"Even championship-winning teams don't play well all the time"
About this Quote
Excellence is not a steady state. Performance rises and falls, form ebbs and returns, and even the best sides endure flat spells, bad bounces, and tired legs. Teddy Sheringham speaks from a long career at the top of English football, including the 1999 treble with Manchester United, a campaign defined by tight margins and late recoveries. That season is a vivid lesson in winning when fluency is absent: games decided by set pieces, ricochets, substitutions that tilt momentum, and an insistence on staying in the contest until a chance appears.
The point is not to lower ambitions but to redefine what greatness looks like over time. Champions are rarely those who dazzle every weekend; they are those whose worst days are still organized, disciplined, and resilient. The hallmark is a high floor rather than an occasional breathtaking ceiling. When the passing rhythm deserts them, they control space. When creativity dries up, they rely on set plays, structure, and concentration. When pressed, they manage the clock and the moments. There is an acceptance that variance is real in sport, influenced by fatigue, travel, injuries, and luck, and a plan to navigate it.
Mentality ties it together. Confidence allows a team to avoid panic when the game is ugly, patience keeps them from chasing recklessly, and leadership keeps standards from collapsing under pressure. Depth matters too; a bench that can change tempo or offer a different profile turns stalemate into narrow victory. Analysts call it winning the small moments. Supporters call it winning ugly. Either way, it counts the same in May.
Beyond football, the idea travels well. Few careers, projects, or creative runs are symphonies of constant brilliance. Sustained success comes from processes that carry you through off-days: habits, defensive strategies against chaos, and readiness to seize brief windows of opportunity. Titles and milestones are built as much on resilience and adaptability as on peak performance.
The point is not to lower ambitions but to redefine what greatness looks like over time. Champions are rarely those who dazzle every weekend; they are those whose worst days are still organized, disciplined, and resilient. The hallmark is a high floor rather than an occasional breathtaking ceiling. When the passing rhythm deserts them, they control space. When creativity dries up, they rely on set plays, structure, and concentration. When pressed, they manage the clock and the moments. There is an acceptance that variance is real in sport, influenced by fatigue, travel, injuries, and luck, and a plan to navigate it.
Mentality ties it together. Confidence allows a team to avoid panic when the game is ugly, patience keeps them from chasing recklessly, and leadership keeps standards from collapsing under pressure. Depth matters too; a bench that can change tempo or offer a different profile turns stalemate into narrow victory. Analysts call it winning the small moments. Supporters call it winning ugly. Either way, it counts the same in May.
Beyond football, the idea travels well. Few careers, projects, or creative runs are symphonies of constant brilliance. Sustained success comes from processes that carry you through off-days: habits, defensive strategies against chaos, and readiness to seize brief windows of opportunity. Titles and milestones are built as much on resilience and adaptability as on peak performance.
Quote Details
| Topic | Teamwork |
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