A Game of Two Halves

Football, a sport
that's centuries old,
is a game of two halves, 
we are told.

In charge, there must be
the right man
who has the confidence
of every fan.

The board decides
whom to approach
in order to obtain
the right coach.

They are even
prepared to poach
other teams' trainers
without self-reproach.

In the first half,
metaphorically speaking,
the chosen one gets
the results they're seeking.

In the second half, though,
things start to go awry,
the team keeps losing,
it's not known why.

The manager is blamed
be it Ole, José or Steve,
and without hesitation
he's asked to leave.

This goes to show
that the man at the top
has a precarious tenure
and liable to get the chop.

 
© Luigi Pagano 2021