HOW EMOTIONS AFFECT PERFORMANCE pt.1

Paul Pogba’s return to Manchester United in 2016 has been met with a large amount of criticism. Fans and pundits were making comparisons between Pogba and Roy Keane, with Keane referred to as the higher and expected standard.

On the surface, it would seem as though there’s a great contrast between Paul Pogba and Roy Keane’s time at Manchester United however, beneath the surface there are strong similarities. With emotional regulation/dysregulation being the theme of the two tales.

Keane in Manchester, not so Keane in Ireland

Roy Keane played in Manchester United teams governed by one of football’s greatest ever Managers, Sir Alex Ferguson. Alongside players who ranked as the best in world and had captained Manchester United, their country or both. The calibre of players at Manchester United was the elite of the elite.

Performance and mindset, were judged constantly and if either was lacking, the player would be shown the exit door. When in environments of high intensity over a long period of time like those Manchester United days, conditioning takes place and you become a product of your environment.

Roy Keane was the face of the Manchester United way, he represented Manchester United’s culture in his performances, behaviour and mindset. Keane led a group of people who shared the same beliefs and values, and were capable of physically and mentally meeting the standard. This Manchester United way was fed down and climate controlled by Sir Alex Ferguson.

However, there was a contrast between Keane’s club and international team, Republic of Ireland. The expectation, the standards and the capabilities were at opposite ends of the spectrum, and Keane struggled with adaptation when with the RoI. From facilities and flights to team performances and the mindset of his Manager, Keane criticised the elements of the environment. What would of been the norms for his international teammates at club and international level, were below par at Manchester United.

Performance and attitude are Keane’s values, values he exercised to the highest degree and was never questioned at club level, but came into question when with the Republic of Ireland. As a result of his struggle to adapt, with one incident leading to Keane being sent home from the 2002 World Cup training camp.

We’ve all been in Roy Keane’s shoes. Five-a-side, Sunday League, and semi professional footballers also get frustrated with those who do not operate on the same cellular level. Now imagine if playing football was your job, people placed the outcome of the team on your shoulders and when the expectation was not being met, the world scrutinised you. That’s tough, it’s also common. Roy Keane’s club mate, Ryan Giggs, was in a similar situation when representing the Wales national team.

The International football schedule is a small part of a player’s diary, so acceptance can be easier than when it occurs at club level. Where the pressure, expectation, scrutiny and triggers are daily.

Pauling strings in France, Pauled by strings in Manchester

Paul Pogba has been a star player where ever he has played, including his first move to Manchester United. However, when Pogba returned to Manchester United, he entered a club that was no longer the dominant force it once was. But as the record signing, Pogba had the pressure of leading the club that carried old expectations to glory.

Manchester United went from a club with stability, a rich culture of shared beliefs and values, and players capable of playing in any team in the world. To having an increased turnover of players and managers, consistent culture shifts and players that would struggle to earn a move to a team challenging for a title in Europes top leagues.

Fantasy versus Reality

During one of the many peaks of Pogba’s criticism, Manchester United fans would compare Paul Pogba to Roy Keane. Criticising Pogba and romanticising over the good ol’ Keane times, creating scenarios of how Keane would successfully galvanise the current crop of players at Manchester United. But would he?

The problem with this fantasy is that Pogba’s Manchester United is Keane’s Ireland, and Pogba’s France is Keane’s Manchester United (exaggerated example). When Keane was in this challenging scenario, his response was Pogba-like.

Paul Pogba’s challenge is not physical, he has met those challenges consistently, he is athletic, technically gifted and has a level of intelligence to bring both together to a high standard. A standard that led to one of the biggest clubs in the world buying him for £90 million and winning the World Cup with his country. The same goes for Roy Keane, although not as technically gifted as Pogba, Keane was physically and intellectually advanced. His talents led to him winning trophies throughout his career, including the Champions League and Premier League.

Their challenge was not physical, it was emotional.

It’s been emotional

Pogba’s emotional battle restricts his physical performance. Frustration with teammates not meeting the standard, over playing due to lack of trust in teammates and off-field self sabotaging decisions, are a result of and feed into Pogba being overwhelmed by his situation.

The expectation is for Pogba to do better, but how can he do better within such an intense situation he wasn’t prepared for?

“I don’t think we expect too much from him,” he said. “When you’ve won the trophies he’s won and played in the games he’s played in, and the price that the club paid for him, then you’d expect best-in-class performances. The fact that we’re always talking about him is a compliment, the expectation levels he’s set and the standards he’s set at the previous club and with France. This has been a difficult period and Manchester United haven’t been playing particularly well over the last few years, it’s not just down to him.”

- Gary Neville

Developing the whole player

As Keane is no longer playing and Pogba is nearing the exit door at Manchester United, the question is, how can clubs develop players so everybody wins?
By developing the whole player. So, the club gets the best out of the player and the player gets the best out of the club.

Players are trained to be the best and compete at the highest level physically. This is a stressful process and if successful, the stress will only intensify. With this being the case, development of the whole player is a must.

Emotional development is neglected, yet expected as a byproduct of a player’s success. In Pogba’s case, his advanced physical capabilities created a higher expectation of emotional literacy because he will have to adjust to those not on his physical level and accept the scrutiny of expectation.

Emotional development is as important as physical development, a player will struggle to meet their potential without either one. Therefore, the development process of one, should be as robust as the other.

For clubs that are developing future talents, I’d recommend specific classes on the most volatile parts of the game.

Imagine Roy Keane’s Republic of Ireland and Paul Pogba’s Manchester United, with Keane and Pogba being equipped to manage the emotional baggage that came as being the leader within those scenarios?

If you would like to learn more about football from an alternative angle, check out my book Soccology.

Please note: This blog is an observation of behaviour from a distance, and not a fact.