--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: you are brought face to face with the…" description: "\"“you are brought face to face with the great question about the soccer coach: Does he really matter? It turns out that coaches or managers (call them w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f0/simon-kuper-23141_face-to-face_you-are-brought-face-to-face-with-the-gr_1304924.jpg" --- # you are brought face to face with the great question about… ![“you are brought face to face with the great question about the soccer coach: Does he really matter? It turns out that coaches or managers (call them what you like) simply don’t make that much difference.” quote by Simon Kuper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f0/simon-kuper-23141_face-to-face_you-are-brought-face-to-face-with-the-gr_1304924.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f0/simon-kuper-23141_face-to-face_you-are-brought-face-to-face-with-the-gr_1304924.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f0/simon-kuper-23141_face-to-face_you-are-brought-face-to-face-with-the-gr_1304924.jpg) > ““you are brought face to face with the great question about the soccer coach: Does he really matter? It turns out that coaches or managers (call them what you like) simply don’t make that much difference.”” [Simon Kuper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-kuper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Coaches have limited influence on outcomes; many factors outweigh managerial impact in sports success. **In simple terms:** Coaches matter less than many think. Key Takeaway Focus on player development and tactics. Themes sports leadership performance Mood critical analytical Type analytical observational When to use this quote - team building - player scouting - game strategy Key Concepts statistics team dynamics role of management Questions to Reflect On - When does a coach’s influence become decisive? - How do resources affect coach impact? A Different Perspective Great coaches can still be crucial in certain contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Face to face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face-to-face/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Soccer coach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soccer-coach/) ## Related quotes > [At the end of the day, you can change coaches and managers and players, but if there's something intrinsic, something wrong, then you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-aries/at-the-end-of-the-day-you-can-change-coaches-and-managers-and-players/) [Austin Aries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-aries/) > [Berbatov is a great talent, there is no question about that, and as coaches and managers we demand more from great talents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-phelan/berbatov-is-a-great-talent-there-is-no-question-about-that-and-as/) [Mike Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-phelan/) > [Many coaches and managers had plans for me, but I was still learning MMA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mackenzie-dern/many-coaches-and-managers-had-plans-for-me-but-i-was-still-learning/) [Mackenzie Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mackenzie-dern/) > [People always get confused. They talk about coaches. The reality is, these coaches and managers that everybody thinks are in so much control, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-cormier/people-always-get-confused-they-talk-about-coaches-the-reality-is/) [Daniel Cormier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-cormier/) > [It's good that we have good managers like Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger in this countr,y but I think we should be trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-moyes/it-s-good-that-we-have-good-managers-like-jose-mourinho-and-arsene/) [David Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-moyes/) > [I've gone through managers like people go through shredded wheat. Nobody looks after you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/i-ve-gone-through-managers-like-people-go-through-shredded-wheat/) [Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/) > [I think sometimes managers like to buy players because they're more experienced from abroad or when they've got players under their nose that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-kane/i-think-sometimes-managers-like-to-buy-players-because-they-re-more/) [Harry Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-kane/) > [Top managers, like Pochettino, Klopp and Guardiola don't make excuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barnes/top-managers-like-pochettino-klopp-and-guardiola-don-t-make-excuses/) [John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barnes/) > [If you play for managers like Karl Robinson, it's about your development, but there are times when you have to stick up for yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-bamford/if-you-play-for-managers-like-karl-robinson-it-s-about-your/) [Patrick Bamford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-bamford/) > [I called my managers, and they were like, 'What is Tijuana Jackson?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romany-malco/i-called-my-managers-and-they-were-like-what-is-tijuana-jackson/) [Romany Malco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romany-malco/) > [There are no managers like there used to be managers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-manuel/there-are-no-managers-like-there-used-to-be-managers/) [Richard Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-manuel/) > [Going out and looking for managers is like going out and looking for rattlesnakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/going-out-and-looking-for-managers-is-like-going-out-and-looking-for/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [I would love to retire at Real Madrid, but I will not make problems if a coach does not have me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iker-casillas/i-would-love-to-retire-at-real-madrid-but-i-will-not-make-problems-if/) [Iker Casillas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iker-casillas/) > [Normally, the coach does not like to make changes that are not necessary - because a team has to find itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/normally-the-coach-does-not-like-to-make-changes-that-are-not/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) > [When you look at what a coach does, it is leadership, it is communication, it is teaching, it is motivation. It really comes down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-thibodeau/when-you-look-at-what-a-coach-does-it-is-leadership-it-is/) [Tom Thibodeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-thibodeau/) ## More by Simon Kuper > [“The theory of the “wisdom of crowds” says that if you aggregate many different opinions from a diverse group of people, you are much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-kuper/the-theory-of-the-wisdom-of-crowds-says-that-if-you-aggregate-many/) [Simon Kuper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-kuper/) > [Even before 2007, this half of a small island was the richest football country on earth. In 2005-2006 the Premiership's total revenue was about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-kuper/even-before-2007-this-half-of-a-small-island-was-the-richest-football/) [Simon Kuper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-kuper/) > [“It’s sad to say, but it is much easier selling, for example, a crap Brazilian than a brilliant Mexican. The Brazilian gets across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-kuper/it-s-sad-to-say-but-it-is-much-easier-selling-for-example-a-crap/) [Simon Kuper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-kuper/) > [“Entrepreneurs who dip into soccer also keep making the same mistakes. They buy clubs promising to run them “like a business” and disappear a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-kuper/entrepreneurs-who-dip-into-soccer-also-keep-making-the-same-mistakes/) [Simon Kuper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-kuper/) > [Football is not merely a small business, it's also a bad one. Anyone who spends any time inside football soon discovers that just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-kuper/football-is-not-merely-a-small-business-it-s-also-a-bad-one-anyone/) [Simon Kuper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-kuper/) > [Chelsea's players, coaches and agents are now football's wealthiest millionaires. 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It's a populist democracy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-kuper/the-club-is-not-a-business-it-s-a-populist-democracy/) [Simon Kuper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-kuper/) > [“Stars of Recent World Cups, or European Championships Are Overvalued The worst time to buy a player is in the summer when he’s just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-kuper/stars-of-recent-world-cups-or-european-championships-are-overvalued/) [Simon Kuper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-kuper/) > [“Because soccer clubs are the only businesses that get daily publicity without trying to, they treat journalists as humble supplicants instead of as unpaid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-kuper/because-soccer-clubs-are-the-only-businesses-that-get-daily-publicity/) [Simon Kuper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-kuper/) > [“You don't have to be charming to be a fan among fans.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-kuper/you-don-t-have-to-be-charming-to-be-a-fan-among-fans/) [Simon Kuper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-kuper/) > [Other than sports, only war and catastrophe can create this sort of national unity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-kuper/other-than-sports-only-war-and-catastrophe-can-create-this-sort-of/) [Simon Kuper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-kuper/) > [“The wisdom of crowds fails when the components of the crowd are not diverse enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-kuper/the-wisdom-of-crowds-fails-when-the-components-of-the-crowd-are-not/) [Simon Kuper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-kuper/) [Explore all 26 Simon Kuper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-kuper/) ## More Face to face quotes > [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [A man may quarrel with himself alone; that is, by controverting his better instincts and knowledge when brought face to face with temptation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/a-man-may-quarrel-with-himself-alone-that-is-by-controverting-his/) [William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/) > [Science manipulates things and gives up living in them. 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