Ego, Cooking & Football, Why They're All Related

You need the right ingredients to prepare a delicious meal just like you need the right players to form a dominant football team. When I say right players, I don't just refer to talented players. There's more than just that to a dominant football team.

Talent is one of the most important ingredients of a dominant football team and there are few people, if any, who argue against this idea.

That said, the implication is that a rich football club can just purchase 11 of the world's best players and sweep every league and tournament in front of them. Some clubs such as Real Madrid and Chelsea have attempted to do just that in recent times.

But unexpectedly, the trophies did not roll in. In fact, despite their firepower, they struggled to match their domestic rivals, in the domestic title race and did not enjoy any luck in the Champions League.

Why did they struggle despite their talent? Did they have the ingredients to make a great football team? Obviously they did not. Which begs the questions, what else is needed apart from talent? My answer to that question is that you need an ego balance.

Too many superstars in a team lead to a dangerously high number of egos. Most coaches, if not all coaches, are incapable of handling so many egos, and for that reason, such teams end up being disjointed and are not the sum of their parts.

There have been occasions where such teams have gone on to win some trophies but overall they are not considered successful. A large number of egos in a team means that bench players are not too pleased and this creates tension within player ranks.

The best football teams ever to play the game had few egos to worry about. They were all mainly built around one or two main players, who also acted as inspirational leaders for the team.

Numerous examples can be noted such as 1986 Argentinean team led by none other than Maradona while Barcelona's dominance in the last couple of years was based on the talents of Deco and Ronaldinho.

It's no surprise that Barcelona have fallen to bits since the acquisition of Henry which simply added another big ego, and this has ultimately unbalanced the team. Such a situation has seen Deco and Ronaldinho both wanting to leave the club.

The main lesson to be learned is that a great football team is not just about talent but about the amount of egos in a team. 'Galactico' teams have never worked, even if it's tempting for cashed up teams. The idea that a team of champions does not make a champion team cannot be truer.