Raith boss Gary Locke admits it’s good to talk – as long as his players and staff aren’t doing so on their mobiles.
Hibs manager Neil Lennon admitted recently that he will fine a player a week’s wages if he catches them using a phone when they are at training.
Locke has steered clear of such draconian punishments but he firmly believes that Raith will reap the benefits of his players talking to each other during mealtimes at their Glenrothes training base, instead of spending time immersed in their mobiles.
That is a measure that has also been introduced by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, with the Spaniard keen for his players to communicate with each other when they are at the club.
Locke said: “I don’t ban mobile phones because it’s the way of the world these days, but during breakfast and lunch they don’t use them.
“I’d rather see them talking to each other.
“It’s a pet hate of mine – you see youngsters these days and there’s maybe five of them sitting at a table and they’re all looking at their mobile phones.
“I’d rather they came in in the morning and interacted with each other. They can ask each other whatever they want about what they’ve been up to the night before – as long as they’re talking.
“The modern-day youngster is quiet and I’d rather see them coming in and having a bit of banter with each other than having their eyes glued to their phones. The same goes for the staff.
“I’m quite happy after they’ve had their breakfast and their lunch if they need to get on their phone, as long as it’s something important, I’ve not got a problem with that.”
Locke insisted that greater communication off the park can only help his players when they are on it.
He added: “Whilst they’re in here, they’re here to work – they’re not here to muck about on their phone.
“Without a doubt that can help on the pitch and it helps in training as well.
“We go on about it every day – it’s all very well coaching players but they’ve got to talk. It’s a huge part of the game, simple wee things like shouting, ‘man on’, ‘time’, ‘turn’.
“That is more important than some of the things we work on every single day.
“For me, it’s important for team spirit that they come in and have a bit of banter with each other.
“The boys here are a great bunch and they all get on well with each other. I’ve been there myself – if you’ve got a good team spirit, then you have a chance.”
