--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not an easy challenge picking up…" description: "\"It's not an easy challenge picking up players in January, I've always found it tough. Clubs don't want to release their better players.\" — Neil Warnock" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9f/neil-warnock-4977_always_it-s-not-an-easy-challenge-picking-up-pl_1454147.png" --- # It's not an easy challenge picking up players in January… ![“It's not an easy challenge picking up players in January, I've always found it tough. Clubs don't want to release their better players.” quote by Neil Warnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9f/neil-warnock-4977_always_it-s-not-an-easy-challenge-picking-up-pl_1454147.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9f/neil-warnock-4977_always_it-s-not-an-easy-challenge-picking-up-pl_1454147.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9f/neil-warnock-4977_always_it-s-not-an-easy-challenge-picking-up-pl_1454147.png) > “It's not an easy challenge picking up players in January, I've always found it tough. Clubs don't want to release their better players.” [Neil Warnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-warnock/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Teams struggle to acquire top talent in January because clubs protect their best players, making transfers difficult. **In simple terms:** January transfers are hard because clubs keep their best players. Key Takeaway Plan early and negotiate creatively. Themes sports management negotiation timing Mood frustrated determined Type advice realistic When to use this quote - football club management - mid‑season squad building - player scouting Key Concepts transfer market player valuation contract law Questions to Reflect On - How can clubs incentivize player releases? - What alternative strategies exist when transfers stall? A Different Perspective Clubs may refuse releases despite offers, limiting options. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Players](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/players/) ## Related quotes > [I played a lot of tough clubs in my time. 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That's what I'm working for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-peppers/hopefully-i-can-be-one-of-the-better-players-to-play-in-this-league/) [Julius Peppers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-peppers/) > [There were bigger and better players before me and there will be bigger and better after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-deeney/there-were-bigger-and-better-players-before-me-and-there-will-be/) [Troy Deeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-deeney/) > [There's no need to overwhelm yourself with thoughts, because you know that you're just as good or better than some of the players you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cobi-jones/there-s-no-need-to-overwhelm-yourself-with-thoughts-because-you-know/) [Cobi Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cobi-jones/) > [We want to be better players than we do a pest, but you have to find something to do coming into the League.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-marchand/we-want-to-be-better-players-than-we-do-a-pest-but-you-have-to-find/) [Brad Marchand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-marchand/) > [I was able to do great things, but in no way am I better than any of the other players that played at UNLV…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-cunningham/i-was-able-to-do-great-things-but-in-no-way-am-i-better-than-any-of/) [Randall Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-cunningham/) > [You get better by studying and playing with better players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michail-antonio/you-get-better-by-studying-and-playing-with-better-players/) [Michail Antonio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michail-antonio/) > [It's going to be a challenge every game and they are only going to get harder with the better players you come up against.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-wan-bissaka/it-s-going-to-be-a-challenge-every-game-and-they-are-only-going-to/) [Aaron Wan-Bissaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-wan-bissaka/) > [It's always better for the players being injured to come back to a winning team; it takes pressure off their shoulders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-lloris/it-s-always-better-for-the-players-being-injured-to-come-back-to-a/) [Hugo Lloris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-lloris/) > [I think it's important for the game to evolve and put players safety at the forefront of the rule changes and play calling. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-bettis/i-think-it-s-important-for-the-game-to-evolve-and-put-players-safety/) [Jerome Bettis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-bettis/) > [The most important thing is that you hire people who complement you and are better than you in specific areas. Good people hire people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/the-most-important-thing-is-that-you-hire-people-who-complement-you/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [All you have to do is play better than the other guy and things go well. If you don't play better than the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-parcells/all-you-have-to-do-is-play-better-than-the-other-guy-and-things-go/) [Bill Parcells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-parcells/) > [We play sometimes against teams with more individual quality than us, better players, bigger budgets, whatever, but we try to play our football. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-silva/we-play-sometimes-against-teams-with-more-individual-quality-than-us/) [Marco Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-silva/) ## More by Neil Warnock > [On the plus side, leaving Leeds meant I have been able to spend a lot of time with the family, enjoying a very rare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-warnock/on-the-plus-side-leaving-leeds-meant-i-have-been-able-to-spend-a-lot/) [Neil Warnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-warnock/) > [Oh, I love Cornwall, it's so special. We bought the house when I was with Plymouth Argyle and we've just kept that on and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-warnock/oh-i-love-cornwall-it-s-so-special-we-bought-the-house-when-i-was/) [Neil Warnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-warnock/) > [It is a fine line between communicating and being too chummy. My players, when I've been promoted, have been upset by top-flight refs being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-warnock/it-is-a-fine-line-between-communicating-and-being-too-chummy-my/) [Neil Warnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-warnock/) > [I've played for managers who said one thing and did another and players find you out like that. 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Kevin Blackwell. I signed him as a goalkeeper at Scarborough in '86 and he's basically been with me my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-warnock/who-s-been-with-me-longest-kevin-blackwell-i-signed-him-as-a/) [Neil Warnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-warnock/) > [In the intervening 48 Christmases I have always either been a player, having to watch what I eat and drink, or a manager, worrying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-warnock/in-the-intervening-48-christmases-i-have-always-either-been-a-player/) [Neil Warnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-warnock/) > [No disrespect to Cardiff but they probably needed me more than I needed them, when I was appointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-warnock/no-disrespect-to-cardiff-but-they-probably-needed-me-more-than-i/) [Neil Warnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-warnock/) > [It doesn't bother me what division I am managing in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-warnock/it-doesn-t-bother-me-what-division-i-am-managing-in/) [Neil Warnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-warnock/) > [It's suggested I am big pals with Willie McKay. Am I? I don't think I am. He is an agent. You need these agents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-warnock/it-s-suggested-i-am-big-pals-with-willie-mckay-am-i-i-don-t-think-i/) [Neil Warnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-warnock/) [Explore all 104 Neil Warnock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-warnock/) ## 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 ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's not an easy challenge picking up players in January, I've always found it tough. 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