| Soccer matches are all about scoring goals and being | | | | way. A key factor in his success in England is his |
| winners. As a result, soccer can hold up a mirror to life | | | | self-belief and a rich Russian backer who allows him to |
| since many humans also want to achieve goals and to | | | | buy the best players in Europe. You can safely bet |
| be winners in the game of life. There is much to be | | | | money that Chelsea will win almost all their matches. |
| learned about life in general from soccer players, | | | | The odds are not great but you could put £100 |
| managers and commentators. | | | | on Chelsea to win and make an easy £26 from |
| When you listen to commentators on soccer matches, | | | | your bet. Of course, this does not always work out. No |
| the key words they use again and again when teams | | | | team is perfect! |
| are winning are words about character and attitude | | | | Mourinho is passionate about soccer but retains his |
| like belief, excitement, confidence, effort and so on. | | | | sense of perspective and humour. Recently he was |
| Soccer skills and strategies are important but mean | | | | asked in London if he was concerned about losing the |
| little without the right attitude. | | | | championship to his main rivals, Manchester United. His |
| Team managers urge their players to show focus, | | | | reply was typical of him: |
| determination and maximum effort. They tell them they | | | | "No, I'm more concerned about bird 'flu." The |
| should expect to win and not to show too much | | | | assembled press started laughing. |
| respect for their opponents no matter how famous | | | | "Seriously; it's that swan in Scotland that concerns me. |
| they are. | | | | It's not that far from here!" (The swan was the first |
| I love listening to the comments of the great soccer | | | | creature with bird 'flu in the UK in 2006) |
| managers. They have all been to hell and back. They | | | | Over the last few weeks, his team, Chelsea, have |
| are praised and popular when their teams win. They | | | | been criticised for having players sent off for breaking |
| are criticised and even sacked when their teams fail to | | | | the rules. When Jose was asked about his success |
| win. They know the heights of elation and the depths | | | | away from home against West Brom, he commented |
| of despair. They have to find ways to deal with both | | | | ironically: |
| and to keep motivating their teams to win. | | | | "Maybe we won because we played with ten men. |
| Gordon Strachan took over as manager of Celtic, one | | | | That is our best tactic at the moment." |
| of the top two clubs in Scotland, in 2005. It was not | | | | However, he realises that the main reason Chelsea |
| long before he experienced "the worst night of my life" | | | | win so often is as follows:"We have top players and, |
| Bratislava beat Celtic 5-0 in the Champions league, the | | | | sorry if I'm arrogant, we have a top manager." |
| top European competition. His watch stopped after the | | | | Public confidence is so rare in the UK that it is often |
| match and he still wears it to remind himself that it was | | | | mistaken for arrogance. |
| the worst night of his life. Celtic, the pride of Scotland, | | | | Jose does not believe in having favourites; he believes |
| had been humiliated by a less famous team. | | | | in the power of the team rather than the individual: |
| Other failures seemed small to him by comparison. We | | | | "I don't want special relations with one of them (his |
| can all learn to deal with difficult situations by reminding | | | | players). I hate to speak about individuals. Players don't |
| ourselves of worst situations in our past or by | | | | win you trophies, teams win trophies, squads win |
| imagining how much worse our lives could be than | | | | 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 and |
| Scotland: | | | | play safe. |
| "Bang, there goes your unbeaten run. Can you take it? | | | | I remember feeling like this when I played cricket at |
| " | | | | school. I tried to avoid being anywhere near the ball in |
| "No," said Strachan. "I'm just going to crumble like a | | | | case I dropped a catch. It was many years before I |
| wreck. I'll go home,become an alcoholic and maybe | | | | realised that I was quite good at catching! |
| jump off a bridge. Hmmm....I think I cantake it, yeah." | | | | A commentator remarked: "Harry knows how to get |
| He knows the importance of positive thinking if you | | | | his teams going and how to restore their confidence. |
| wish to achieve success. | | | | Now they expect to win at Fratton Park (the |
| One reporter foolishly asked: "There's no negative | | | | Portsmouth ground). They firmly believe they will win." |
| vibes or negative feelings here?" | | | | Recently they have won three games in a row and |
| Strachan replied: "Apart from yourself, we're all quite | | | | are on their way to escaping relegation to a lower |
| positive round here. | | | | division. |
| I'm going to whack you over the head with a big stick; | | | | Another manager, Stuart Pierce, of Manchester City |
| down negative man,down." | | | | also knows the importance of confidence: "We need |
| Strachan often speaks with disarming honesty and | | | | to go out and really believe we can play a bit." |
| schoolboy cheek. He is ready to admit that he and his | | | | What key success lessons can we learn from the |
| players are not always at their best. He is ready to | | | | above? |
| face reality. Facing up to reality is a key characteristic | | | | Skill is important but attitude is even more important. |
| of the successful. | | | | We should expect to win and not show too much |
| When he managed a team in England, a reporter | | | | respect for the obstacles in our path whether they are |
| asked him: "So, Gordon, in what areas do you think | | | | human or otherwise and whether they are real or |
| Middlesbrough were better than you today?" | | | | imaginary. We need to believe in our own ability and |
| Strachan replied: "What areas? Mainly that big green | | | | expect to win even if this makes us seem arrogant. |
| one out there...." | | | | We should handle failures by reminding ourselves that |
| Strachan has had his defeats but recently he has led | | | | things could be much worse. Retaining our sense of |
| his latest team, Celtic, to undisputed victory in the | | | | humour also helps. Teamwork is a key factor in many |
| Scottish Premier League. He is widely accepted as a | | | | types of achievement. We should not be worried |
| great manager. | | | | about making mistakes whether we are playing |
| Another great manager now works in the English | | | | soccer or cricket or the game of life. |
| Premier League. He is Jose Mourihno, the manager of | | | | We need to face up to reality and be willing to be |
| Chelsea. He came to England in June 2004 and soon | | | | judged by the results we achieve as well as the effort |
| showed his confidence in himself and his players. He | | | | we put in. On the whole, I think, that the effort we |
| wants only to be judged by the results. A good | | | | expend is more important. We cannot always control |
| manager wins. A bad one loses: | | | | the results but we can control the effort we put in. The |
| "I'm not a defender of old or new football managers. I | | | | same manager can lose with one team and win with |
| believe in good ones and bad ones; those that achieve | | | | another. He is still the same person and he still made |
| success and those that don't. Please don't call me | | | | the same efforts. |
| arrogant, but I'm European champion and I think I'm a | | | | I'll leave you with a final quote from Gordon Strachan |
| special one" | | | | who has been both a winning and a losing manager: |
| He soon proved himself to be a 'special one' in England | | | | A reporter asked: "Gordon, can we have a quick |
| as well as in Portugal, his native country. As the name | | | | word?" |
| 'the special one' suggests he believes in himself in a big | | | | "Velocity", replied Gordon as he walked off. |