The 4 best Teams make the FIFA World Cup Semis & Shankly on Teamwork.

All the pundits agreed. The four best teams are in the top four positions in the 2010 FIFA World Cup because they played as Teams not individuals!

When they then looked at our national team, England, they then all used; pampered millionaires, overpaid, no passion, no patriotism, no pride in the shirt and many other cliches that have nothing about playing as a team.

My favourite Bill Shankly quote on teamwork is:

Teamwork is playing to each others strengths
and compensating for each others weaknesses.

I like this qoute because this works for any sport and any team, at work, wherever.

Examine the management of the England team in recent years.
Were these teams set up to play to the squad’s strengths, to cover for each other?

When these same pundits discuss Real Madrid’s Galacticos they all agree you cannot build a team out of stars. Turn to England and “world class players should be able to play together” and “he can play over there”.

John Terry was a popular fall guy. In South Africa he trained and played alongside 4 other centre halves and 2 keepers. With the choice between the 5th & 6th choice centre back partners; Upson was chosen and so Terry had to play out of position, on the right. Yet if Carragher was chosen Terry would have played on the left with his club teammate Cole & Carra alongside club fullback Johnson. They know what each other will do and are well aware of each others weaknesses.

Spain tonight will have more high-paid players than England. No-one will be daft enough to play the patriotic card with over half the team Catalans! No, they will build on their experience of playing together as a highly technical team to try to overcome another great team who can get the best out of the likes of Dirk Kuyt, the Netherlands.

Robert McGonigle : 11 Jul 2010 17:46 |  Tags: Bill Shankly England World Cup Teamwork |  Comments (1) |  Report a problem