Ignore the Noise: Big-Money Transfers Mean Little without the Basics

Paris Saint-Germain striker Neymar. (AFP)
Paris Saint-Germain striker Neymar. (AFP)
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Ignore the Noise: Big-Money Transfers Mean Little without the Basics

Paris Saint-Germain striker Neymar. (AFP)
Paris Saint-Germain striker Neymar. (AFP)

Ignore the noise. If you were one of the millions tuning in to television, radio or social media on transfer deadline day on January 31, then I expect you would have found it impossible to escape the hype and hullabaloo of the mega money‑go‑round we call the transfer window. Even we players (and coaches and clubs) get caught up in the excitement of the comings and goings but I wonder if, in all the millions being thrown about, we are losing sight of what’s really important in football.

The legendary New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick could never be accused of lacking focus and “ignore the noise” is the statement that has become synonymous with him – it’s plastered all over the Patriots’ training ground, stadium and locker rooms. On February 5, Belichick and his quarterback Tom Brady lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.

Despite the loss, they remain the most successful coach/quarterback combination in the history of the sport and their way of working is something that we as players, coaches and supporters can take, learn from and apply to our thinking in terms of our outlook on our football – especially in terms of recruitment and not being influenced by external pressures while concentrating on the most important elements of sport: how to affect what is happening on the field of play.

Ignore the noise is a way of reminding everyone working for the organization to focus on the fundamentals, to improve their basics every single day in order to achieve long-term, consistent success and not to lose focus. Belichick is the NFL’s equivalent of Sir Alex Ferguson in the Premier League, building and rebuilding his roster without fuss and in turn having long-term consistent success, culminating in his eighth Super Bowl appearance, the most by a head coach.

Ferguson famously responded to winning trophies by telling his players the next day they should forget about the medals and celebrations and focus on the next challenge. At Manchester United he created a legacy famous for finding, developing and coaching the Class of ‘92 – a group of young players no one had heard of – and turning them into multiple champions.

So did Belichick with Brady, who is the undisputed biggest name in the sport but was an unwanted, unheralded and unknown player when drafted by New England. Brady is a fantastic example that doing all of the ugly stuff – improving technically in training, watching and studying film and working in the gym – is the best way of guaranteeing a consistent level of performance in any sport as opposed to how much money is spent on a high-profile signing.

The more I watch elements of the game analyzed, discussed and commentated on by our media, especially the ever-increasing hype, razzmatazz and over-analysis surrounding the transfer window, the more I wonder if we are forgetting the most important influence on the outcomes of football matches. With the incredible amount of money flowing into the game and the huge numbers being quoted for players in terms of transfer fees and wages, there seems to be a growing pressure for clubs to show their ambition, which apparently can be gauged only by the amount of money they spend on a big-name transfer while following up with the most elaborate player introductions possible on official social media accounts or cleverly designed videos on websites.

I realize the need for every club to improve the personnel within their squads and I understand the excitement when a signing comes in who can reinvigorate the belief that this will be the time when the club could progress to a whole new level. But the cynical and unromantic view is that it is what happens in the less glamorous aspects of our game at our training grounds, in the gym and in analysis rooms that can really make all the difference between winning and losing on a Saturday afternoon week after week.

The reality is that you can break the transfer record or pay a player the highest salary in the history of the sport but if you don’t do things correctly at the base level then you’re going to find achieving success difficult. Sometimes the noise created by a marquee signing can have a negative effect in the dressing room or on the collective and you only have to look at the stories of discontent at Paris Saint-Germain following Neymar’s signing as an example.

At Hull, we went on an FA Cup run in 2014 and our unfashionable and little-fancied team reached the final against Arsenal. While the hype and hysteria that followed us to Wembley raged, we concentrated on practicing our attacking at set plays on the training ground because we felt our opponents could be vulnerable at dead-ball situations. We scored twice from exactly that play and gave the Gunners a hell of a game.

Belichick and Brady no doubt had their own special plays ready for the Super Bowl and, while the melee ensued around the greatest show on earth, you can be sure that the men at the heart of the Patriots remained as calm as ever. And ignored the noise.

The Guardian Sport



Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr Eyes Asian Glory amid Revitalized Saudi Pro League Campaign

Al-Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsia at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on November 22, 2024. (AFP)
Al-Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsia at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on November 22, 2024. (AFP)
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Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr Eyes Asian Glory amid Revitalized Saudi Pro League Campaign

Al-Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsia at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on November 22, 2024. (AFP)
Al-Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsia at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on November 22, 2024. (AFP)

Cristiano Ronaldo’s hopes of winning a first major trophy since arriving in Saudi Arabia in 2022 were given an unlikely domestic lifeline on Saturday and, on Monday, the Portuguese star can help Al-Nassr stay on course for a first Asian title.

Ronaldo scored his seventh goal of the season against Al-Qadsia on Friday in a battle against Spanish defender Nacho but his former Real Madrid teammate was celebrating at the final whistle.

“It was a different and difficult game against Ronaldo,” Nacho said. “He is my friend and I had the best part of my career playing with him but here we have a different experience and are playing for different teams. It was an honor to play against him.”

Al-Nassr looked to be slipping out of the Saudi Pro League (SPL) title race. Al-Hilal, unbeaten in 46 league games, would have gone nine points clear on Saturday with a win against Al-Khaleej but despite leading 2-0, Hilal fell to a shock 3-2 defeat, a first since May 2023.

“We knew that the victories would not continue because this is football,” said Hilal forward Marcos Leonardo. “We have to work and achieve victory in the next match in the AFC Champions League Elite.”

Saudi Arabian clubs have yet to lose in the western zone of the Asian competition — the 24 teams in the tournament are divided into two groups of 12 with eight from each progressing to the Round of 16 after playing eight matches — and occupy the top three spots.

Al-Nassr is third with ten points from four games and will be almost certain of a place in the next round if it defeats Al-Gharafa of Qatar.

Al-Hilal, a four-time champion and top of the group with four wins, also travels to Qatar to face 2011 winner Al-Sadd. Unlike SPL games, Neymar is eligible to play in Asian competitions but the Brazilian is still recovering from the injury sustained against Esteghlal of Iran earlier in November.

Al-Ahli of Jeddah is second with the maximum 12 points and faces defending champion Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates. Al-Ain is bottom of the group and lost 5-4 to Hilal and then 5-1 to Nassr, defeats which cost Hernan Crespo his job as head coach earlier in November. The Argentine has been replaced by Leonardo Jardim, the Portuguese boss who led Al-Hilal to the 2021 continental title.

In the eastern zone, there is another former champion in 12th and last place. Ulsan HD, winner in 2012 and 2020, has lost all four games. Ulsan has just won a third successive South Korean title and needs to defeat newly-crowned Chinese champion Shanghai Port to keep chances of the second round alive.

Australia’s sole representative Central Coast Mariners is also in need of victory as it has just one point. The A-League team however has a daunting trip to Japan to face group leader Vissel Kobe.