Do football teams with nothing to play for really end up ‘on the beach’?

Y ou may have noticed that Napoli swept to their first Scudetto in 33 years this month with five matches remaining. You may not have noticed that the newly crowned champions lost 2-0 at promoted Monza last weekend. With the title secured, no European campaign to worry about and no record points tally to chase or international manager to impress for this summer, could Napoli’s players (and staff) be accused of being ‘on the beach’?

Defined loosely as downing tools, the theory is not confined to football – as any teacher with a VHS in their hand at the end of term will attest – but with a few vital and not-so-vital matches left of the season, this is the area of most interest.

Despite the arguments of some fans grumbling on the way to this week’s penultimate round of Premier League fixtures, the reality is that being ‘on the beach’ is a myth. There is simply too much to be gained, or lost, from a player’s motivation not being what it should be.

Data is king, and with all the performance gadgets and dozens of cameras homed in on every turn and sprint, it becomes patently obvious if a player is not giving his all. The transfer market is ruthless, and managers can bump an underwhelming player out of the team quicker than you can say Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Contracts and even goal bonuses are too lucrative for somebody not to give a monkey’s.

Harry Redknapp’s career as a player and a manager stretches back to the mid-60s, and he will be in the dugout again on Saturday for a charity match at Loftus Road for the Kiyan Prince Foundation. Whether it’s been his side or his opponents, he’s been in plenty of situations where a team could be said to be ‘on the beach’. Redknapp feels this is a nonsense.

“Premier League players are