Sparky’s Column

Is fear affecting UAE football’s success?

Fear is not just a primeval response to danger - in the 21st century it's an industry. There are thousands of self help books all about coping with the fear of failure in one form or another.

Is UAE football in need of one of those self help books? The UAE's recent Asian Cup performance has provoked the usual response - blame has been leveled at the team, the coach and the opposition, it seems everyone has an opinion. The most interesting one I have heard was put forward by Tim March of Sharjah Football Club. In very simple terms he says the fear factor hampers UAE players when performing in big games. To quote Tim directly, "We live in an honour/shame culture where mistakes are viewed as a loss of face. When you consider the importance of face here in the Middle East perhaps things will start to make a little more sense. Face supersedes many other considerations, as it does not only involve the individual in question but also his family, friends and neighbourhood. Is it therefore surprising that players act on a societal default which creates a fear of missing the target and failure?"

Is there really a fear of "missing the target" that is the default in players? Well we can't look inside a players mind as he is about to shoot but I think the "fear" is endemic in football. Fear of failure plagues football all over the world. In England the academy system is results driven. Coaches feel pressure to get results, the parents expect results and so players always fear losing. They do not create, they do not try anything out of the ordinary, and so English football suffers. Only one World Cup win in 1966 proves that.

The one thing I know is that the best players are produced from a system that eliminates the fear of failure as much as is possible. Ajax Amsterdam produced six of the Dutch World Cup final team in South Africa. The philosophy at Ajax is as brilliant as it is simple. All players are encouraged to use their skills in whatever situation they face. If they are near to their own goal the coach will encourage them to find a way to play out of the situation and begin an attack. How often is this the case elsewhere? Would you encourage a young footballer to play his way out of a tight situation or just clear the ball? Encouraging creativity and positivity on a football field is an incredibly difficult thing for a coach to do when you want to win. It does however, as Ajax have proved, produce successful footballers who play without fear of losing and will take chances to win.

In Brazil the philosophy roughly translated from Portuguese is "Play Beautiful". The emphasis is on the creative. The streets, fields and beaches of Brazil are all full of players who play for the joy of the game rather than to win at all costs. The beauty of the football is the most important thing. We all know that the end product is players that are winners but they do it in style.

I don't have the answers to the questions posed here but I think there is a debate to be had and one that can only benefit UAE football.