Essential Ingredients

Chris Coleman (Fulham FC Manager) will be the first to admit that signing a new player is far from a straightforward process. Often identifying a player with the required footballing attributes is the easiest part of a very complex puzzle.

Once someone has been earmarked, a multitude of factors come into play as the many stages of negotiation kick off.

One attribute however, overlooked by some, is a vital prerequisite for a Chris Coleman signing – attitude. Keen to foster a strong team spirit amongst the players, Coleman, in the past, has made is clear that a player’s ability on the pitch is as important as his character off it.

“We don’t want anybody that is just happy to pick up their wage, play every now and again,” the Manager explained. “If I leave players out of the team and they’re not knocking on my door, I’ll go knocking on their door. I don’t want anyone who hasn’t got that hunger and appetite for football.

“I don’t want people here just because of the lifestyle that football gives them. I want people who want to play football, want to progress and achieve. A problem I have is keeping everyone happy, it isn’t easy but I would prefer to have that than people who are not winners, I wouldn’t put up with that.”