The 2022 European Championship summer was hot, sweaty and full of anticipation. Despite record temperatures around Europe, Sweden powered through match after match, bringing down opponents such as Belgium and Portugal. Although several players contracted Covid, Sweden reached the semi-final against England and the trophy felt almost within reach.

After that, something went wrong. Beth Mead scored the first English goal of the decisive semi-final after 32 minutes. By the time the final whistle blew, Swedish hopes of winning the tournament had been shattered by no fewer than four goals to nil.

“So what is it that makes a team just disintegrate? Well, perhaps you are having a poor match yourself, or maybe a teammate is. Suddenly you lose faith in the team’s common goal, you start to question the system of play and the roles assigned, and start dribbling rather than passing,” says Simon Granér.

The media usually describe this as a collective collapse – when a team starts to seriously underperform, and the structure of roles within the group stops working as a collaborative system.

“Instead, we move to individual performances, meaning that the group is split. And that is essentially the opposite of what creates a winning team, in which the ‘we’ – i.e., the team spirit, is crucial,” says Simon Granér.

Group communication matters

Within research concerned with group psychology, there is agreement – the most important factor in determining whether or not a team wins is not the ability of the players or members of the group. Of course the team needs to be good at football.

But just because the squad is made up of the world’s best players does not mean that they will automatically play well together. Several other factors are of great importance. The ability to read one another, for example by passing to the right player at the right time, is crucial. This is something usually referred to in the research as shared cognition.

“Put simply, the ability to read one another. Lacking the will or the ability to communicate basically leads to poorer team performance. This kind of quiet interaction is extremely difficult, because as we know, sport moves very quickly. I need to be able to judge how fast you can cover the next 20 metres in order to know how hard I should pass the ball. When it comes to team games, shared cognition is an important factor in success,” says Simon Granér.

A system of roles and clear expectations ease the way

For a team facing a challenge as big as a world championship, it is essential that the group agree on an applicable system of roles. Basically – what is expected of the individual player and their teammates, and what the individual player expects of themselves?

“This is where I cannot underline the importance of acceptance of one’s own role enough. It is not just that you need to know what you are supposed to do and not do, it also requires a mutual acceptance within the squad. That in itself creates a sense of security,” says Simon Granér.

Is there anything a coach really must not do, in order to create a winning feeling?

“Fostering a culture of internal competition is an effective way of splitting a team. One example might be you, as a coach, saying ahead of a World Cup match that you are choosing between two players, but that you are not about to say who is going to be picked or on what basis. That is an excellent example of the opposite of psychological security,” says Simon Granér.

“Coaches need to do their emotional homework”

Few positions are as exposed as that of the coach of a top team. Being a coach means you cannot score any goals yourself, but you get blasted if the team you are coaching does not score goals.

“You need to be able to manage your emotions. It seems to me that if you’re a ranting coach who barks at players, the archetypal shouting-from-the-touchline type, well then perhaps you haven’t done your homework properly. Of course having the coach shouting at me breeds an insecurity in me, as a player,” says Simon Granér.

At certain clubs, the starting line-up is posted just before the match, with no explanation of why someone has been chosen to play and someone else has been left on the bench. Simon Granér describes that as a Machiavellian tactic used by unscrupulous coaches to manipulate and control their players.

“It is completely crazy, the very opposite of psychological security. Obviously, you want to know what your role is in the team, i.e. what is expected of you, so that you can adjust the expectations you have of yourself. Because if you find out that you haven’t made the team with no explanation, it creates enormous uncertainty,” says Simon Granér.

Functioning social relationships have a positive impact on players’ efforts

The fact that many Swedish national team stars play their club football in other countries affects how often the national team is able to train together. This year, the Swedish national team played their last warm-up match three months before the World Cup gets underway, which Simon Granér says is not ideal.

“Successful teams tend to like each other more socially and make more effort for each other on the pitch. You throw yourself about a bit more and make more sacrifices. There needs to be a cohesiveness that makes people want to be part of the group, and so are more inclined to make sacrifices and exert themselves more. When members of a group do not meet or interact, cohesion does not grow as strong, and if they don’t interact, they do not learn to coordinate with one another,” says Simon Granér.

Today’s football culture is moving towards a greater focus on interpersonal relations. Research also exists that suggests it is difficult to build a secure team if players do not share their emotions.

“This is an instance where I think male sport might be able to learn from what traditionally characterises female camaraderie, both on and off the pitch. By knowing how my team are feeling, I also know the conditions under which we can perform,” says Simon Granér.