"Can Body Language Tell Us Who Will Win The League"

Sports psychologist Andy Barton puts the bosses on the couch

Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho seem well equipped for the battle ahead. The United boss has the benefit of having gone through this many times before, and there is a sense that he has adopted a more relaxed approach to his role over the last few seasons. Chelsea’s manager, on the other hand, seems able to detach himself emotionally more easily from the stress and seems to thrive on the challenge. It’s certainly going to be a fascinating contest. In footballing terms, I would rate it a 5-5 draw…

Some bosses are very expressive through their body language and others are more contained yet, on an unconscious level, they are all sending messages out to their players, the opposition, the crowd and the media, without speaking. Sir Alex, Jose and Arsene Wenger exude confidence and their body language reflects that in different ways. When Sir Alex says United can beat anyone, you believe him because his body language supports his confident words.

The actions of managers have a great bearing on their players and fans and can influence the actions of other managers. Ultimately, though, their actions are for the benefit of their players. If the players perceive their boss to be the best, they will respect him more, be more motivated, trust him more and will have more confidence in the system they are being asked to play. This will then translate into better performances. Ferguson, Wenger and Mourinho all command immense respect from players. This is gained by having the attributes of a leader such as great communication skills, self-belief, a willingness to assume responsibility with their strong personalities.

Very often there is provocation between managers. This is partly a kind of ritualised posturing, where the managers are competing to be recognised as the ‘top dog’. It also serves a as means of identifying an ‘enemy’ so that the team can rally behind their ‘general’ with a common aim of defeating them. This can also stir up the emotions of the fans. The best managers have such great self-belief that the remarks of others are unlikely to shake their motivation in any way.

When a boss starts shouting during a game he has lost control of his emotions. All top managers have been guilty of this, showing they feel the pressure. A good communicator speaks with passion, but once they shout they have lost control.

There is evidence to suggest that chewing gum relieves stress, which would put Sir Alex on top! Tests have shown that chewing can reduce levels of the body’s stress hormone cortisol. There is also research that suggests that chewing gum can increase concentration as well as memory.

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