Lessons Learnt
I have been awake since 345 in the morning, its 625 am now and I still can't sleep. As in my brains too busy, still buzzing from the thoroughly enjoyable match, so absorbing, and reflecting where man u and inter
went wrong
and what they did right. Besides that I am also thinking about Friday's cross country. It really is the beginning of the end, as I come into my last 12 weeks with the team. Almost.
Man 5 seasons just fly by like nothing, but I guess through all the difficulties I have learnt many
things among them:
1) The importance of admitting when your wrong, and apologising for it, even to your own players
2) The role of the management and how
impt it is to cement a trustworthy and healthy relationship
3) How football is actually simple in essence
4) How football management is a much more complex issue
5) Marketing and its importance in drawing the crowd
6) How no two teams are the same and no two players are the same
7) The fact that players can achieve so much if you are willing to push them and dare to demand more from them
8) The lack of control you have on the other side of the touch line as a coach
9) How a players big-game mentality sometimes has no correlation to her skill
10) How important it is to have a good
wingman, which in this case is Mr
Lim Wei
Quan, truly a class act
11) And perhaps, most important of all, how a person/team with heart will "beat" any team with talent any day
My two cents worth,
hmmm i
realli need to sleep soon.
Out.
Another week, another headache. Most of this week was good, but as always things just have habit of biting u in the ass and reminding u that things are not that good after all. I am grateful for the rest that is coming up for the next three weeks.
Most importantly, I gotta constantly remind myself that its not the end of the world and got to work on things to make it better. At times I really wonder how come I dont really have white hair and all, considering the amount of stress that I go thru. But I am happy I can take a break from games and work on making things better.
On a brighter note, I read a post today which really made my day, and it din realli have anything to do with me, but it felt good reading it.
The coming week should be better, lots of things to do, but it will be better if I want it to be. Looking forward to the mid-week match with Inter and the carling cup final at the weekend. Only thing is that I really cannot tahan the late nights much, like yesterday when i slept through half time and the first 15 min of the second half cos I was so tired. But the way man u is playing now, I just wanna watch every match and see them through.
Other than that, its my first free sunday in close to month so I am gonna make the most of it.
Out.
The past week has just been busy but it has been a blast. Many thanx to the people who have done one thing or another in preparing for my bday, I really coulnt ask for more for my last birthday here in Singapore. I am pretty sure next year onwards itll be somewhere else. Haha there are many thanks and many many things to write about but I will just leave it at that. Just know that I treasure everything that was done for me even if it was a small gesture like a wish. Thank you so much I won't forget my 25th.
To be frank I felt more fantastic celebrating it with my team and my friends then I did with my family, who din realli seem to be bothered by it. But they also surpassed my expectations in getting a cake, cos I din really expect it. But events on Saturday just underlined why its not worth staying in Singapore. Because at the end of the day there is really nothing to come back to. If home is where the heart is, then I am pretty sure its not here.
Looking forward, I think this week and the next will be slightly less stressful and all, hopefully can get a break from the matches and consolidate for the future. Catch up with you all real soon.
Out.
Decisions
I spent most of last night in a start stop sleep, not being able to really put my mind to rest.Recent events in the team have had me stumped, unable to decide how to proceed. I guess that's the problem sometimes when you are dealing with players who first and foremost are not players, they are students, daughters, and some even athletes of other sports. As such, one has to know how much commitment you can draw from them, and where you draw the line between the commitment needed from the athlete and the leeway one must give to the athlete bearing her other commitments in mind.
I guess actually I am not very confused about it, but rather the fear that I may drive away a decent player haunts me.
But at the end of the day, I have to do it. These are the type of decisions that need to be made by a coach.
Out.
