As a manager of a social football team, i always fear the day whereby i receive the dreaded phone call or message. The notification that the crown jewel of the team can no longer continue providing his services to the team.

Cast your mind back to the years whereby professional players have shocked the world and left huge teams floundering and sweating in their lofty seats by announcing their departure to greener pastures. Zinedine Zidane from Juventus to Real Madrid (The club from Turin never seemed to recover from that loss ever since) and more notably, a certain C.Ronaldo from Manchester United to....You guessed it, Real Madrid, springs to mind.

For a social football team, what happens when this key player that normally provides all the answers on the field and also exerts unrivaled influence within the dressing room announces his departure for whatever reasons it may be. For yours truly, my mindset is to have a team of players who know their roles and work hard for the cause of the team.

However, it is undeniable that although football is a team game, every team needs what i would call ‘The Key’. A player who can unlock tight defenses and also create the telling passes that turn into goals. The one player who possess the flamboyance and the flair that only unique characters possess. Messi for Barcelona, Ronaldo for Real Madrid, Robben for both club and country and even Rooney when he was bang on fire for Man Utd are just some examples of ‘The Key’.

I had the unfortunate experience of having to deal with the loss of ‘The Key’ from my social football team sometime back. As this occurred mid-way through what had been a successful season thus far in the league, it threw my plans into disarray. For most teams, such quality players are hard to come by. As one leaves, we social football teams do not have the luxury of professional clubs that operate using the ‘revolving door’ mentality. A like for like replacement is not usually an option that exists immediately.

Therefore, what happens when such a situation arises and a direct replacement is not on the horizon?

It is to my belief that there are 2 obvious immediate options available:

1)    For someone-else within the team who has been lying dormant for the duration whereby ‘The Key’ had been in the limelight, to step up and fill the void. (Remember Wayne Rooney stepping up and replacing Ronaldo in the 2009/2010 season?)

2)    To strengthen the team by adding more solid but not necessarily amazingly talented players who can increase the stability of the team to ensure that the sudden imaginary emptiness left by the departure of the key player is not severely felt during games.

In such a situation, it is always about maintaining the stability of the ship and not rocking it further by creating a sense of helplessness. A team manager who does not have the answers to the questions posed during his tenure, will only exude a lack of confidence that would gradually seep into the team’s play on the field.

Being a relative greenhorn in terms of being in charge of team matters, i would like to pose a similar question to all team managers out there, what would you do in such a situation?
 

Melvyn is a regular columnist with footballopod.com. A greenhorn in terms of age, a seasoned campaigner in the world of football. Football has been a passion since he was 8 and playing the beautiful game continues to set the pulses racing every week. A devil through and through although he has a penchant for total football and FC Barcelona never fails to excite!

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