George Burley (Scotland) – “I had to set an example”
Fabio Cappello (England) – Hailed by his goaltender
One bans two players from the squad for life, the other forces his squad to stay at the dinner table until everyone has finished. Which of the two do you think is a world-class manager?
If George Burley has to make an example of squad members to keep respect, he’s already lost it. Congratulations, George, you’ve successfully managed to make the situation all about yourself and your own needs. In doing so, you’ve lost your ability to handle the situation.
If I need to set an example so that I can manage correctly… how can I ever be content to manage the situation as it merits? Hand out measured, proportional discipline? My needs are trampling on the toes of duty. It’s not about you, George, it’s about the squad. Punish the lads because they’ve stepped out of line, certainly. Ban them from the sqad for life if what they’ve done is that terrible. But don’t make them suffer because of your own personal battle.
It would have been better if you’d made them finish their peas and avoided the whole kerfuffle in the first place. Not because you needed to show the squad that you were the manager and could make them eat their peas, but because eating peas together bonds a squad like nothing else. Oh, and it nourishes them.
Trust me, a squad of players is smart enough to tell the difference between a manager who is going on a pea-power trip and one who is putting reasonable rules in place to build respect among teammates. If you do something for the wrong reasons, they’ll pick up on it.
I’m a continent away… and I did.