If the students I entered for music examinations all regularly failed, I'm sure that those left would leave, and certainly few new ones would be flocking to my studio!Of course, this is the 'real world' where success tends to be rewarded, and failure deserves the opposite. In this way we learn to improve - failure's no bad thing at times!
Now in the unreal world of professional football, failure at one club often leads to a fresh appointment at another, and often better one. This certainly seems to be what happens where managers are concerned!
Look at Liverpool's Rafa Benitez! Liverpool have done virtually nothing this season - no silverware or hopes for anything good next time. They have the players, but clearly Benitez either can't relate to them (or more likely them to him!), and they just don't 'play for him'.
It's not surprising, though! Have you ever watched this little hyperactive man at the touchline? God knows what all those strange little gestures he makes mean. There's one which clearly looks as if he's telling his players to 'go and masturbate' - or is he just calling them a bunch of w**kers!
His team selection is often bizarre, and his seeming ability to bring off the player who is actually playing his heart out, rather than one who clearly isn't trying, is often evident.
In the real world he should get the sack - he clearly can't do the job which basically requires that Liverpool are successful and make money - that's what football is now all about.
However, Rafa's prize? It looks as if he might now move to top Italian Serie A club, Juventus, on the strength of his 'successes' at Anfield. I'm afraid I just don't get it and once more it sends out completely the wrong message.........or does it?
A student was telling me that, at his school, those kids who are badly behaved got a trip to Alton Towers as a 'reward'! Furthermore, when they get there, they can jump the queues because the act of queueing could upset them, make them angry, etc. Oh dear,what a shame! Tell that to the people who had to queue out on the pavement at the NatWest bank in Plymstock yesterday, just because one teller window was shut, and a customer had a young baby which always means that the staff have got to go all broody and talk about baby things, while we wait! Also, why do people plonk their young kids on the actual counter where we have to write things - most hygienic, I'd say, but don't get me going on another one just now!
