While most footballers are doltish enough to not worry too much about a bad day at the office, this cliche refers to those players of a more emotional disposition, the type who burst into tears after a loss and threaten to retire if they're not in the starting eleven. Think Gazza. Think Tevez. Think Zlatan. The manager must spare these precocious personalities from the hairdryer treatment dished out to lesser talents, and instead place a firm, fatherly arm around their shoulders during times of hardship. Only then will they turn on the magic; that is, until they sign for your rivals during the next tantrum, making this cliche frustratingly pointless.
