[originaltext] Thank you all for coming to my talk this evening. It’s nice t

Thank you all for coming to my talk this evening. It’s nice to see so many people in the audience. [20] Building team spirit is always the focal point of what I have been trying to do as a manager. When I first went to Crystal Palace, football players would finish training and then go straight home. There was no atmosphere, so we brought in a pool table and fruit machines. When football players choose to spend time together, it generates a better atmosphere. The team spirit is very important, but I don’t believe in trying to motivate the team as a team. I try to motivate them as individuals. So I don’t give team talks. I speak to the players individually. [21] And I try not to put too much pressure on them. I believe that football players perform best when they are relaxed. If they’re too tense, I can guarantee they won’t play well in a game.
    I also believe in giving people autonomy. I like all the people who work for me to be autonomous; therefore, I very rarely interfere. I feel people should be judged on their results. If they prove incompetent, then I’m incompetent if I keep on employing them. It’s like that with the team. I get criticized for not interfering during a game and making more substitutions. But I feel if I’ve chosen these eleven players to get a result, then I should leave them alone to get on with it.
    If I’m dropping a player from the team, I don’t feel I have to explain it to them. If they want to discuss it, I’ll say "Come back and talk about it in a couple of days’ time." But I don’t try to re-motivate them. It’s up to them to have the character to fight back. [22] I’m a great believer that almost everything you achieve in life is down to your attitude. If I have a football player who is magnificently gifted but has a bad attitude, I won’t waste my time on him.
    20. What is the focal point of the speaker’s job?
    21. According to the speaker, when do football players perform best?
    22. What does the speaker strongly believe?