Their personalities have rubbed against each other for a while now. It played out behind the dressing-room door, away from the cameras.
Outlook
Repeated incidents may damage dressing-room status.
Head coach left the club
Energised by the new manager's arrival
Unsettled by the squad wage hierarchy
Moderate
Cause
The squad's wage hierarchy is the underlying issue. The gap to the squad's top earners has become a daily reminder.
Outlook
Contract request risk increased.
Mounting media pressure on his form
Led the defence in a tight match
Minor
Cause
He held the back line together when the game was hanging in the balance.
Criticised for losing tactical discipline
Moderate
Cause
He drifted from the tactical instruction the manager had drilled in pre-match. Staff had already warned him about this in the last few weeks.
Outlook
Repeated incidents may damage dressing-room status.
Reassured by a calm full-time message
Minor
Cause
The team had won, and the manager wanted to reinforce the standards. The message was about confidence as much as performance — his morale had been low.
Outlook
Trend is improving — relationship should keep strengthening.