---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's two sides to the game, and you…"
description: "\"There's two sides to the game, and you have to do the ugly side as well. If you're getting beat, and you're conceding the goals that we're getting beat..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/lee-cattermole-27138_defending_there-s-two-sides-to-the-game-and-you-ha_2409178.jpg"
---

#  There's two sides to the game, and you have to do the ugly…

![“There's two sides to the game, and you have to do the ugly side as well. If you're getting beat, and you're conceding the goals that we're getting beaten by, then it's because you're not defending and shutting people down well enough.” quote by Lee Cattermole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/lee-cattermole-27138_defending_there-s-two-sides-to-the-game-and-you-ha_2409178.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/lee-cattermole-27138_defending_there-s-two-sides-to-the-game-and-you-ha_2409178.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/lee-cattermole-27138_defending_there-s-two-sides-to-the-game-and-you-ha_2409178.jpg)

> “There's two sides to the game, and you have to do the ugly side as well. If you're getting beat, and you're conceding the goals that we're getting beaten by, then it's because you're not defending and shutting people down well enough.”

[Lee Cattermole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-cattermole/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Success requires confronting unpleasant tasks and strong defense; neglect leads to defeat.

**In simple terms:** Face the ugly side to win.

Key Takeaway

Address weaknesses head‑on.

Themes

competition defense resilience

Mood

determined serious

Type

motivational practical

When to use this quote

- sports coaching
- team management
- personal development

Key Concepts

strategic thinking psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- What "ugly" tasks are you avoiding?
- How can you improve your defensive strategies?

A Different Perspective

Focusing only on offense can ignore systemic issues.

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[Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Two sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-sides/)

## Related quotes

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> [What interests Chiellini and I is not conceding goals. We're able to create chances and it makes us happy when we take them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-bonucci/what-interests-chiellini-and-i-is-not-conceding-goals-we-re-able-to/)

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> [Sometimes you can't help conceding as a keeper, but that's the whole reason you are there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-pickford/sometimes-you-can-t-help-conceding-as-a-keeper-but-that-s-the-whole/)

[Jordan Pickford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-pickford/)

> [“It wasn’t just a kiss.  It was power. Control. Acknowledgement of his demand. Conceding to his game.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-wasn-t-just-a-kiss-it-was-power-control-acknowledgement-of-his/)

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> [The scientists throw up their hands conceding progress will resolve it all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bad-religion/the-scientists-throw-up-their-hands-conceding-progress-will-resolve/)

[Bad Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bad-religion/)

> [Are you conceding?' he says, his mouth falling open with mock surprise. 'Seems like that serum did you some good after all...' I shove…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/are-you-conceding-he-says-his-mouth-falling-open-with-mock-surprise/)

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> [Giving up is conceding that things will never get better, and that is just not true. Ups and downs are a constant in life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-mullins/giving-up-is-conceding-that-things-will-never-get-better-and-that-is/)

[Aimee Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-mullins/)

> [Conceding just before half-time never helps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jones/conceding-just-before-half-time-never-helps/)

[Phil Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jones/)

> [Every kid thinks about scoring rather than not conceding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gianluigi-buffon/every-kid-thinks-about-scoring-rather-than-not-conceding/)

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> [“Resorting to lying or cheating in any competition amounts to conceding defeat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hammond/resorting-to-lying-or-cheating-in-any-competition-amounts-to/)

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> [It's always more difficult when you have to run after conceding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquinhos/it-s-always-more-difficult-when-you-have-to-run-after-conceding/)

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[Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/)

> [Drumming's pretty physical. We sit at the back of the stage getting beat up like a workhorse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee/drumming-s-pretty-physical-we-sit-at-the-back-of-the-stage-getting/)

[Tommy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee/)

## More by Lee Cattermole

> [I've always enjoyed playing there. As you drive into Newcastle you see the stadium and you get a buzz. It's a good feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-cattermole/i-ve-always-enjoyed-playing-there-as-you-drive-into-newcastle-you-see/)

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> [Every footballer enjoys having the ball at their feet. There are times in training you find yourself without the ball. I enjoy that side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-cattermole/every-footballer-enjoys-having-the-ball-at-their-feet-there-are-times/)

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> [The main reason I went on Twitter was to look at golfers like Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy and see what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-cattermole/the-main-reason-i-went-on-twitter-was-to-look-at-golfers-like-lee/)

[Lee Cattermole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-cattermole/)

> [I'll always hold Middlesbrough close to my heart. I'll always remember my time there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-cattermole/i-ll-always-hold-middlesbrough-close-to-my-heart-i-ll-always-remember/)

[Lee Cattermole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-cattermole/)

> [That is what I love about golf, you can go play somewhere where all the greats have played.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-cattermole/that-is-what-i-love-about-golf-you-can-go-play-somewhere-where-all/)

[Lee Cattermole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-cattermole/)

> [I always give my all and I don't like losing. In fact, I hate losing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-cattermole/i-always-give-my-all-and-i-don-t-like-losing-in-fact-i-hate-losing/)

[Lee Cattermole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-cattermole/)

> [Sometimes you forget that you are people's hero as well. People do look up to you and I'd forgotten that because, to me, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-cattermole/sometimes-you-forget-that-you-are-people-s-hero-as-well-people-do/)

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> [There was a rule for the under-13s at Middlesbrough that you were never allowed to swear. If you did, the manager had to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-cattermole/there-was-a-rule-for-the-under-13s-at-middlesbrough-that-you-were/)

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> [When I was a kid at Middlesbrough, we had the best captain ever in Gareth Southgate who was absolutely brilliant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-cattermole/when-i-was-a-kid-at-middlesbrough-we-had-the-best-captain-ever-in/)

[Lee Cattermole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-cattermole/)

> [Playing in front of 40,000-plus crowds will be brilliant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-cattermole/playing-in-front-of-40-000-plus-crowds-will-be-brilliant/)

[Lee Cattermole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-cattermole/)

[Explore all 21 Lee Cattermole quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-cattermole/)

## More Defending quotes

> [“Assault!" he croaked. "The battery might yet follow." The warning- entirely unnecessary from Patience's perspective- came from Vane. One look at his face, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-laurens/assault-he-croaked-the-battery-might-yet-follow-the-warning-entirely/)

[Stephanie Laurens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-laurens/)

> [We believe in defending everyone's lives. We believe in defending everyone's property.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-milei/we-believe-in-defending-everyone-s-lives-we-believe-in-defending/)

[Javier Milei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-milei/)

> [“Skeptics are always marked by their total lack of skepticism towards whatever position they are defending.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-madison/skeptics-are-always-marked-by-their-total-lack-of-skepticism-towards/)

Steve Madison

> [My uncle, my dad always made sure I had guard skills. But as far as defending everybody, that wasn't really my mindset until my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/draymond-green/my-uncle-my-dad-always-made-sure-i-had-guard-skills-but-as-far-as/)

[Draymond Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/draymond-green/)

> [“Defending unpopular positions is what lawyers do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-clement/defending-unpopular-positions-is-what-lawyers-do/)

Paul Clement

> [Sometimes I think they should set up an asylum for people like that... a whole slew of paparazzi defending their positions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-i-think-they-should-set-up-an-asylum-for-people-like-that-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Some people say there is a beauty about defending. Beauty is nice, but the most important thing is success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marouane-fellaini/some-people-say-there-is-a-beauty-about-defending-beauty-is-nice-but/)

[Marouane Fellaini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marouane-fellaini/)

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[George T. Conway III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-t-conway-iii/)

> [“No system was worth defending if it didn’t bend for its people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/no-system-was-worth-defending-if-it-didn-t-bend-for-its-people/)

[Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/)

> [Passionately defending one's principles is crucial. Representing your district is fundamental. But refusing to entertain the common ground - with no other cost but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-quigley/passionately-defending-one-s-principles-is-crucial-representing-your/)

[Mike Quigley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-quigley/)

> [“Defending your point of view while knowing that you are wrong is just like a person whose wisdom is being obstructed by his arrogance”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waqas-haider/defending-your-point-of-view-while-knowing-that-you-are-wrong-is-just/)

Waqas Haider

> [I don't think San Francisco needs defending. I never meet anyone who doesn't love the place, Americans or others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/i-don-t-think-san-francisco-needs-defending-i-never-meet-anyone-who/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [My second year in Rome was very good. Back then, a striker was a striker. Strikers scored goals; they didn't defend. Today this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sven-goran-eriksson/my-second-year-in-rome-was-very-good-back-then-a-striker-was-a/)

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> [I went from beating John Cena in my first match to winning the Intercontinental title to defending it at WrestleMania.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-owens/i-went-from-beating-john-cena-in-my-first-match-to-winning-the/)

[Kevin Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-owens/)

> [The truth is far from you, so you know you got to lie. Then you're all the time defending what you can never justify.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/the-truth-is-far-from-you-so-you-know-you-got-to-lie-then-you-re-all/)

[Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/)

Browse all 213 Defending quotes

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