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In his 2012 autobiography, football’s most intriguing player, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, made comment of the significance of galvanising his Inter Milan teammates during his first season at the club, en route to the Nerazzurri’s 2005-06 Serie A crown – their first in 17 years.
“If you don’t stick together off the pitch, it shows in your game,” he wrote.
“It impacts on motivation and team spirit. In football, the margins are so small that those kinds of things can be the deciding factor.”
This, coming from a man who admittedly finds disharmony more comforting than its antithesis. Nonetheless, it’s evidence of the implications a unified club culture can have on the football pitch.
The theory was given further weight as Shane Stefanutto bellowed down the throat of Brisbane Roar goalkeeper Jamie Young following the defeat to Melbourne City on Saturday.
The argument that footballers thrive on passion has been scarce in the aftermath. It was the loudest warning sign that something is not right at Suncorp Stadium.
Of course, when the defending champions lose four on the trot to begin their title defence, the criticism will be fired from all angles.
Plenty opt to focus on the departure of Besart Berisha and for good reason. His replacement, Mensur Kurtishi, was dropped for the City match after an underwhelming start to his A-League career.
And Berisha’s former partner in crime, Thomas Broich, has strayed slightly from the lofty expectations placed against his name. But Roar’s problems are planted deeper, making this one of the most important weeks in coach Mike Mulvey’s career.
Not only is his concentration on curtailing the most undesirable of records, he will feel compelled to assert his control over what appears to be a fragmented dressing room.
The departure of former Manchester United midfielder Liam Miller now has even greater significance, with the 33-year-old’s alleged no-show at a National Youth League game prior to his exit seeming increasingly suspicious.
The on-field issues have provided little comfort, either. Winning momentum often enables a team to skim over frailties behind the scenes, but Brisbane remain firmly under the microscope.
The right-back spot has caused immense debate among the Roar faithful, with Olyroo James Donachie and Jack Hingert locked in a battle for the position, although Mulvey’s decision has been made easier by an unfortunate injury layoff for the latter.
There is a cacophony of questions waiting to be answered by a Roar outfit that is used to operating as a near flawless machine. The consonance that defined Ange Postecoglou’s tenure at the club has wavered and it now becomes Mulvey’s job to rein that back in.
Roar have the squad to make a finals appearance this season the minimum expectation, but their early struggles have highlighted the importance of embedding a thriving culture into a club.
Consider Sydney FC, who look a rejuvenated outfit this season, thanks to a couple of handy signings and Graham Arnold. The Sky Blues remain unbeaten from their first five matches but will be more impressed with the confidence they are now exuding.
And Socceroo Terry Antonis has credited that solely to the positive vibe on show.
“Everyone is just really happy and confident,” he said.
“We’ve started really well and we just keep going… Everyone gets along well and when training starts everyone is working hard and willing to push each other to the next level. I’m happy with it.”
The benefit for Mulvey and Roar is that their weakness has been exposed so early in the season. The Englishman must get his players back on board and make it well clear that the Stefanutto-Young episode will remain an isolated incident.
A win against Newcastle on Friday night will go a long way to easing tensions. For the sake of the neutral viewer, it would be a great thing to see Roar return to their old ways.
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