No one likes being criticised. They like it even less if that criticism is handed out in front of other people. Doing so in the public eye is considered to be the worst. It only amplifies a feeling of humiliation.
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is not afraid to slam his footballers in public if they have not performed. Defender Luke Shaw was the latest to feel the edge of his tongue last month. He was not the first and it is doubtful he will be the last.
Shaw is understood to have been hurt by the public dressing down. The club said it backed its manager's approach. It trusts his methods will bring success. Time will tell whether that works. But if one of football's leading managers is doing it, there must be a belief it works.