Leadership is a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal.
Come on Keir, as the manager and striker of your team you’ve had multiple opportunities over the last twelve months to score plenty of goals. The opposition goalkeeper has sometimes not even been there and has made so many crass errors that you could so easily and adroitly just lobbed the ball into the empty net and given your team’s supporters something to cheer about. (If you were the striker of a football team, you would be on the transfer market by now!)
What has been holding you back? We know there are plenty of old ghost players floating around in the background, which haunt you and the old red wall definitely has gaps in it, BUT, get a grip. For goodness sake … !
People want something they can support, to know what style of play you believe in. They want to see you playing the game with passion and belief. They want to put on their supporters’ scarves and after the dreadful relegation of 2019 under that previous manager know that you and your team have a vision for the future. If you get your team right and playing for each other you might be promoted and once again be top dog in the premiership. And, although it may not be on the table at the moment, who knows, maybe one day, you’ll be able to participate in the big European cup games again?
You won’t get there by merely asking a focus group how to play or delivering another platitude like ‘The people’s priorities’, which is dribbled out by some smirking opposition managers. Yes, by all means talk to your loyal fans. Forgetting them or taking them for granted might result in them knocking over more walls to support a team in another colour.
And yes, a successful team will benefit from a strong player on the left and on the right. It needs a strong defence, a creative midfield, a striker who can score plenty of goals and a manager who sets a style of play that is not only resolute but is also one which also encourages its fans to be engaged and excited.
You don’t need to play like the team that was relegated or even just copy the one which won before. Don’t be haunted by the past. OK, you can learn from those successes and failures but you need to create your own brand and style. A more exciting, progressive, successful style of football suitable for the twenty first century.
‘A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe you are the best and then make sure that you are.’
Bill Shanky, Ex Liverpool FC Manager
Maybe, even talk to some other managers who might have shared ambitions for the future of the game? Who knows, you might still have a chance of becoming the manager of the national team!
