A great deal has happened since my blog post in June but, strangely, that post is as relevant now as it was then; it was all about cohesion.
https://wordpress.com/post/winnyssite.wordpress.com/1923
I’ve heard quite a bit about some dissension in the ranks. Strangely this was concentrated in a very small group and I heard that the very vast majority of the team were happy with events and with where they are being led and by whom. For “dissension” read “dick swinging”. It’s a phrase I like and that is appropriate. In any large group of males with excess testosterone you will find dick swingers. People that think they matter more than they do and should have more say than they do. These team members are destructive to cohesion. They are splinters annoying a small unnecessary wound and a salve needs to be applied or it has to be removed permanently for the good of the whole.
As some of the most knowledgeable fans in rugby Gloucester supporters know full well that one man doesn’t win a game. They can help toward that goal but cannot do it alone. But what is needed is a leader. Somewhere where the buck stops and a decision is made. With the departure of David Humphries and a few others I think we now find ourselves in possession of a single leader. A man given the opportunity to turn Gloucester around. And having watched, quietly, his first few months in charge I think we may just have found one.
When I was a senior manager with a large team I had people that wanted to work for me. They saw the manner in which I managed and wanted to be a part of my team. That is an important first step in building a cohesive unit. If your team are not on-board you’ll never get a reliable squad on the pitch. Skivs has that. From what I see, in bucket loads. Word from the changing room is very supportive of what is happening.
Of course there is a huge amount of work to be done. With splinters being removed the budget enables the leader to find players that buy into his ethos….and crickey, aren’t we seeing some names sign up!
This on top of other quality signings such as Alemanno, Garvey, Gibson, Moyle and probably the most talked about recruit this season, Jordy Reid.
And with huge swathes of injuries and a need to rest key squad members Skivs had to go searching the Academy & Hartpury to create a squad to face a massive unit like Lyon. And what did he come up with but Seb Nagle-Taylor.
As most people that bother to read my articles know I feel we will be top 4 in 22/23 if not before. There will be bumps and scrapes along the way. It’s a truism that no natural river or stream will run straight for longer than 10 times its own width. As it is with teams. We will have ups & downs but as we proceed ups will start to outnumber downs and as we reach the coast there will be smoother sailing. We will not win every game. There will be massive disappointments. But in these first few weeks of the new season and in finishing off the last we have had numerous injuries and international call ups. What we have ahead of us is the opportunity to grow as a squad with a leader that knows what he wants and seems to know how to get it.
As for The Man That Would be King……..Imagine being the
Dick Swinger that Delivered the Premiership Title To Kingsholm.
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