| Soccer matches are all about scoring goals and being | | | | himself in a big way. A key factor in his success in |
| winners. As a result, soccer can hold up a mirror to | | | | England is his self-belief and a rich Russian backer |
| life since many humans also want to achieve goals | | | | who allows him to buy the best players in Europe. |
| and to be winners in the game of life. There is much | | | | You can safely bet money that Chelsea will win |
| to be learned about life in general from soccer | | | | almost all their matches. |
| players, managers and commentators. | | | | The odds are not great but you could put £100 |
| When you listen to commentators on soccer | | | | on Chelsea to win and make an easy £26 from |
| matches, the key words they use again and again | | | | your bet. Of course, this does not always work out. |
| when teams are winning are words about character | | | | No team is perfect! |
| and attitude like belief, excitement, confidence, effort | | | | Mourinho is passionate about soccer but retains his |
| and so on. Soccer skills and strategies are important | | | | sense of perspective and humour. Recently he was |
| but mean little without the right attitude. | | | | asked in London if he was concerned about losing |
| Team managers urge their players to show focus, | | | | the championship to his main rivals, Manchester |
| determination and maximum effort. They tell them | | | | United. His reply was typical of him: |
| they should expect to win and not to show too | | | | "No, I'm more concerned about bird 'flu." The |
| much respect for their opponents no matter how | | | | assembled press started laughing. |
| famous they are. | | | | "Seriously; it's that swan in Scotland that concerns |
| I love listening to the comments of the great soccer | | | | me. It's not that far from here!" (The swan was the |
| managers. They have all been to hell and back. They | | | | first creature with bird 'flu in the UK in 2006) |
| are praised and popular when their teams win. They | | | | Over the last few weeks, his team, Chelsea, have |
| are criticised and even sacked when their teams fail | | | | been criticised for having players sent off for |
| to win. They know the heights of elation and the | | | | breaking the rules. When Jose was asked about his |
| depths of despair. They have to find ways to deal | | | | success away from home against West Brom, he |
| with both and to keep motivating their teams to win. | | | | commented ironically: |
| Gordon Strachan took over as manager of Celtic, | | | | "Maybe we won because we played with ten men. |
| one of the top two clubs in Scotland, in 2005. It was | | | | That is our best tactic at the moment." |
| not long before he experienced "the worst night of | | | | However, he realises that the main reason Chelsea |
| my life" | | | | win so often is as follows:"We have top players and, |
| Bratislava beat Celtic 5-0 in the Champions league, | | | | sorry if I'm arrogant, we have a top manager." |
| the top European competition. His watch stopped | | | | Public confidence is so rare in the UK that it is often |
| after the match and he still wears it to remind himself | | | | mistaken for arrogance. |
| that it was the worst night of his life. Celtic, the pride | | | | Jose does not believe in having favourites; he |
| of Scotland, had been humiliated by a less famous | | | | believes in the power of the team rather than the |
| team. | | | | individual: |
| Other failures seemed small to him by comparison. | | | | "I don't want special relations with one of them (his |
| We can all learn to deal with difficult situations by | | | | players). I hate to speak about individuals. Players |
| reminding ourselves of worst situations in our past or | | | | don't win you trophies, teams win trophies, squads |
| by imagining how much worse our lives could be than | | | | win trophies." |
| they actually are. | | | | Another great manager is Harry Redknapp of |
| None of us knows for sure what will happen to us | | | | Portsmouth. He commented about his players in a |
| tomorrow. We could be seriously ill or even dead. | | | | match with Burnley which ended in a 2-2 draw: |
| Gordon has faced this possibility already. He told the | | | | "When the crowd was on their backs no one wanted |
| media that on his gravestone he would like these | | | | to try anything in case they got booed. They were |
| words carved: | | | | defensive and wanted to avoid mistakes." |
| "This is better than that night in Bratislava." | | | | Harry understands human psychology. If we are too |
| He uses the humour of exaggeration to deal with the | | | | worried about appearing foolish or making mistakes |
| criticisms of the media when things go wrong. A | | | | we will fail to make things happen and we will not |
| reporter commented when his team lost a match in | | | | make full use of our abilities. We go into our shells |
| Scotland: | | | | and play safe. |
| "Bang, there goes your unbeaten run. Can you take | | | | I remember feeling like this when I played cricket at |
| it? " | | | | school. I tried to avoid being anywhere near the ball |
| "No," said Strachan. "I'm just going to crumble like a | | | | in case I dropped a catch. It was many years before |
| wreck. I'll go home,become an alcoholic and maybe | | | | I realised that I was quite good at catching! |
| jump off a bridge. Hmmm….I think I cantake | | | | A commentator remarked: "Harry knows how to get |
| it, yeah." | | | | his teams going and how to restore their confidence. |
| He knows the importance of positive thinking if you | | | | Now they expect to win at Fratton Park (the |
| wish to achieve success. | | | | Portsmouth ground). They firmly believe they will |
| One reporter foolishly asked: "There's no negative | | | | win." Recently they have won three games in a row |
| vibes or negative feelings here?" | | | | and are on their way to escaping relegation to a |
| Strachan replied: "Apart from yourself, we're all quite | | | | lower division. |
| positive round here. | | | | Another manager, Stuart Pierce, of Manchester City |
| I'm going to whack you over the head with a big | | | | also knows the importance of confidence: "We need |
| stick; down negative man,down." | | | | to go out and really believe we can play a bit." |
| Strachan often speaks with disarming honesty and | | | | What key success lessons can we learn from the |
| schoolboy cheek. He is ready to admit that he and | | | | above? |
| his players are not always at their best. He is ready | | | | Skill is important but attitude is even more important. |
| to face reality. Facing up to reality is a key | | | | We should expect to win and not show too much |
| characteristic of the successful. | | | | respect for the obstacles in our path whether they |
| When he managed a team in England, a reporter | | | | are human or otherwise and whether they are real or |
| asked him: "So, Gordon, in what areas do you think | | | | imaginary. We need to believe in our own ability and |
| Middlesbrough were better than you today?" | | | | expect to win even if this makes us seem arrogant. |
| Strachan replied: "What areas? Mainly that big green | | | | We should handle failures by reminding ourselves that |
| one out there...." | | | | things could be much worse. Retaining our sense of |
| Strachan has had his defeats but recently he has led | | | | humour also helps. Teamwork is a key factor in many |
| his latest team, Celtic, to undisputed victory in the | | | | types of achievement. We should not be worried |
| Scottish Premier League. He is widely accepted as a | | | | about making mistakes whether we are playing |
| great manager. | | | | soccer or cricket or the game of life. |
| Another great manager now works in the English | | | | We need to face up to reality and be willing to be |
| Premier League. He is Jose Mourihno, the manager of | | | | judged by the results we achieve as well as the |
| Chelsea. He came to England in June 2004 and soon | | | | effort we put in. On the whole, I think, that the |
| showed his confidence in himself and his players. He | | | | effort we expend is more important. We cannot |
| wants only to be judged by the results. A good | | | | always control the results but we can control the |
| manager wins. A bad one loses: | | | | effort we put in. The same manager can lose with |
| "I'm not a defender of old or new football managers. | | | | one team and win with another. He is still the same |
| I believe in good ones and bad ones; those that | | | | person and he still made the same efforts. |
| achieve success and those that don't. Please don't call | | | | I'll leave you with a final quote from Gordon Strachan |
| me arrogant, but I'm European champion and I think | | | | who has been both a winning and a losing manager: |
| I'm a special one" | | | | A reporter asked: "Gordon, can we have a quick |
| He soon proved himself to be a 'special one' in | | | | word?" |
| England as well as in Portugal, his native country. As | | | | "Velocity", replied Gordon as he walked off. |
| the name 'the special one' suggests he believes in | | | | |