--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As England manager I always felt we…" description: "\"As England manager I always felt we needed an extra man in midfield to retain the ball, but that was more as an attacking ploy to help create opportuni..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/glenn-hoddle-12747_always_as-england-manager-i-always-felt-we-need_1192403.jpg" --- # As England manager I always felt we needed an extra man in… ![“As England manager I always felt we needed an extra man in midfield to retain the ball, but that was more as an attacking ploy to help create opportunities. It came from my experience playing international football in a 4-4-2 and spending half my time chasing the ball.” quote by Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/glenn-hoddle-12747_always_as-england-manager-i-always-felt-we-need_1192403.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/glenn-hoddle-12747_always_as-england-manager-i-always-felt-we-need_1192403.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/glenn-hoddle-12747_always_as-england-manager-i-always-felt-we-need_1192403.jpg) > “As England manager I always felt we needed an extra man in midfield to retain the ball, but that was more as an attacking ploy to help create opportunities. It came from my experience playing international football in a 4-4-2 and spending half my time chasing the ball.” [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He believed adding a midfielder could keep possession and also serve as an attacking option, based on his own experience in a 4‑4‑2 system. **In simple terms:** Extra midfielder helps control ball and create chances. Key Takeaway Use a versatile midfielder for balance. Themes football tactics midfield control attacking strategy Mood analytical strategic Type tactical coaching When to use this quote - Coaching decisions - team selection - training drills Key Concepts Positional play ball retention tactical flexibility Questions to Reflect On - How does adding a midfielder affect defensive shape? - When is an extra man more offensive than defensive? A Different Perspective May reduce defensive solidity if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Attacking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attacking/) [Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ball/) [Ball Attacking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ball-attacking-721604/) [Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/came/) [Chasing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chasing/) [Chasing Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chasing-ball-947329/) [Create](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create/) [England](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/england/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Extra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extra/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) [International](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/international/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Man Midfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-midfield-3455929/) [Manager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manager/) [Midfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/midfield/) [Midfield Retain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/midfield-retain-3543735/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [My time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-time/) [Needed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needed/) [Opportunities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunities/) [Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing/) [Retain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retain/) [Spending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spending/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [If you are playing on the left of a four-man midfield, there are a lot more defensive duties to do, so you can't find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-welbeck/if-you-are-playing-on-the-left-of-a-four-man-midfield-there-are-a-lot/) [Danny Welbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-welbeck/) > [For United, I'm more likely to be left wing of a four-man midfield with only two centre-mids, so it's a bit more difficult for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-welbeck/for-united-i-m-more-likely-to-be-left-wing-of-a-four-man-midfield/) [Danny Welbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-welbeck/) > [What makes this game so delightful is that when both teams get the ball they are attacking their opponents goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-hill/what-makes-this-game-so-delightful-is-that-when-both-teams-get-the/) [Jimmy Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hill/) > [You start chasing a ball and your brain immediately commands your body to 'Run forward, bend, scoop up the ball, peg it to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dimaggio/you-start-chasing-a-ball-and-your-brain-immediately-commands-your/) [Joe DiMaggio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dimaggio/) > [“Twenty-two guys chasing a ball and a whole crowd screaming their heads off. It was an absurd ritual,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-smith/twenty-two-guys-chasing-a-ball-and-a-whole-crowd-screaming-their/) [Derek Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-smith/) > [“A bunch of silly men chasing a ball" my mother says "give each one his own ball if they're so desperate to have one”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-gorokhova/a-bunch-of-silly-men-chasing-a-ball-my-mother-says-give-each-one-his/) [Elena Gorokhova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-gorokhova/) > [I will retire when I will am tired of running around chasing a ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-vieri/i-will-retire-when-i-will-am-tired-of-running-around-chasing-a-ball/) [Christian Vieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-vieri/) > [I just love the game so much and I want to be involved all over the place - I want to be everywhere. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-almiron/i-just-love-the-game-so-much-and-i-want-to-be-involved-all-over-the/) [Miguel Almiron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-almiron/) > [I often felt as a player in a 4-4-2, you end up being outnumbered in midfield and chasing the ball, so as a manager…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/i-often-felt-as-a-player-in-a-4-4-2-you-end-up-being-outnumbered-in/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [Use your CRM to retain customers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gitomer/use-your-crm-to-retain-customers/) [Jeffrey Gitomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gitomer/) > [When you're an expert in a subject, you can retain new factoids on your favorite topic easily. This only works for the subjects you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-thompson/when-you-re-an-expert-in-a-subject-you-can-retain-new-factoids-on/) [Clive Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-thompson/) > [My brain power depends on my retained mastery of analyzing in detail what's happening in my world and in my mind and body. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-merzenich/my-brain-power-depends-on-my-retained-mastery-of-analyzing-in-detail/) [Michael Merzenich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-merzenich/) > [Actors look at life in a different way. When I meet people, I know that one day I may portray that person or someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mekhi-phifer/actors-look-at-life-in-a-different-way-when-i-meet-people-i-know-that/) [Mekhi Phifer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mekhi-phifer/) > [“For their never-ending endeavours to obtain or retain wealth, countries desperately need companies, because they—unlike most human beings—have the means of production, and human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/for-their-never-ending-endeavours-to-obtain-or-retain-wealth/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [The actions of the University in my case make it abundantly clear that the Administration's rhetoric about Harvard's desire to attract and retain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-geller/the-actions-of-the-university-in-my-case-make-it-abundantly-clear/) [Margaret Geller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-geller/) ## More by Glenn Hoddle > [There was nothing wrong with the performance, apart from throwing away the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/there-was-nothing-wrong-with-the-performance-apart-from-throwing-away/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [I run an academy in Spain for young footballers who are released by their clubs and who, in my opinion, deserve a second chance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/i-run-an-academy-in-spain-for-young-footballers-who-are-released-by/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [You have to look at things that happened in your life and ask why. It comes around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/you-have-to-look-at-things-that-happened-in-your-life-and-ask-why-it/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [I started the 1998 World Cup with Teddy Sheringham up front but always planned for Michael Owen to face Colombia in our final group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/i-started-the-1998-world-cup-with-teddy-sheringham-up-front-but/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [75% of what happens to Paul Gascoigne in his life is fiction..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/75-of-what-happens-to-paul-gascoigne-in-his-life-is-fiction/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [International football is one clog further up the football ladder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/international-football-is-one-clog-further-up-the-football-ladder/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [He was a player that hasn't had to use his legs even when he was nineteen years of age because his first two yards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/he-was-a-player-that-hasn-t-had-to-use-his-legs-even-when-he-was/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [I have been here before as a spirit - this is just my physical body, it is just an overcoat. And at death, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/i-have-been-here-before-as-a-spirit-this-is-just-my-physical-body-it/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [Nobody criticised me when we qualified for the World Cup when I decided that the best shape for us going forward was three men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/nobody-criticised-me-when-we-qualified-for-the-world-cup-when-i/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [Paul Scholes was the jewel in the crown, the first name on the teamsheet and unquestionably one of the finest England players of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/paul-scholes-was-the-jewel-in-the-crown-the-first-name-on-the/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [Chelsea are playing with much more refreshing ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/chelsea-are-playing-with-much-more-refreshing-ness/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [No manager in the world gets good results all the time and you know there's people always ready to have a snipe. In fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/no-manager-in-the-world-gets-good-results-all-the-time-and-you-know/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [Your chest is different to your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/your-chest-is-different-to-your-head/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [If people feel 4-4-2 is the way forward in international football, they'll have to wait until I'm out of a job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/if-people-feel-4-4-2-is-the-way-forward-in-international-football/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [When a player gets to 30, so does his body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/when-a-player-gets-to-30-so-does-his-body/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) [Explore all 53 Glenn Hoddle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) [Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As England manager I always felt we needed an extra man in midfield to retain the ball, but that was more as an attacking ploy to help create opportunities. 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