I'm going to pick injuries and suspensions, unfortunately.
When you make your final list for the World Cup or European Championship you don't take the 23 best players, that is for sure.
As a player, you want to play for your national team - if you're fit, you play; if you're not fit, you don't play.
When it comes down to it, it's about putting the players on the field that will be the best 11.
Welbeck will be the main man and I have no doubt he will flourish. Imagine the pace Arsenal will have when everyone is fit.
You need to have a big squad; it's important when you're in the Champions League, with the amount of games we've got.
I think the fitness of players is the key to success. I believe that there should be no place of unfit players in the team because the fit players also start becoming lazy seeing their routine. Having teamwork capabilities is also very important as there comes a lot of times where you have to think beyond your own interest to upkeep the national interest.
Whether a player rotates more or less depends on his form and his position. It's not the same for a center back as it is for a winger. Every player is different.
I had a meeting with Umar Akmal and discussed exactly where I thought he was. We are looking at the skillset that he brings to the Pakistan team. Obviously, he is a very intelligent player but he knows that he has to conform. He knows that he has got to pass the fitness standards that are required of him.
I can't keep protecting people who don't want to run about and train, who are about three stone overweight. What am I supposed to keep saying? 'Keep getting your 60, 70 grand a week but don't train'? What's the game coming to?
The most important thing is that Spain have a good team no matter who plays. It is always nice to see your name spoken but the important thing is that the national team does well. But having good players for every position is important because there are always injuries, drops of form.
