Goalkeeping: When the Gaffer pulls you up

You’ve come out for crosses and got nowhere near them, your kicks were struggling to clear the half way line or you simply were just having an off day…the very last thing you need is to be told how poor you were!

But, that is what the Manager is there for – to manage.

Depends on the character of a) you and b) your Manager as to how he delivers the verdict to you, but it very much depends on the character of you as to how you accept his decision.

I have noticed a very worrying trend in recent seasons that the majority of footballers seem to think the world owes them something. I was beginning to think that this was just my opinion, but after talking to several experienced coaches the consensus is universal across the game. This opinion was cemented in my mind when I saw footage of football legend Dario Gradi, all on his own hauling a goal across the pitch at training whilst the Youth Team Players watched – Gradi was 70 years old at the time!

From my personal experience, as a coach you now have to know exactly how much babysitting these players require. Without wanting to sound like a grumpy old man, back in my day a rollicking was accepted by the players, or if a lad was asked to play out of position then he would do so without argument but nowadays it is very different altogether.

I have yet to meet a Manager or a Coach who deliberately set his team out to lose, so if you do feel the sharp end of his tongue then you have to accept it, roll your sleeves up and be determined not to let him down again.

One of my gaffers was a master at this, he was capable of putting his arm around you and either making you feel like king of the world with his praise, or stonewall make you wish that the ground would open up and swallow you whole! There was one memorable incident for me when I knew I’d had a ‘mare in the first half. When the whistle blew for the interval I stood motionless in my penalty area reflecting on what had happened. I was prepared to stay out there until the second half.

It took the intervention of one of our substitutes to encourage me to make my way down the tunnel and into the changing room. I was met with deathly silence as I opened the door and trudged in….and then the gaffer came up to me, put his arms around me and said “Thank f**k you’ve come in, I thought that I was going to have to put the gloves on!”, and that was it – the ice was broken and it snapped me out of my self-pity!

To be fair to him, he wanted to tear strips off me (he later admitted as we had a lengthy discussion after the game – when he DID tear strips off me!) but this was how he knew that I’d react best to the First Half disappointment. I knew that I’d let everyone down for 45 minutes, and I wholly respect the Manager and Staffs right to pull me up over it.

If you are unfortunate enough to be pulled up by the manager, either publically or privately, then accept the criticism. Do not try to make excuses or point the finger of blame at other players – it is you who is being singled out, so it is you who should accept the criticism and use it to fire your next performance. Prove your ability, to yourself first and foremost, but use the anger inside you to benefit your team. Fire yourself up and take responsibility for your performance – it’s no one else’s fault but yours!