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Hypnosis, Al Pacino and lies - how I tried to motivate my players
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Hypnosis, Al Pacino and lies - how I tried to motivate my players

BBC Sport · May 1, 2026, 7:17 AM

Key takeaways

  • Published27 minutes ago Mikel Arteta is well known for his innovative ideas of man-management with his Arsenal squad, but managers trying something off the wall to motivate their players is nothing new.
  • Over the many years I spent in management, I always tried to influence situations in and out of the dressing room for the benefit of the team's performance and I was not afraid to surprise my team with the way I did it.
  • As I've mentioned in previous columns, inviting people in to talk to the team before certain games was always a positive angle I tried.

Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.

Published27 minutes ago Mikel Arteta is well known for his innovative ideas of man-management with his Arsenal squad, but managers trying something off the wall to motivate their players is nothing new.

Over the many years I spent in management, I always tried to influence situations in and out of the dressing room for the benefit of the team's performance and I was not afraid to surprise my team with the way I did it.

As I've mentioned in previous columns, inviting people in to talk to the team before certain games was always a positive angle I tried.

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