Lionel Messi holds the FIFA World Cup aloft after his Argentine side beat France in a close … [+] final. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Images now showing in the media around the world of the scenes that greeted the Argentine football team on their triumphant return from the World Cup in Qatar show what this victory means to the people of the country. No wonder national coaches feel under so much pressure.
The epic final in which Argentina only beat reigning champions France on penalties after extra time will be remembered for the brilliance of Lionel Messi, who now has some claim to being the ‘greatest of all time’, and Kylian Mbappe, who has the potential to match his club mate. But it also featured some tactical masterstrokes from both coaches that demonstrate how influential they can be even in a sport less directed from the sidelines than, say, basketball or the NFL version of football. This influence extends beyond team selection, tactics, substitutions and the rest. It is also about setting a tone, making sure that key players feel supported and that fringe players feel committed to the group so that they are ready to perform if called upon. All of which are reasons why – despite England exiting the competition sooner than would have been expected (beaten in the quarter-finals by losing finalists France) – there is general enthusiasm for Gareth Southgate to continue as the country’s manager. After years where the underperformance of talented players was accompanied by stories of tension and strain, the quiet professionalism and lack of drama of the Southgate era is welcome.
In contrast, the set-up of England’s rugby union is in some disarray. Eddie Jones, a tough-talking Australian brought in in 2015 to steady the ship after a disastrous home World Cup, has just been sacked. The immediate cause was a disappointing run of results, particularly against the nations of the southern hemisphere, which did not bode well for next year’s World Cup.
But it’s hard to escape the thought that there was more to it than that. Jones is known for a hard driving style and an obsession with detail. While these are clearly admirable qualities, they can create an intensity that is suffocating to some. So there is a widespread view that these traits, coupled with an alleged reluctance to delegate responsibility to subordinates or the players, contributed to his demise. There is some support for this in the fact that in his seven-year reign many assistant coaches and other support staff came and went. Players were also called up for training camps or even match days, only to disappear just as quickly. It was almost as if – thanks to the resources of the Rugby Football Union and the strength of the game in England – he had too many players to choose from and found it difficult to choose who would combine well with others. This echoes the experience of English football managers prior to Southgate’s appointment in 2016. By selecting players who fulfill the roles he wants them to, regardless of what happens at their clubs (and some struggling for first-team action with their clubs) remain in the fold) , Southgate has created a group mentality that means the players fight for each other and the team even if they are not directly involved.
This is what business leaders and consultants refer to as “engagement.” And, just as staff quickly become disengaged if they feel unappreciated or don’t understand where they fit into the bigger picture, it must have been difficult for the many players who have played in the England rugby team but not been a part of the rugby team. the core group must have the type of commitment required.
Jones’ replacement is Steve Borthwick, who captained the team as recently as 2010 and went on to coach England’s strikers under Jones until he joined one of England’s leading underperforming clubs. It is the recognition that Borthwick has won for restoring the club’s fortunes that has propelled him to his current position. It will be interesting to see if he can repeat the trick with the national team in the few weeks leading up to the Six Nations Championship and the nine months to the World Cup.
If he wants inspiration, he can look at what has happened in just a few months to English cricket (sorry to refer to another sport that will be unfamiliar to many.) Like the rugby team, England’s Test match team (which plays the traditional five – day form of the game) was in complete disarray as recently as this spring. Joe Root, a hugely talented batsman, failed to inspire the team to produce anything like consistent results, and a transformation was expected when Ben Stokes, an exciting player capable of changing matches at a moment’s notice with bat or ball, assumed the captaincy and Brendon McCullum, a former New Zealand captain with no Test match coaching experience, became coach.
But there appears to have been a genuine meeting of minds between Stokes and McCullum as the England side have recorded nine wins in 10 matches since June, compared to losing 10 and winning just one of their previous 14 matches. This week, the team capped off a remarkable year with an unprecedented 3-0 series win in Pakistan. And, no doubt much to the envy of England’s rugby fans, it’s not just the wins, it’s the way they are. As difficult as this may be to imagine for non-followers, much of the cricket has been exciting and there have been strong performances throughout the team, which is not much changed from when Stokes and McCullum took over.
What has changed, however, is the way of thinking. Stokes and McCullum both radiate positivity. McCullum was an aggressive player, like Stokes, before he became a coach and the two have managed to inculcate that in their squad. Professional athletes have more doubts and worries than people realize, and the two men have embraced it by assuring the players that they believe in them and encouraging them to do things they might not have thought they could do – at least not in real matches rather than in training exercises. Both Stokes and McCullum have often spoken of removing the element of fear and – in a demonstration of the consistency of thought and communication that marks a good manager of any kind – Stokes was back at it in the wake of the latest victory. “You make better decisions when you’re not tentative. Nobody’s worried about getting out. You don’t accept getting out, but you accept getting out is part of batting. Letting go of the fear of failure is why that we get results,” he said.
