STRATEGIC SKILLS

Fail to prepare,
prepare to fail.

Roy Keane

If there’s an effective way to kill
off the threat of Maradona by
marking him, it probably involves
putting a white cross over his
heart and tethering him to a stake
in front of a firing squad. Even
then, there would be the fear
that he might suddenly drop his
shoulder and cause the riflemen
to start shooting one another.

Hugh McIlvanney

There was no point in him
coming to team talks. All I used
to say was, ‘Whenever possible,
pass the ball to George.’

Sir Matt Busby on George Best

If one day the tacticians reached
perfection, the result would
be a nil-all draw… and there’d
be no one there to see it.

Patrick Crerand

The best way to deal with Ronaldo
is to stop the ball getting to
him in the first place. If it does
get to him, we have to make
sure he has no space to turn. If
that doesn’t work, we’ll have to
tie his shoelaces together.

John Collins on Scotland’s World
Cup tie with Brazil in 1998

If all else fails, you could wait for
the first corner kick and use his
dreadlocks to tie him to the post.

Vinnie Jones on possible ways of dealing
with Dutch ace Ruud Gullit in 1988

Ally MacLeod thinks tactics
are a new kind of peppermint.

Simon Douglas

Football isn’t just about playing
well. It’s about making the
other team play not so well.

Roy Paul

 

If you played football
on a blackboard,
Don Howe would
win the World
Cup every time.

Willie Johnston

It’s easy to beat Brazil. You
just stop them getting within
twenty yards from your goal.

Bobby Charlton

Anyone who uses the word
‘quintessentially’ in a half-time
team talk is talking crap.

Mick McCarthy