Coaching the ‘Uncoachables’

During the 2014/15 season, Saido Berahino scored 20 goals across all competitions for West Brom, including 14 in the Premier League. The youngster’s impressive form led to serious interest from a number of top sides in England. However, Baggies chairman Jeremy Peace blocked a move to Spurs, unsatisfied with the £15 million on offer.

Berahino didn’t take the decision well. Although his initial refusal to play for the club again was resolved, he continued to show immaturity with a series of off-field incidents. Along with being caught on camera inhaling the dangerous nitrous oxide, he was also charged with drink-driving on three separate occasions between 2012 and 2019. Dressing room bust-ups and a drugs related ban from competition complete his lengthy list of misdemeanors.

Now 26, the Burundi international has recently been released by Championship strugglers Stoke City, despite having 3 years left to run on his contract. Berahino only managed to find the back of the net five times in 56 appearances for the Potteries and following the news of his exit, former teammate Glen Johnson spoke with talkSPORT about the forward’s terrible attitude.

“He was always going against the grain. It was like he had a vendetta every day. If we were told to wear this, he’d wear something different. If I was a manager or an owner I wouldn’t take him if you paid me.”

On social media, most people were unimpressed by Berahino. There were a few, however, who were more disappointed with Johnson for damaging the player’s reputation further. Ravel Morrison accused the former England defender of ‘trying to destroy careers’.

If Berahino’s career at the top is indeed over, the truth is that he must take responsibility for his own failure. But it was interesting to see Morrison, another prime example of unfulfilled potential, come to his defence. Also 26, Morrison has had spells in Italy, Mexico, and Sweden, without producing any kind of consistency. This despite being touted as one of the most naturally gifted players to emerge from Manchester United’s academy during Sir Alex Ferguson’s time at Old Trafford.

Morrison clearly empathises with Berahino in a way that few others can. Both have failed to make the most of their talent and as we will discover, both experienced somewhat chaotic upbringings. While there is no excuse for a bad attitude, there are usually a wide variety of possible explanations. This article will examine some common causal factors of a poor mentality, as well as identifying how coaches can help players to overcome these problems.

The Coach’s Responsibility

Ultimately, coaches exist to help individuals and teams to actualise their potential. Assisting players in their mastery of the psychological skills required to sustain a career in football, or any walk of life for that matter, is an essential part of the job. Only having the ability to correct technical or tactical faults is insufficient.

The term ‘coachable’ is often spoke about in relation to a player's attitude, but the reality is that some young people need more guidance and support than others. If a coach can only work with players who follow their every command while dismissing the more 'difficult' ones, are they fulfilling their role entirely?

‘Bad apples’ is another phrase we often hear in relation to these types of players. But labelling individuals in this manner is as lazy as it is unhelpful. Instead of trying to solve the problem, it suggests that the people in question are rotten to the core and can't be helped.

Admittedly, at professional level spending time to help a self-destructive character turn his career around is more difficult and comes with an element of personal risk attached. Persisting with them in spite of poor behaviour sends out a message to the rest of the group and may well dilute the strength of any cultural principles you have tried to impose. Of course, it may also cost you results on the pitch.

However, when discussing youth football specifically, the priority should always be development. And as mentioned, working to assist players’ psychological growth to ensure they have the tools required for success in whatever industry they end up in, is a responsibility that coaches should never neglect. Had Berahino or Morrison received the appropriate guidance and support as youngsters, maybe their careers would have panned out differently.

Traumatic Experiences

In 1997, Berahino’s father was killed during the Burundian Civil War. A ten-year-old Saido fled to England in an attempt to join his mother, brother, and sisters who had already been granted asylum. On his arrival in the U.K, he was unable to locate his family and was temporarily placed in a care home. Things slowly began to turn around for the youngster, but such experiences are bound to affect a person's outlook on life.

Being separated from family at a young age and coming to terms with the death of a parent in violent circumstances is something that very few people will truly be able to relate to. Berahino's teammates could be forgiven for failing to rationalise his behaviour, and many of them were probably totally unaware of the details surrounding his journey from Burundi to Birmingham. But former Albion academy manager Mark Harrison did empathise with the young forward.

“I’m not making excuses for him but if you have been through that, what are the emotional long-term scars?"

While Harrison's natural response to Berahino's experiences was to try to understand, others are quick to point out the similar circumstances that brought Raheem Sterling to England. Jamaican-born Sterling also experienced his father being killed, before his mother took him to London at the age of five.

Having impressed as a youth player at QPR, he was signed by Liverpool and managed to break into the first team aged just 17. Again like Berahino, he quickly found himself in the newspapers for the wrong reasons. During his time at Anfield, there was talk of an attitude problem, while he was also pictured smoking a shisha pipe and inhaling nitrous oxide on two separate occasions.

The similarities between the pair’s journeys end there, however, as Sterling has gone on to win two Premier League titles with Manchester City, along with a series of individual honours. He has also racked up over 50 caps for the England senior team and is currently recognised as one of the best players in world football.

Sterling picks up an award for his campaigns against racial prejudice

The reasons for Sterling’s change in attitude and professionalism are unclear, as he tends to avoid engaging with the media. Perhaps he simply matured, deciding himself to make the most of his prodigious talents. Alternatively, maybe he received some valuable guidance or support from the people around him.

Whatever the case may be, Sterling's transformation from talented misbehaver to world-class role model is a shining example for aspirational youngsters. The specific nature of his journey to the top should also make it clear to coaches that just because a young player is displaying signs of a poor mentality, doesn't mean there is no hope for him in the game.

Instead of taking the easy route and dismissing these characters off the bat, it is important that coaches seek to understand the reasons behind problematic behaviours and consider what kind of guidance and support might offer an appropriate solution.

If a youngster is somewhat broken as a consequence of experiencing traumatic events, a coaches’ responsibility is to try and help put the pieces back together, not chuck them in the bin.

Distrust of Authority

Ravel Morrison grew up surrounded by gangs. In 2011, he received a 12-month referral order for intimidating a witness to a knifepoint robbery. Three years later, he was remanded in custody having been charged with two counts of common assualt against an ex-girlfriend and her mother, although he was ultimately cleared of all charges. Speaking to FourFourTwo in 2017, a source at Manchester United said;

“He’s had deep-rooted issues and you can either point to him and say he doesn’t know how to behave and is at fault, or you can say he is a by-product of his upbringing, a victim who needs some help and guidance.

He thought that things that were socially unacceptable were acceptable. He comes from an environment where gangs are prevalent and authority is distrusted, where you look after your own if there’s an issue, not call the police.”

Perhaps this distrust of authority figures has resulted in poor coach-player relationships and as a consequence hindered Morrison's progress as a footballer. Maybe his proximity to gang culture hasn't helped him stay on the right track either.

Morrison poses with friends in Manchester

Mutual respect between players and coaches is typically essential for a team to function effectively and for some, respect towards figures of authority is instinctual. But for others, It must be earned.

The simple fact that a coach holds a position of authority isn't always enough to command respect from every player. Pretty quickly, players will begin assessing whether or not you can help them acheive their goals. Theodore Roosevelt said that "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care", and this is also important for coaches to understand, especially when working with players who have a distrust of authority. Developing a sense of trust and demonstrating a genuine desire to help the individual in question can make a significant difference.

It's also possible that no matter what you try, some players will remain shut off from any mentorship you are offering. In these cases, ensuring that the individual has another player to look up to might achieve the desired outcome. Liverpool assistant coach, Pepijn Ljinders, say's that "young people don't need criticism, they need role models". 

The ‘badly-behaved’ youngster is well used to punishment, and their ears have likely evolved to mute any critical, condescending words from authoritative figures. But if they have another player, or former player, showing them the way instead, they may be more inclined to listen. Below, Sterling speaks about the influence that senior figures in Liverpool’s dressing room had on him earlier in his career.

"Coming through at Liverpool I had people around me like Steven Gerrard I looked up to. Looking at him I thought what can I do within myself to be half the person and player he was. You take little things and each year, try and develop not just on the field but off it.”

Quite often, coaches will quickly identify those they perceive to have a bad attitude, before finding a way to 'deal' with them. This, in theory, allows them to focus the majority of their attention and effort on the rest of the group. But It isn’t a coaches' job to ‘deal’ with anyone.

As mentioned, coaches are there to help as many players as possible to reach their potential. When considering the best course of action to take with young people, our mentality must veer away from ‘how can I deal with this player?’ and instead focus soley on ‘how can I help this player?’.

Sending them on laps of the pitch, banning them from training, or criticising them in front of the group isn't likely to get the best out of this type of personality. If most of the input they get from coaches, teachers, and parents is negative, the cycle of distrust towards figures of authority is bound to continue. In order to disrupt this cycle, coaches should try to create a relationship with the player that is based on empathy and support, rather than judgement and dismissal.

Clearly, showing sustained commitment towards the development of a player with attitude problems is a challenge. You might end up losing more battles than you win in this regard, but helping someone change the course of their life is one of the biggest rewards on offer to coaches.

Lack of Confidence

In 2008, a 20-year-old Michael Johnson was one of the Premier League’s most highly rated young talents. He had become a first-team regular for Man City and under the guidance of former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, a first senior international call up seemed just around the corner.

Four years later, Johnson announced his retirement from football having been released by City. At the time, spending “too much time in nightclubs” and a general loss of focus and motivation were cited by club sources as possible reasons for his dramatic fall. Injuries had also become a problem for the midfielder.

However, Johnson has since revealed that his decision to quit the game was primarily due to ongoing mental health issues, particularly relating to confidence.

“My issue was always self-esteem. I went out too many times, going to nightclubs. It was always to try to feel better about myself. I was going out and having a few drinks as a way of dealing with my emotions, to try to give myself a temporary high and feel good about myself for a short period.

Maybe people perceived that as, ‘He doesn’t give a fuck’, that sort of attitude. But it was the opposite. When you’re stuck in that mindset, you find any way you can to try to make yourself feel better.”

Outsiders made the mistake of assuming that the Urmston-born youngster had gotten carried away with his new-found fame and fortune. In reality, he was struggling emotionally and didn’t have the support he needed to get the most out of his career.

Forming a judgement of someone based on crumbs of information is something most of us have been guilty of. Johnson’s story is a reminder that as coaches, we must be careful not to assume we know a player’s character and their motivations for behaving in a certain way. Had people close to Johnson sought to understand his situation by speaking to him and offering support, perhaps they could have helped get him back on the path to fulfilling his immense potential.

Johnson battles for midfield dominance with Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard in 2008

Morrison is another player who, to the surprise of many, has spoken about struggling with confidence issues. Watching from the sidelines, fans and coaches often view inconsistent performances as a symptom of a lack of focus or motivation. Of course, this may be true for some players, but the perspectives of Johnson and Morrison tell us that it is often largely down to a lack of self-belief.

In an interview posted on Rio Ferdinand’s YouTube channel, Morrison explained that the best spells of his career always came under the guidance of managers who trusted and put faith in his talent.

“Harry (Redknapp) put confidence in me. If you lost the ball, he wouldn’t shout, he wouldn’t get at you, he’d just tell you to go again. So, you feel like you can go again.

In some teams if you give the ball away, you feel a bit pressured on the next one. Harry gave you ultimate confidence and made you feel like you cannot be stopped.”

In the same interview, Morrison expressed his belief that being afforded a consistent run in the team to build confidence and match sharpness was also crucial for him to be at his best. So often, we see players given one or two games and if they don’t perform, they’re back on the bench. The best coaches understand that for players who find confidence difficult to come by, a prolonged period of game-time can reap great rewards.

Earlier, we spoke about how the so-called ‘bad apple’ is used to criticism, and how it rarely seems to achieve it’s intended purpose. As discussed, having positive role models can be more effective. In addition to this, positive reinforcement of certain behaviours can be useful. Instead of picking faults, hone in on behaviours that align with the culture you’re trying to build in the team and reinforce the action with a positive comment. Every young person craves encouragement, and there's a good chance the individual with 'attitude issues' has been starved of it.

Final Thoughts

In this article, we examined some of the potential causes of attitude problems in players, while also taking a look at possible ways in which these issues can be resolved. Overall, it is clear that coaches must focus on building relationships with players based on empathy and support, and that some personalities don’t respond well to judgement and criticism. As demonstrated by the success of Raheem Sterling, creating an environment littered with positive role models is also important to enable youngsters to fulfill their potential. Finally, giving players consistent opportunities in the team and positively reinforcing certain behaviours can help to correct confidence deficits that have been masquerading as attitude flaws.