For the biggest and best teams, winning is everything. Even though in a sport like a football, wins are earned and not given, there are teams who still see victory as a birthright.
Season on season, the fans arrive at the stadium or tune in at home in massive numbers hungry and waiting to be fed victory after victory. Some teams win by playing great football that blows their opponents away while others look to dominate by stifling the opposition and achieving the same result.
The watching faithful know what they are going to see because this style of play is the one that has brought the countless results, countless wins, loads of joy and most importantly, silverware.
Even though in the world of football, the hierarchy of teams at the top of the sport have already been decided, there are times in their history where the winning stops. There comes a period when the team isn't as recognizable as it once was and the players who once gave everything on the pitch look like a shadow if their former selves.
The mentality of these players come into question and the fans who have watched them win game after game express their frustration after a period where they aren't winning as consistently as before.
There are several reasons for this occurrence which happens to all great teams.
Progressive overload across seasons
Playing and winning at the highest level means that the demand on players are tough. As a team with massive ambitions to win every game and win every trophy, the more you progress in cup tournaments the more games you will be required to play each season.
The best teams have the best players who play in the biggest matches especially towards the end of the season. When you include the possibility of these players representing their countries at international tournaments, there comes a point where fatigue and even injuries come into play.
An example of a successful team who struggles with that right now is Liverpool. After a season where they played every game they could possibly play in all competitions, this season has seen them look lethargic and a shadow of their best selves. The injuries they have accrued this season has not helped their cause either and it looks like they may finish the season outside the top four if they don't find some form soon.
Winning creates complacency
At the start of a successful winning cycle, the hunger and desire to chase success is most probably at it's peak. It is a time where you have a group of players who are mostly young and brimming with talent and the desire to leave everything on the pitch with the aim of leaving a lasting legacy individually and collectively.
That hunger is irreplaceable which is why when teams continue to win and win, a point comes where they become complacent. Complacency when you're at the top comes with the territory but hen you're at the top of the mountain, everyone wants your crown and there is always a new challenger.
Arsenal’s run of 50 points in the first 19 games of the season has seen them become title challengers out of nowhere this season. They are a young team that play arguably the best football in England at the moment and show no signs of slowing down.
Manchester City in second place have won four of the last five Premier League titles. The Citizens are having a good season but have shown signs of complacency which has been called out by Pep Guardiola.
After their 4-2 win against Tottenham Hotspur he described the team as one that was "[Lacking in] guts, passion, fire, desire to win from minute one." These words of criticism were made to light a fire in his players for the challenge ahead but it remains to be seen if his criticism will push City to overturning the present gap.
Communication breakdown/Fractured relationship between players and manager
After winning three straight UEFA Champions League trophies with Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane announced his decision to leave the Spanish side. This news came as a shock to the entire football world who had witnessed Zidane’s team perform a feat that had not been achieved in recent times. People struggled to understand it but Zidane explained his decision to leave.
“The players need a change. I want to thank them too, as in the end they are the ones who fight on the pitch. This is a demanding club, not easy for them, with this great history. We always want more from the players, and a moment comes when I cannot ask them for more. They need another voice to return to winning again. If I do not see clearly that we are going to continue winning, a moment comes when you say, 'Better to step aside.'"
When a manager is in charge of the same players for a large amount of time, there is a possibility that his words and style is not enough to motivate his players anymore. At this point in time, the club has to make a decision on and choose between changing the players the manager has or letting the manager go but in this case it was Zidane’s decision to leave.
To a less successful scale, Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed their finest years under Mauricio Pochettino. They played some of the very best football in the league during his time in charge but he was sacked in 2019, just months after leading the North London Club to a UEFA Champions League final appearance.
Unlike Zidane who made the decision to leave, the Argentine manager called for a rebuild because he probably had the same feeling that his ideas may not serve as a source of motivation for his players anymore. The rebuild didn't happen and himself and the club parted ways.
There comes a time during club success that the team has to go through a squad overhaul. Be it because the most important players are past their prime or they have been priced out by other teams, successful cycles come to an end.
Some of the greatest managers who have spent a significant amount of time at one club while being successful have overseen several squad overhauls. This allows them to transition between different eras while being at one club. Sir Alex Fergurson was famous for moving key players like Ruud Van Nistelrooy and David Beckham on while they were in their prime and remaining successful regardless.
Time in football does not stand still for a sport that grows everyday. In order to stay consistent you have to plan for the future in the present in order to make sure success is long lasting.