Football or ‘soccer’ is undoubtedly one of the most popular physical sports in the world. It’s a sport that both children and adults alike can enjoy and one that is often in the media spotlight due to its immense popularity.
Some of the other great things about football are that it’s a great way to have fun, keep fit, and improve your balancing and running skills. As you can imagine, millions of people globally follow professional and local-league football teams.
Those football fans will follow their teams’ progress with great interest, watch their teams play in live TV matches, and even attend matches where possible. Some teams, such as Aston Villa, even have a global cult following.
Whether you’re new to the world of football or are a lifelong enthusiast of the sport, have you ever wondered what the anatomy of a successful football team is? The following will give you some fantastic insight into this exciting subject:
What Makes a Football Team Successful?
As you can appreciate, there are many elements to a successful football team. Just to be clear, the definition of a successful football team is one that:
- Wins most home and away games;
- Has an excellent mix of players and skills;
- Is seldom in the media due to player or management controversy.
With that in mind, let’s go a bit more in-depth to look at the various factors that make some football teams in the world the best in the sport:
The Defence
It makes sense to have a strong defence In any football team. The job of any players who are defenders is to prevent the opposing team from scoring goals. Many football fans and experts will agree that a strong defence is crucial to a team being successful.
That’s because most of the ‘attacks’ from the opposition will get directed at the defenders. For example, central defenders with a proven track record will offer a virtually unbeatable wall of defence using strategies such as last-minute blocks and tackles.
Other defenders, such as full-backs and wing-backs, will also provide the core defence needed by a successful football team. In short, without a strong defence group in any football team, the chances are high that it won’t be successful long-term.
The Goalkeeper
What happens if the opposing team somehow manage to slip past the defenders, much like a theoretical trojan horse attack? In those circumstances, there is one final level of defence that a successful football team can use: the goalkeeper.
In a nutshell, the goalkeeper is arguably the most crucial player in a defence group because their actions must be calculated and concise. Above all, they must not make any mistakes that could cause the ball kicked from the opposing team to glide past them in the goal.
Good goalkeepers are people who study the game in its entirety. They must know when to anticipate the ball heading in their direction and block it without delay.
The Midfielders
A strong group of defenders isn’t the only crucial element of any successful football team. You also need some reliable midfielders; these are players who possess excellent all-round skills. Their job is to both defend and attack, and they must also keep possession of the ball.
That all sounds like a tall order to some people. But, midfielders have specific training to help them react and respond to different, fast-moving challenges in each game. Midfielders must work in harmony with defenders, strikers, forwards, and their goalkeeper at all times.
Midfielders need to be physically and mentally on top of their game at all times to succeed. Their role requires a great deal of stamina, composure, and leadership.
The Strikers and Forwards
Who are the team players that score the most goals in any football game? The answer is simple: the strikers and forwards. Their primary role in all football games is to put pressure on the opposing side’s defence players.
The other roles that strikers and forwards play include executing tactics that help their team have the highest percentage of ball possession in each game. Those tactics incorporate holding up play and, of course, accurate ball-passing with almost military precision.
As they overcome the opposing team’s lines of defence, they must then kick the ball into the goal to score. Of course, they must also ensure they don’t score an ‘own goal’ for obvious reasons!
The Captain
Like with any sports team, there must be someone who directs all the players and instils confidence. That job rests on the shoulders of the team captain. The captain should be a motivational figurehead in any football team that the players turn to for help and support.
The captain of any football team may not necessarily be the best striker, forward, midfielder, or goalkeeper. What they are good at doing is fostering a culture of cooperation and determination, and keeping morale within the team high.
Football team captains are also there to settle any disputes between players, maintain composure within the group, and lead the team with successful strategies and tactics. Captains are also excellent communicators, both on and off the pitch.
The Manager
In any football team, the manager is so-called because they are the boss of the group. The captain might be in charge of supervising and motivating players on the pitch, but it’s the manager’s job to make team-wide decisions that will help their side be victorious often.
What sort of things does a football team manager do, you might ask yourself? They are ultimately responsible for the hiring and firing of players, coming up with workable game strategies, and making tough judgement calls about the team’s players.
The manager is perhaps under the most pressure in any football team, especially one in the Premier League. If they can’t provide the support needed and help steer the team to victory, they will get sacked by their team.
Other Influential Factors
Of course, it’s not just who plays in a football team or their role in it that makes a football team successful. Here’s what else influences the success of any team:
Team Attitude
It’s no secret that it’s the captain and the manager’s job to ensure good harmony within the team. The trouble is, football captains and managers don’t dominate how each player leads their lives – both off and on the pitch.
The sad truth about football, especially teams that are often in the media spotlight, is how some players let their success and fame get to their heads. When that happens, there can be some animosity towards those players, both from their teammates and their supporters.
A football team must have the right attitude to succeed. After all: football teams will get judged on their performance, and if their attitude inhibits that performance, they won’t be at the top of their sport.
Team Investment
What else can affect the success of any football team wishing to make great strides in the sport? Team investment is another influential factor to consider. As you can appreciate, football teams need financial investment for various reasons:
- Player and management salaries;
- Home stadium and training ground;
- Transport and accommodation for away games.
Those are just some of the expenses that football teams have to bear. As a team rises through the ranks and reaches a global standing, its costs will undoubtedly increase. With that in mind, a football team must get the most investment it can muster.
In some ways, you can compare a football team to running a business. You must invest money in a company for it to grow and succeed; the same rules apply to running a football team.
The Supporters
Finally, a football team’s supporters will positively influence the outcome of each match played. All football teams, irrespective of their size, will have a following of fans that support them. Some of those fans will even be life-long ones.
Supporters will help boost a football team’s morale because the players and management know there are people out there that want them to succeed. Those supporters are also paramount to the team’s financial investment for several reasons:
- Supporters will pay for tickets to watch their team play at home or away;
- They’ll purchase merchandise, gifts, and other items;
- Most of that money will fund the team’s development and growth, such as with the ‘purchase’ of players from other teams.
Without supporters, a football team may find it pointless even playing because they’ll know that no-one wants to support them!
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, the above details will give you a lot of insight and information into what makes any football team become successful. There are no ‘secrets’ to creating a successful football team from scratch, as long as the concepts discussed above get taken into consideration.
What’s more, you’ve undoubtedly learnt that successful footballing requires a lot of dedication, teamwork, and also support. Plus, the right team attitude will ensure that morale and motivation levels remain high.