Everyone needs balance in their lives.
Too much of any one thing will never turn out to be beneficial. It’s all about maintaining a level of everything, good and bad.
Brendan Rodgers insists his players can’t always be praised all the time, as he reacted to some who were perhaps surprised by his angry outburst at his squad during Sunday’s game against St Johnstone.
Likening his players to flowers, he highlighted that they need the right amount of praise, but an equal amount of criticism thrown in for good measure too.
His flower analogy is an interesting one. It’s understandable the point he’s making. He will hope it’ll be a while before his squad feels his wrath of him at half time in a game again, starting with Hibernian tomorrow night.
“No, I always say it - a pat on the back is only about 20 inches from a kick in the backside,” the Irishman exclaimed when it was mentioned that there’s nothing wrong with giving someone a stern talking to.
“This is a club with expectations and demands every single game. I haven’t won anything since I’ve been back here. I want to win back here again like I did the first time. For that, I know what it takes to win and what the demands to win are at a club like this.
“So if I see it then I will call it. You’re right - I think praise and criticism come hand in hand. I always say it’s like a flower. A flower needs the sunshine and the rain. Give it too much sun, and it dies. Too much rain, it dies.
“Players and people are the same. Too much praise, it hurts them. But it’s always in balance. I always have a very positive outlook on life and football. But it’s all about timing and the intervention. It worked for us.”
These days compared to those of the past are like chalk and cheese as far as mental health and its importance go.
During Rodgers’ days as a player while in a changing room, a coach could fly off the handle at any moment and no one among the playing squad would bat an eyelid. It’s just the way things were in a bygone era. The Celtic manager insists it’s partly why he’s adopted the coaching and man-management style that he has.
He said: “That’s why I don’t do it. Sometimes you have to be harsh to be clear. The game on Sunday was nothing to do with tactics. The game was clearly in need of an intervention at half time.
“The generation now is totally different. Certainly some of the things I saw when I was younger I wouldn’t now. The game has shaped my way of working because I didn’t see how that benefitted me.
“There are some certain times where it can have an effect, as long as it’s honest and clear to the point.”
One player that certainly won’t be critiqued much this season if his form to date is anything to go by, is Matt O’Riley. The Denmark international scored the best goal of his professional career to date on Sunday as part of the rescue mission in Perth.
As he settled down to speak to the media on Monday, the 23-year-old revealed that doing Pilates off his own back has helped him to improve his balance.
It’s these sorts of extra-curricular activities – alongside meditation and speaking to a life coach – that separate players at the very top level and the rest.
Rodgers commented: “That’s all about the individual player. That’s a great testament to Matt’s professionalism that he does that.
“I always say that players are self-employed. They get paid a bit more than a plumber, a joiner and a journalist, but they’re self-employed. They play for a team, they work for a club but really they’re not guys who have to look after their bodies and their minds. The best ones will do all they possibly can in order to do that.
“What’s great from Matt’s perspective is sometimes that only comes to players later on in life. He’s doing it as a really young player.
“Especially when you’re really gifted technically, these things you might think don’t really matter. The beauty with him is he’s really opened up his mind to being a top professional.
“That’s what they do at the highest level. They look after their bodies, they have their own chefs, and some of them I’ve worked with have had teams of people living in their houses just to make sure they have every tool there to be the best that they can.
“He gets well looked after here in every aspect in terms of technically, physically, coached, everything, but to then want to add that extra level, that’s what you want to see.”
Tomoki Iwata made a difference when he came off the bench at the weekend. Rodgers admits he would’ve played in holding midfield had he been fit to face Lazio last week. So, there is a chance fans shall see him feature there against Hibs this midweek.
The manager added: “It’s one of the areas I want to improve in the team. What we have is, we’ve got David [Turnbull] whose strengths, with the greatest respects, are to play against low blocks when we’re trying to nick a goal. Getting around the pitch is maybe not a strength. When you go into Champions League games you need to have that ability to run. So, then Paolo [Bernardo] has played in those games.
“It’s finding that sort of complete package really. Callum [McGregor] has played that deeper role for a few years but it’s something that I’ve thought about for sure. Tomo would’ve played in Lazio if he was available, but sadly he missed out.”
