How David Moyes can motivate Manchester United against Bayern Munich
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s winning goal against Bayern Munich in 1999
Consider David Moyes giving this speech to his players just before the players go out on Tuesday to face the European Champions, Bayern Munich, in the first leg of the quarter final tie of the Champions League.
“In a footballer’s life, there are very few occasions when a football field turns into a battlefield. Luckily for all of you, today is one such day. When the clock hits 8 and you take on the field, then promise yourself only one thing; Ultimate Glory.
Note, that losing is not even an option. I’d rather want you to die out of breath by running over every blade of grass and try for that win, than to lose.
Remember, a skilled adversary is beaten when its movements are restricted and its weakness are exposed. The only weakness that Bayern Munich has tonight is that they are facing all of you.
And if anyone of you out here has any doubt about yourself or may feel that Bayern Munich is way much better than us; then I’ll tell you another thing…
Bayern Munich may in fact be the favorites. And the odds may be stacked heavily against us. And they might come here thinking the result as already a foregone conclusion. Fair enough.
But what Munich doesn’t know is that they are coming here to face a group of players who know how it is like to be in their place. But, its just that they haven’t lived up to their status this term and ,hence, have been humiliated all over the world.
Humiliation, my friends, is the greatest motivation in this world. It’s when you really get hurt from deep inside, your real self comes out. Emotions can weigh a man down or lift him in the air. Just make sure you are amongst the latter. Because when you channelize that anger into a positive direction, what follows is something really extraordinary.
So don’t be surprised if somebody amongst you decides to flip the script and take it on the entire world. Take it on all those people who’ve doubted you, take it on all those circumstances that have stopped you and, most of all, take it on yourself who think you’re not good enough to beat them.
Football, like life, is not a game where it’s always the stronger who’ll win. Both of them are a completely different kind of a game where passion and desire have a funny way of trumping the logic.
Therefore, always remember, you don’t win anything just because you are more strong, talented, intelligent or lucky. You win anything just because you want to win it more than anybody else out there.
And with everything that we have gone through this season, with everything that has been said or written about us in the public and with everything we may have been accused of this year, there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that there’s nobody else out there in this world who would want to win this match tonight more than us!
Remove any kind of doubt or fear you might have when you stand besides them in the tunnel. The battle starts right there. It is all about that first look into the eyes of your opponent – The iron gaze of a warrior. The frozen stare of a man possessed. The piercing glare of a champion.
So guys, live up to your name, live up to the jersey that you’re wearing and, most of all, live up to those who’ve been supporting us all through this thick and thin.
And now, if you don’t feel the blood rushing through your veins, you don’t feel the hair on the back of your neck rising or you don’t feel the urge to just immediately go out there on the field and be on the faces of those Germans; then just quietly move out of this room because, I am sure, without you we’ll be much better off.
Its a war; go for the win or do not turn up at all !
Go out there and play the best football of your life. Good luck boys!”
Motivation trumps talent. Apart from the required level of motivation and desire that David Moyes can impart onto his players such that they put their everything into the match, there is no formation, tactics, strategy or plan in this world that he would be able to devise to beat Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
Fingers Crossed. Believe!