Ambition

[Junior Mullet]

This is a word that has been mentioned frequently by players and staff this season. Increasingly so.

 

It is incredibly important to have ambition. It's what fuels the players' desire to train so hard, to look after themselves between matches, to put in fantastic effort on matchdays and so on. The Fulham game showed two teams at opposite ends of the spectrum in so many ways, in particular one playing old fashioned football under a tactically inept manager and one playing futuristic football under a progressive and tactically astute manager. But should Fulham's players and their tactics really have looked that bad compared to Saints?

 

No.

 

For me the biggest difference was ambition - our players were driven on Saturday. Driven by the prospect of over-achieving at little old Saints (I suggest this is a lot more rewarding than succeeding at a club where it is expected), driven by the prospect of gaining even more national and international plaudits and recognition, driven by the very real prospect of playing international football, driven by the thrill of winning and driven by the prospect of seeing just how good they can be (as a team and personally).

 

For me, the ambition of the club and players has been evident for years but this year it's coming to fruition. Personally I think Cortesse is at the root of this and he is great at getting others to understand his vision and ambition and gaining buy in - the hallmark of a top top CEO.

 

Exciting times. Because of ambition.

[Saint Garrett]

[CB Fry]

Nah. We were brilliant on Saturday because we are a superbly drilled team, with great team spirit and no little quality in our players.

 

The ambition you speak of would be more of a distraction than a motivation. The team I see now is laser-focused on just winning (and particularly not conceding) against whatever team is in front of them.

 

They day they stroll on the pitch with the CL theme tune in their heads is the day we start to crumble. (Unless it is a CL game and it is the real CL music.)

 

(Our dream is real.)

 

 

PS - that all has happened because of the culture of the club, and the ambition within that. That's true. But the manager and the team are focused on earning it. I'd say its more about sheer effort than ambition. Loads of clubs have ambition.

Edited 31 October, 2013 by CB Fry

[Junior Mullet]

Nah. We were brilliant on Saturday because we are a superbly drilled team, with great team spirit and no little quality in our players.

 

The ambition you speak of would be more of a distraction than a motivation. The team I see now is laser-focused on just winning (and particularly not conceding) against whatever team is in front of them.

 

They day they stroll on the pitch with the CL theme tune in their heads is the day we start to crumble. (Unless it is a CL game and it is the real CL music.)

 

(Our dream is real.)

 

 

PS - that all has happened because of the culture of the club, and the ambition within that. That's true. But the manager and the team are focused on earning it. I'd say its more about sheer effort than ambition. Loads of clubs have ambition.

 

I say that it's the ambition of our players and coaches that lays behind us becoming a superbly well drilled team. When a group of highly ambitious and talented people get together the sky is the limit.

 

I had to laugh recently when I heard that Chamakh refuses to train twice a day. He doesn't strike me as the sort of player that's interested in reaching his potential.

 

Listen back to some of the recent interviews or to the next few and see how often the word is mentioned.

[Frank's cousin]

Ambition? A word slung around by many clubs - often backed by a wedge - often aligned to 'five year plans' yet the vast majority never get close to realising those 'ambitions'....why?

 

For me the word should be 'focus'. A clear strategy set out that is not deviated from, even if it comes with set backs or if it includes unpopular decisions. Many club Chairman have ambition and many back managers with cash, yet because their focus often centres on their own popularity or on the existing ingrained culture, they dont follow it through.

 

We had three big advantages to potential success:

 

1 - we were broken, yet we had infrastructure - the previous years had left us is such a bad state - rock bottom, that it was accepted that a huge broom was needed to start again and BUILD the club back up again - an opportunity to set the 'way' and thsoe who did not buy into it would be out the door - creating a unity of purpose and a sinmgle 'focus'

 

2. Money - not City or chelseas super spend, but enough to ensure we could not only support the manager, but also keep players who could arguably have gone elsewhere if we could not match with appropriate wages for their talents - and at the sam etime continue to invest in infrastructure which itself sets a tone - it demonstrates that the clubs 'ambition' is not just chairman rhetoric - but supports the strategy - actions speak louder than words...

 

3. Cortese - ego is probably massive, but not in the typical way - no constant media pressence, or 'look at me' distractions... but a shear bloodymindedness to see things through on HIS terms, no matter who he upsets in the process - a concentrated driven approach - and a recognition that plaudits come only when you have actually achieved something - not by being nice to fans with cheap tickets etc - and other fan friendly BS, which is fine if happy to remain amongst the also rans. That characteristic is obviously only effective IF you can ensure it permeates through the organisation - that everyone shares and buys into not just the vision' but a belief it possible if everyone remains focussed. Cortese has done that to date - hope it continues.

 

Finally, none of this makes a difference if the players dont buy in - that they are off, the moment a 'bigger' club comes calling - the players need to recognise how much better it is to achieve something with the club, rather than take a short cup to medals where your contibution may have been 5 starts and 20 sub apprearences - that is probably the hardest part in this modern day culture where kids want everything now, and dont appreciate how much better it is to have worked for something - For me our academy is great, not just because of the talent we unearth and nurture, but if you look at most of our youngsters, they appear intelligent and schooled in this.

 

Its not to be confused with loyalty - loyalty is often wrongly used as it implies staying even when you want to go... out of loyalty - what we seem to be trying to do is create and environment that players love - a culture and team environment that is second to none - even if we cant pay as much as others, the benefits of being at Saints outway everything else. It wont work for all, but if it can work for the majority, then we get continuity.

 

...naturally it means nothing if we dont eventualy achieve what we aspire to. Luck will play a big part, but given the growth, development and cultural shift we have seen over the last 4 years, you dont need to be happy clappy to see that Cortese, might just be taking us to teh brinnk for something very special... who knows, but its exciting to be watch.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Pompey had ambition and look what happened to them. You have to push forward but also be sensible and know your limits, which I think for the most part we are.

[Turkish]

Ambition? A word slung around by many clubs - often backed by a wedge - often aligned to 'five year plans' yet the vast majority never get close to realising those 'ambitions'....why?

 

For me the word should be 'focus'. A clear strategy set out that is not deviated from, even if it comes with set backs or if it includes unpopular decisions. Many club Chairman have ambition and many back managers with cash, yet because their focus often centres on their own popularity or on the existing ingrained culture, they dont follow it through.

 

We had three big advantages to potential success:

 

1 - we were broken, yet we had infrastructure - the previous years had left us is such a bad state - rock bottom, that it was accepted that a huge broom was needed to start again and BUILD the club back up again - an opportunity to set the 'way' and thsoe who did not buy into it would be out the door - creating a unity of purpose and a sinmgle 'focus'

 

2. Money - not City or chelseas super spend, but enough to ensure we could not only support the manager, but also keep players who could arguably have gone elsewhere if we could not match with appropriate wages for their talents - and at the sam etime continue to invest in infrastructure which itself sets a tone - it demonstrates that the clubs 'ambition' is not just chairman rhetoric - but supports the strategy - actions speak louder than words...

 

3. Cortese - ego is probably massive, but not in the typical way - no constant media pressence, or 'look at me' distractions... but a shear bloodymindedness to see things through on HIS terms, no matter who he upsets in the process - a concentrated driven approach - and a recognition that plaudits come only when you have actually achieved something - not by being nice to fans with cheap tickets etc - and other fan friendly BS, which is fine if happy to remain amongst the also rans. That characteristic is obviously only effective IF you can ensure it permeates through the organisation - that everyone shares and buys into not just the vision' but a belief it possible if everyone remains focussed. Cortese has done that to date - hope it continues.

 

Finally, none of this makes a difference if the players dont buy in - that they are off, the moment a 'bigger' club comes calling - the players need to recognise how much better it is to achieve something with the club, rather than take a short cup to medals where your contibution may have been 5 starts and 20 sub apprearences - that is probably the hardest part in this modern day culture where kids want everything now, and dont appreciate how much better it is to have worked for something - For me our academy is great, not just because of the talent we unearth and nurture, but if you look at most of our youngsters, they appear intelligent and schooled in this.

 

Its not to be confused with loyalty - loyalty is often wrongly used as it implies staying even when you want to go... out of loyalty - what we seem to be trying to do is create and environment that players love - a culture and team environment that is second to none - even if we cant pay as much as others, the benefits of being at Saints outway everything else. It wont work for all, but if it can work for the majority, then we get continuity.

 

...naturally it means nothing if we dont eventualy achieve what we aspire to. Luck will play a big part, but given the growth, development and cultural shift we have seen over the last 4 years, you dont need to be happy clappy to see that Cortese, might just be taking us to teh brinnk for something very special... who knows, but its exciting to be watch.

 

[Frank's cousin]

Good spot Turkish - but once at the start of a campaign, launching the next phase, I have no problem with CEO laying down the law/approach.... if you are trying to imply he is always in the media etc, dont think a single program cover is going to support that as a viable criticism

[Saint Garrett]

 

Legend

[Saint_clark]

I've got that image blown up on my wall. Legend.

[buctootim]

Next to the One Direction poster?

[Matthew Le God]

[Saint Garrett]

Sure we'll be the first !

[david in sweden]

Ambition :

 

To win the next game ....and the one after that.......and the one after that .....et aL..........