The Sports Psychology Blog
This Sports Psychology blog comes as The Sun newspaper labels England manager Fabio Capello, 'Clueless', in it's Friday sports headline.
Football: Fabio Capello - Clueless?
It only took two games. Two games for the honeymoon period to be over. Two games for the ridicule to start. Two games for the headline writers to sharpen their quills. Two games for Fabio Capello to join the ranks of England managers who have become fodder for the tabloid newspapers.
Friday morning Sun's headline was 'Clueless'. This in response to remarks made by Michael Owen about his role in the England side. Owen gave the impression he hadn't had a clear brief from Capello. He later came out to explain that he had thought he was being asked about his future role in the England team.
Either way, The Sun wasted no time in looking to ridicule the Italian. For many years, the job of England manager has become a poisoned chalice. If you are not delivering the goods on the pitch; Graham Taylor - Portrayed as a root vegetable; Sir Bobby Robson - In The Name Of God Go!; Steve McClaren - The Wally With The Brolly, then it's your personal life that comes under scrutiny; See - Glenn Hoddle, Terry Venables, Sven Goran Eriksson.
The role of the national manager has become badly undermined. That is probably down to the constant under achievement of the England team on the world stage. So often, the nation's expectations have turned to disappointment. 'This could be our year', leading to another early World Cup / European Championship exit.
When this pattern and habit becomes permanent, hope eventually turns to cynicism. And that cynicism fuels the headline writers. It's highly unlikely that Fabio Capello is clueless. It's just that the press and long-suffering fans were hoping the Capello era would herald an improvement in the England team. And it may do.
But, the first signs of 'more of the same' trigger more of the expectancy-disappointment behaviours. And that gives opportunity for the headline writers to feed the beast of manager baiting. Again.
