Achieving prosperity helps the players by Marijan Hizak

How many times have you been in a situation to help a fallen player but didn’t do it ?

You thought the trouble would pass and time would heal the wounds. Today, you surely regret you missed the opportunity to help him, or at least hug him.  Helping is infectious. It’s the experience and talent of every person in every situation. I always wonder why coaches and players don’t help each other more. Each one of them is always on the go, rushing somewhere, forgetting to stop, talk and wait patiently.

What a strange time we’re living in! We’ve learned how to get rich, but we haven’t learnt how to live. Our soul has been taken away by computers! We’ve ceased to communicate face-to-face. We want to gain respect and become successful overnight. Our communication has been reduced to email, facebook or twitter.

It seems I can’t keep up with the times. I keep wondering where on earth have human values disappeared to. If you want to build positive and friendly relationships with people, it’s important to understand the purpose of support. Helping is not a waste of time!

The moment you devote your time to a player, it’s by no means a waste of time, but rather a great asset to you and the player. If you give a player the support, which may even be symbolic, a quick smile, a pat on the shoulder, or a hug, you’re helping him to enhance an aspect of his life. When helping a player you’re sending a message, expressing a positive attitude, understanding and caring about your player. Your message won’t be left unnoticed. It also affects the other players, who’ll copy you and start behaving in a similar way.

The start of a positive atmosphere in the dressing room can be easily sparked with just one small gesture. Do you know how essential positive vibes in the dressing room are for you as a coach? Priceless! Players are often lost within the fog of the outside world which knows no warm words, where helping words are unknown. Life which players face outside the stadium is on the one hand, focused on the fight for a harsh existence and on the other, making and spending money.

As a coach you’re able to spread kindness with a positive attitude and help others, but you also can spoil the mood of everyone around you with your miserable sourness. In your smile I can see you’ve understood the point – we shape our own attitude and we’re able to manage it. Within the choice, you should choose a positive attitude.

Help others and yourself and you’ll be constantly happy.

The Defensive Midfielder by Sir Alex Ferguson

Defensive midfielders are the most underrated and over looked in-field players in a football team and to me they are the most important in a team. You ask why? 

 Firstly, a solid defensive midfielder is sacrificial and protects his defense. The defensive midfielder is the first person to meet the attacking opposition and his job is to stop them from progressing forward. Over the years we have seen defensive midfielders become more important and dependable in teams. We have had Sergio Busquets, Patrick Vieira ,Claudio Makélélé, etc . 

What makes a Defensive midfielder key is the ability to defend and increase the team chances in terms of attacking . Defensive midfielders tend to make fouls or are aggressive. Their key attributes are to win duels, make interceptions and win tackles. 

Over the past 8 years, the best defensive midfielder in the world would have to be Sergio Busquets. He (Busquets) has been key to the success the Barcelona has enjoyed this decade. Currently 27 years of age, Busquets has been the key defensive midfielder for Barcelona since the age of 19 . Even a player as good as Yaya Touré, could not take him out of the team. What makes Busquets different from other Defensive midfielders is the ability to do his defensive duties without committing excess fouls. He can literally go games without committing a foul. Xavi and Iniesta enjoyed their game and could express themselves more because they had Busquets to cover for them. 

Great respect to Busquets and to every defensive midfielder around the world! Your efforts might not be praised all over the news but they are acknowledged by the fans.  Over the years, the media have turned against defending and implied that it is not as important as attacking. People are more interested in the goal scorers, assist kings, and skillful dribblers but Football is way more than that. Defending is just as important as attacking. It is a part of the game and a very important part for that matter. Defensive minded players should not be chastised but praised for doing their job to the best of their abilities. 

“Attack Wins You Games, Defence Wins You Titles”