Over recent years it seems to have become fashionable to criticise,
demean and ridicule certain football competitions, especially those of the
League Cup and the Europa League.
Critics, who include pundits, journalists, fans and even
some professionals cite the ‘meaningless’ nature of the competitions and the
drain they place on clubs’ resources and the strain they place on the clubs’
assets, namely, the players and coaching staff, especially, as the main reasons
to decry their existence and purpose.
OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES
NOT PROBLEMS
Many people recognise that, for example, in the Premier League, there
are, effectively, three ‘leagues within a league’ in terms of striving to
become league champions, to qualify for The Champions League, to win The FA
Cup, to finish safely in mid table and those attempting to hang on to their
Premier League status.
Each of these represents a series of goals and targets for which each
club has to plan a strategy, goals and targets and work hard to achieve.
“STRETCH” GOALS
Now, it would seem to me that, for example, Newcastle United’s
aspirations, currently, will be somewhat different from those of Arsenal or Manchester
United.
So, how do they make the leap from Premier League relegation battle to
Champions League qualification?
I am sure most people will be familiar with the concept of ‘stretch’
goals – common in business where strategy will determine how to improve the
standing, perception, profitability and service levels of the organisation.
A business may well be high profile and profitable but the good ones
will always have ‘stretch’ goals – those smaller, achievable steps which will
enable their continuing evolution and forward progress to keep ahead of the
competition
If businesses stand still, they stagnate and get overtaken. Football is
no different. If you aren’t innovating, striving for the next level, you will
soon be overtaken. Perhaps one of the main challenges is that each club
(business) has chosen to compete in exactly the same market as 19 immediate competitors.
HARD WORK AND A DRAIN ON
RESOURCES
So, striving to compete and reach the final of, or even win, The League
Cup, for example, will surely test a club’s desire, will, resources and
imagination, if they are also simultaneously trying to hang on to Premier
League status.
Qualification for the Europa League is not even seen as a double-edged
sword, more a Sword of Damocles hovering over the neck of those unfortunate
enough to have inadvertently achieved the league placement required, or,
possibly, to have carelessly failed to avoid qualification, intentionally.
The Europa League places increased pressure on the whole of the playing
and coaching staff. It reduces preparation and recovery time and therefore increases
pressure on analysis and preparation for the ‘extra’ matches.
However, striving to reach ‘the next level’ is SUPPOSED to be
difficult. It’s meant to be a drain; it’s expected that you will find it a
struggle. But planning and embracing stretch goals is a way to make the next
step. Perceiving the increased pressure as a challenge to be achieved to drive
the club ever forward is what good businesses do.
PROFILE
Winning a Cup or achieving qualification for the Europa League are ways
to increase your profile, certainly in the national and European context but
also, perhaps, globally, if promoted and marketed correctly and appropriately.
What can that increased profile bring? Certainly, increased coverage
which, in turn, brings marketing opportunities for business partners and
sponsors.
Raising the club’s profile potentially increases the scope of new
recruits who can be attracted to the business, coaching and playing staff. Good
people want to work for good, progressive companies who can help them achieve
their ambitions through personal and professional development.
Improving the quality of club staff should, in turn, affect the
improvement of the business and its progress. So, perhaps, achieving the final
of a cup competition, whilst, this season, may provide a serious challenge to
resources, next season, will help promote greater, even if only stepped,
improvements.
ENGAGEMENT AND EXCITEMENT
For the club’s supporters and fans it provides the opportunity to see,
at first hand, new teams with exciting players that they are otherwise possibly
only likely to see on TV. It establishes the club as forward thinking and
progressive, determined to bring the best level of entertainment to its paying ‘customers’.
INCOME
As mentioned above, increasing the profile can bring increased business
opportunities and income, note merely through sponsors and official partners
but through merchandising, ticketing, concession sales, TV payments and so on.
Mark Hughes, current manager at Stoke City, seems to have similar views:
I have held these views for some time and was prompted to actually get
around to writing this latest blog post on reading Mark Hughes’ comments.
So, the League Cup and the Europa League; Challenges or
Problems ?
