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