Tactical Flexibility Quotes

I state my general idea of this war to be that we have the greater numbers, and the enemy has the greater facility of concentrating forces upon points of collision; that we must fail, unless we can find some way of making our advantage an over-match for his; and that this can only be done by menacing him with superior forces at different points, at the same time; so that we can safely attack, one, or both, if he makes no change; and if he weakens one to strengthen the other, forbear to attack the strengthened one, but seize, and hold the weakened one, gaining so much.

The conventional army loses if it does not win. The guerilla wins if he does not lose.

I know that I can play in the middle, on the right, or up front.

When you are Commander in Chief, you should keep all your options on the table.

There are a lot of teams that don't want to play, that only want to defend against Barcelona, and that makes it difficult. We're always looking for the open space. A lot of times we'll face six defenders and four midfielders.

How does it make sense to remove an option, to tell your enemy before you go into a conflict, that you will not exercise whatever options are necessary in order to achieve victory?

Pep is not the best coach in the world. I prefer Mourinho. He is the No.1, because Mourinho is more transparent and more direct than Guardiola.

I've played as a striker all my life. To play on the right or the left is always difficult.

The military has no constant form, just as water has no constant shape - adapt as you face the enemy, without letting them know beforehand what you are going to do.

Manchester United are always a team that try to play football, try to play football from the back.

Military tactics are like unto water; for water in its natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards... Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.

Klopp is a great tactician and a great coach.

I never really have a game plan other than to finish my opponent as quickly as possible.

An army must have but one line of operations. This must be maintained with care and abandoned only for major reasons.

Keep everybody guessing as to what your next trick is going to be. Don't become too predictable.

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

The skillful tactician may be likened to the shuai-jan. Now the shuai-jan is a snake that is found in the Ch'ang mountains. Strike at its head, and you will be attacked by its tail; strike at its tail, and you will be attacked by its head; strike at its middle, and you will be attacked by head and tail both.

You can't play man to man against Liverpool and out-pass them. You have to keep your shape and stop them.

In my time at Milan, the club played with a 4-3-1-2 formation, and I was the player behind the two strikers. At Real, I play behind three. There is a greater defensive obligation, but I try to work around the area.

Scottish football doesn't suit me perfectly, how I want to play football.

I've been playing football for a while, but Guardiola really made me a better player. I was 29 when I started working with him, so I wasn't very young, but if you see the steps I made thanks to him, it shows you what he is capable of doing. Guardiola didn't just put me on the flanks but in other positions as well.

I'm a damned sight smarter than Grant; I know more about organization, supply and administration and about everything else than he does; but I'll tell you where he beats me and where he beats the world. He don't care a damn for what the enemy does out of his sight but it scares me like hell.

I like the idea of playing with a bit more tactical freedom, either in a deeper role or supporting the strikers more often.

In the Champions League, you can focus on a single game and play in exactly the style you need.

I train with joy and fun, because if I'm not persuaded by the squad at my disposal, I try changing things around, moving players into new positions, and trying something different; otherwise, I get bored.