In the critically acclaimed television series The Bear, head chef and lead protagonist Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto lays out a list of “non-negotiables” for staff at his upscale restaurant.
It is an exhaustive, 27-point mission statement featuring core principles such as “no excuses”, “details matter” and “every second counts”; a manifesto for Berzatto’s burning pursuit of perfection.
While no such document exists for Welsh football, some of these phrases have been heard around the Wales squad’s base in the Vale of Glamorgan over the past week as the team adapt to life under their new head coach Craig Bellamy.
Players have actually used the same terminology in reference to Bellamy, while he himself has mentioned “non-negotiables” in every one of his interviews so far.
Top of Bellamy’s requirements are hard work off the ball and unerring concentration during analysis sessions. Senior figures in the squad speak glowingly about his “intense” and “obsessive” approach.
There is something of Berzatto about Bellamy, both complex and compelling characters who are utterly consumed by their work and uncompromising about the standards they demand.
Bellamy is now two games into his tenure, and his non-negotiables have shone through.
Wales’ players press relentlessly when they are without possession, hunting in packs to win it back, while they are agile and inventive when they are on the ball.
The hours that players have spent in meeting rooms with Bellamy and his analysts are clear in the way they switch positions or change tactically according to the match situation or what their opponents are doing.
All this after Bellamy took his first training session only eight days ago. Every second counts.
“Habits have to be good,” he says. “Body language has to be good, showing intent.
“Do you work back for the team? Set-plays, are you alive? Throw-ins, a great opportunity to win the ball, are you alive to that? When you look to press, is your chest over your knee? Are you ready to go?
“I don’t like anyone waving hands, you achieve nothing from it apart from giving the opposition team an extra lift. I hold these quite dear.
“Being able to recognise all this, it sounds like it’s just race, race, race. It’s not. Players are very clever. They are able to move into these situations. Do I expect it all to happen? No, there are certain times it won’t. But that’s what we’re looking to get to.”
