“The opportunity here was too good to turn down. Not the fact that it was MLS. More the people. I was going to go where the good people were. The opportunity to come and implement my vision and my philosophy. I liked the youthful energy of the team when they’re at their best.
“Everyone talks, it’s much more principals than formation (these days). I don’t agree. I think it’s both. Say we play 4-3-3 and we have clear principals, perfect. Then the next week we play 3-5-2, it’s different for the players. I will be clear on our framework, positional play, and that will change as we move up the pitch.”
“I’m none of them. I’m my own person. I’ve had a vision of how the game should be played. I’ve refined that, gained experience, worked with incredible people.
“I’m staunch in my view of the game. That comes from inside of me. I can’t take that from (them).
“Development is at the center of everything I believe in with my background. I’ve got an affinity to young players. I tend to drop the word ‘youth’ from it. It’s just development. I expect to develop Rob Holding and take his game to another level.”