Didsbury Dave said:
I've heard it called a FIFO culture.
Fit in or fuck off.
It only works if you are hugely successful, of course.
I don't think it's that simple. Every organisation has ground rules and minimum expectations.
I think the difference between Inter of the mid 90's (an overpaid, underachieving grotesque display of big names, money and vanity), and of the 00's (proud, determined, winning), can be distilled into the idea of 'respect'. Respect for the club, team-mates, owners, manager, respect for the contract. All the money in the world only attracts more shysters who have no intention of showing your club any respect.
Indeed, at one stage, with Robinho, it appeared we were going down that path. So we're reversing a recent trend, which means altering the expectations and demands of people already here, people who came from other clubs, where things may have been very different (for example, the soap opera that is Newcastle). The idea that this is going to happen without any friction or misunderstanding, is surely pie in the sky. It's a work in progress.
Respecting your contractual situation in public, and respecting your team mates and the club (not to mention the manager), by addressing your problems internally, are fair ground rules.
The manager's situation is somewhat difficult as he is regularly expected to offer his opinion in public. He has to remain cautious, but at the same time, avoiding every tricky issue, offering nothing but platitudes, makes you appear weak and afraid of confronting issues. It's not possible for someone like this to 'lead'.
Mourinho is a perfect example. He's outspoken on any number of topics... sometimes to a comical, if not dangerous degree. But it's part of his style. It projects complete fearlessness, which is transmitted to the players. I'd prefer Mancini to be a bit spikey, I find myself forgiving most mistakes, and am often struck by his openness. He rarely goes over the boundaries, and always makes a point of showing great respect to his players. He's not perfect but he's not
constantly playing down expectations, making self-serving excuses, and he's not getting bogged down in the minutia, or worrying how every single comment can be misconstrued by someone. He's confident and focused.
If players aren't showing respect to the club, we tend to know about it. I don't think that's accidental. It seems to me that he tends to win all of these battles one way or another. Players make the same mistakes over and over by entering the conflict with someone who is expected to speak publicly. They aren't, so their comments are viewed differently. They usually end up making fools out of themselves by openly displaying a lack of respect to the club, or pathetic self-interest.
The manager is okay as long as he shows he is thinking about the team and the club. Players tend to think about themselves, and when they display this tendency in public there is little sympathy for them. That's the way it goes. It surprises me that so many otherwise intelligent players are completely ignorant of that reality.
I can understand seeing this stuff played out in public is not to everyone's taste, but there is probably a reason it happens that way. The messages are sent out far and wide. It seems to me we are moving towards a situation where respect for 'the club' is the norm. You can't expect respect from other clubs, players, the media, the FA, UEFA, unless the club shows self-respect. You can argue that self-respect means avoiding any bad publicity.. but I don't think people are that easily fooled. Having players who respect each other, the owners, the manager, the directors, respect their contracts... that's the real deal, that's what translates into professional, consistent displays on the pitch... and that's what other people respect, that's what makes you a 'big' 'serious' club, and it's what makes the weaker clubs and teams feel inadequate before they've even kicked a ball.
