An argument, or should we say, in professional terms, a disagreement between friends broke out earlier today in our group chat regarding the conversation surrounding motivation in football, and it led me to put fingers to keys and write this article.
The main topic of the discussion was surrounding Christian Eriksen’s stark admission last night after Manchester United’s 1-1 draw to FC Twente, suggesting the player’s motivation levels were not at the highest levels they should have been, with the opposition demanding more from themselves throughout the 90 minutes. It’s a statement that admittedly reads bad from the United midfielder, with many using it as a stick to beat Erik ten Hag with, as opposed to the player’s themselves.
“They looked like they wanted it more than us and that can’t be right.”
Christian Eriksen reflects on a disappointing evening for Man United 🎙 pic.twitter.com/GgbfWZEY9W
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 25, 2024
“Like it just has been said also in the changing room, I think they looked like they wanted it more than us and that can’t be right.”– Christian Eriksen after United’s draw to FC Twente.
Motivation Comes From Within:
Now this article won’t be beating anyone on either side. Off nights happen, of course; that’s the name of the game, but the main point is that no matter who is in the dugout for Manchester United, motivation should never be an issue. It’s not something that should even cross the mind of a player in the famous red of the club from the north-west.
During the last ten years, there have been various admissions from different players that performance levels have dropped below the standards required of a side at the football club. The manager, of course, has a duty of care to the players in a lot of scenarios. The main ones are getting the playing staff to buy into the demands of the culture of the coaching staff and try and instill a sense of confidence within those you are coaching in the same breath, hoping and trying to make them perform within that system and structure.
“I’m not sure. I don’t think you can put it on that. Look, us players, we’ve been here for a long time. We’ve played at home, we know what it’s like when we have the intensity, you can feel the motivation is there.”– Luke Shaw.
🗣️ “It’s not acceptable.”
Luke Shaw is not happy with Manchester United’s performance against Newcastle 🔴 pic.twitter.com/IGTCuLeAGK
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 2, 2023
90% of football, however, comes from attitude, motivation, and effort, and those intangibles come from within. If a player is not motivated to pull on the shirt of Manchester United, they are absolutely at the wrong football club. Some point towards the fact United are not what they once were, which makes players demotivated to perform to their highest levels. Regardless of how a club is performing, players should always strive to reach the highest of levels they can while they’re out on the football pitch. That is a demand when playing for one of the biggest and most famous football institutes on this entire planet.
Motivation can’t be taught in truth. Of course culture matters, and it is difficult to be motivated within a rotten culture, which is certainly one excuse I’d give to the players who have played for United over the last decade. The culture has been rotten, and it needed changing when INEOS came in. Motivation may be low within a rotten structure, but it’s still a personality trait that players need to drag out of themselves, not look to external factors.
The manager can develop a rapport with players. He can make them feel wanted and supported within the support network available at the football club, but he can’t make you run that extra five yards in a Manchester United jersey. That comes from within. The forces outside you may make it easier to be motivated, but in my experience, even if you don’t like a manager, you still play for the badge.
Roy Keane and Wayne Rooney have spoken about having disagreements in the past with Sir Alex Ferguson but still giving 100% for the club because they wanted to win and succeed. That comes from within. That’s the standard at a club like Manchester United and no manager is going to wave this magic wand and bring out a trait inside a player that simply doesn’t exist.
As mentioned, man management is important, but that comes down more to making a player feel comfortable within the environment they are in as opposed to making them motivated. Sure, you can light a fire in the belly of a player for a run of games, but to stay at that level, that requires work from within. External help is only temporary; internal help needs work on a constant, consistent basis, and it requires you to turn up every time you possibly can to maintain it.
Off days happen; of course, that’s life in sport. Failure is expected, not to be feared because it happens to everybody. But it doesn’t matter whether you are the starting center forward for Manchester City at the current pinnacle of English football or the starting striker for Radcliffe all the way down at the bottom of the Vanrarama National South; if you want to be great, you’ll find a way to keep showing up. That’s what sets the greats apart from the could-have-beens. The standards at clubs like Manchester United require players to be motivated no matter whether you’re playing a pre-season friendly against Basingstoke or a Champions League Final against Barcelona.
Every player at the top of their sport knows this. Cristiano Ronaldo did not become great because of the manager’s in the dugout; he became great because he was obsessed with success, and anything outside of that wasn’t acceptable for him. Of course, not everyone is Cristiano Ronaldo, but Neil Warnock said it best: You have got to die to get three points. A manager can prepare you for battle, but they can’t win you the war. That’s up to you to go that extra mile and beat the opposition. Hard work is the unsung hero of modern sport, and it beats talent when talent doesn’t show up to the dinner party.