Quote Originally Posted by Blink 1nce Quince 2wice View Post
I heard an ex pro recently(ish) quite vociferously opine that he didn't care what his manager did on the touch line during a game.....I remember being particularly struck by the view as I was expecting him to say the opposite. I can't for the life of me remember who said it though...

I also note...and it is perhaps a pedantic obsevation, players often don't look their managers in the eye when they are talking if the game is in procession or they are about to come on, almost as if their manager is talking to themselves! Unless the manager is passing on specific 'tactical' instructions the player always seem to be somewhat in a 'zone'.


I cast my mind back to the familiar story of Wenger telling Pat Rice to shut up after he laid into the team at half time when we were down. They then sat in silence. Whatever you think about his actions on the touchline, he is definitely aware of the potential negative mental impact....
...and there's nothing to say that that ex pro was a universal example of how players respond, and I'm sure that many players do not 'zone out' when spoken to. In football, as in life, people are motivated and influenced in different ways. Its obvious that the likes of a Guardiola or a Mourinho (when at his best) - as well as countless other managers - influence their players' shape, and help them read the game and implement their tactics. To the extent that a manager is a coach - it seems obvious that tactical specialists can assist their teams during games.

As for Wenger - I'll meet you by referring you to those players who have spoken about Wenger 'losing it' in the dressing room while at Monaco. I don't doubt that maybe he now favours a different approach, and I mentioned above how I've heard that he stays on his backside because he doesn't want to pass on negative vibes. But what we are talking about is merely different management styles - and rarely is a single approach universally successful.