‘This team had many psychological problems’. West Ham United manager Avram Grant’s words after his side beat League Two side Oxford United in the Carling Cup.
What is Abram talking about?
- This is a team that, in the last year, has forgotten how to win.
- Therefore, players expect things to go wrong. And they do!
- There are not enough leaders in the team to overcome the challenges.
West Ham United now tend to sign players from abroad.
Do these players speak English well? If not, are they given a deadline by which they have to do it?
Are these players given a full induction into West Ham United’s history and core values? If not, why not?
West Ham seemed to be a drifting club today. Therefore, Avram’s first task must be to develop more leaders in his ranks. Players who will not accept the inevitable. Standard setters.
Men who take responsibility for their actions. And who will pull others by their boot straps, demanding more of them.
When you have enough leaders, then a change will begin. And trust and faith will flow. But it won’t be easy. Because the acceptance of defeat and mediocrity is a virus that can be difficult to get rid of. But it can be done with the right help.
And that means inviting a Leadership Coach or Sports Psychologist to the football club to support management. Avram could do it alone. But why do the work yourself?
