Years ago when sport was good, you didn\u2019t have optics. You just had what happened. And what happened was what you had seen happen.<\/p>\n
Things are different now. If you haven\u2019t lent into optics when discussing your underperforming team, then you\u2019re missing out. One dictionary definition for you: Optics (1) \u201cThe way in which an event or course of action is perceived by the public.\u201d<\/p>\n
It appears you do want a coach or manager who doesn\u2019t care about optics. But at the same time, optics are important, because it is all we have to work with when results aren\u2019t in your favour.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s a fine line between the perception of the event, and the event itself. The other optics \u2013 Optics (2) \u201cThe scientific study of sight and the behaviour of light\u201d \u2013 seems like a posh way of saying what you\u2019re looking at, whether you\u2019re watching England\u2019s top order fail to deliver again<\/a>, Spurs having an xG of 0.000001 or Celtic losing four in a row<\/a>.<\/p>\n Certainly one way to prove you have no interest in optics is to tweet a Venn diagram when trying to change your WhatsApp profile picture. Not enough Venn diagrams in football, Brian. By all accounts Wilfried Nancy didn\u2019t mean to post two overlapping circles. THINGS THAT MATTER. THINGS YOU CAN CONTROL. A little shaded bit. WHAT YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON \u2013 and an arrow pointing to the shaded area.<\/p>\n The diagram does lead to some existential questions. Does football matter? And does a football manager really have any control over the football match that\u2019s happening in front of him?<\/p>\n Perhaps Nancy has been brought to Glasgow to incontrovertibly prove that this thing we invest so much of our time and money in is of no material importance. Like quite a lot of the elite LinkedIn diary of a self-improvement performance movement, when you take away all the bullshit, very little remains. But what if the Venn diagram is right? Take a look at your life, work out what matters, work out what you control, and focus on that.<\/p>\n Do I matter? Does this column matter? Do I have control over it? Or does it control me? Does anyone have control over anything? Would Nietzsche play wing-backs against St Mirren? And if we don\u2019t have free will, do I even have the power to focus on the shaded bit in the Venn diagram telling me to get on with this column?<\/p>\n One thing missing from almost all of your be-the-best-you Venn diagrams is luck. None of your successful \u201cI\u2019m-really-good-at-life-be-like-me\u201d podcasters ever like to include the incredible amount of fortune anyone needs to succeed.<\/p>\n Wilfried Nancy watches as his side slide to a 2-1 defeat at Dundee United, having led at half-time. Photograph: Jamie Johnston\/Focus Images Ltd\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n Certainly Nancy hasn\u2019t had a whole lot of luck. Daizen Maeda missed a header my colleague Barry Glendenning would have scored with his eyes closed late on at Tannadice Park. Frankly Celtic could have been well ahead before Dundee United equalised in the second half. He\u2019s unlucky to have followed an absolute legend of the club, who did well<\/a> and then said he would have stayed on.<\/p>\n Nancy has been unlucky. But he has also been not good. A win percentage of zero is testament to that. By all accounts he had a 15-minute handover chat with Martin O\u2019Neill. At least do a free 40-minute Zoom call, Wilfried. Think of the optics.<\/p>\n Where does a tiny tactics board sit on your bad optics list? It seems churlish to criticise a manager for using something that might make the top five answers in a Family Fortunes round of \u201cThings a manager might use\u201d. Is tactics board there, Les? Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep. Fourth answer! You\u2019ve won a set of garden furniture.<\/p>\n