Good piece here from Jonathan Veal, but it does reveal some thoughts that really ought to have stayed unrevealed. Sports performance coach Jeremy Lazarus told the PA Sport news agency the following…
“There is almost certainly a mental issue, whether that comes from lack of motivation, lack of confidence or other factors. I am not doubting their motivation, I am just asking the question,”
“How much do the players absolutely want to do those hard yards? I can’t say, only people inside the club can absolutely say that.
“Could there be an element of panic or fear in the last 10 minutes? If it has happened five or six times before do the doubts start creeping into people’s mind? That is completely possible. These are questions that need to be asked.
“I don’t know Jose Mourinho, he is a very successful manager so I am not going to criticise him in any way.
“It is completely feasible that if you go into a match thinking you might get hung out to dry or might be criticised in some way, either individually or collectively, that could affect the way you perform.
“There is much evidence about the impact on performance of ‘psychological safety’, the idea that to you need to feel ‘safe’ enough to perform at your best.
“It is a paradox, if you know that if you go out and make a mistake you are going to be OK, then you are less likely to make a mistake.
“If you are on edge and thinking, ‘If I make a mistake, not only am I letting the team down but I am going to get criticized publicly’, then it’s more likely that you are going to be a bit scared and make bad decisions.
“Managers have to be tough sometimes but when the players know he is being straight with them and totally supportive they are more willing to accept fair criticism.”
I am terrified by all of this – none of this is admissible in this my court. This is a fairy tale about pixies hiding under mushrooms when it rains.
May I politely request everyone posting utter claptrap about Mourinho’s ‘Dinosaur’ status, quibbling over whether he won 2 or 3 trophies at United or those calling for the return of Poch – READ THE ABOVE.
Do you get it now?
You want Mourinho out?
Even if the Lord God Almighty popped off his cloud and decided he fancied a family bucket and full fat 2L Coke from Chick King…
Dele Alli won’t suddenly stop producing tiresome flicks and dithering around insouciantly
Sanchez won’t stop spinning round and round and falling flat on his face like Wile E Coyote
Dier won’t suddenly become a football player able to complete the basics of his trade
Winks won’t stop turning round perpetually in ever decreasing circles
Vinicius won’t suddenly change from being Ronny Rosenthal-Lite (or ‘Poundland Ronny’)
Alderweireld won’t suddenly discover a picture in his attic and become 26 again
Levy – be brave. Back the damn manager. Ship this tiresome dross out of our club. Take a loss if you have to.
BE BRAVE LEVY. Follow your instincts that says “Hmmm well maybe it wasn’t Poch that was the problem after all”
100% right. Problem football has today is a group of fans who think footballs as easy as football manager or FIFA. Whatever number we’re on.
Moyes is getting away with it because there’s no fans on his back. One bad performance from that lot and he and those players would be toast.
🤣
Psychobabbling rarely helps. What’s unequivocal is that whatever Maureen’s doing in training and with regards to man management ain’t working in the way that, say, Moyes’s efforts are.
Is he talking about footballers or bomb disposal experts?
A point I’ve been trying to make over and over but some can’t see it due to the hate for Jose. They’ve had the knives out for him from the start, but for the next guy it would be “we have to give him time and let him make the squad his own”.
We need to drive the wasters out no matter what. Backing a manager shows that he’s here to stay and that it will be the players who go if they don’t perform, not him.
Nah it’s there. Just a timing delay, but like Sanchez’ defending
This is the problem for those calling for Jose’s head. They failed he’s magic you know now they’re failing one of footballs most decorated managers. These people don’t understand they’ll fail whoever’s next.
20 years terrifying
What really drives me up the wall is that another guy will probably pay for the inadequacies of a couple supposed “pros” who can’t even do the basics right consistently.
If I defended like Sanchez, I wouldn’t get on my class team back in grammar school – no one would let me on the pitch!
😁👍😊😁
Terrifying times we live in
It mustn’t have been back in time for a Covid test.
Where’s my comment gone 😳
Best way to avoid getting thrown under the bus is to play well more often than not. Fans and managers tend to forgive the odd ‘off day’.
Ball watching isn’t a psychological problem. Dave Sanchez in particular, has been guilty of a plethora of mistakes. Most centre around a complete lack of concentration of the job in hand. Dier, Aurier and to a lesser extent Davies have also been guilty of the same.
These aren’t 10 year olds playing in our shirt. These are highly paid professionals. The problem is they just aren’t very good. I can’t imagine what Jose goes through every week trying to put together a defence that will last for 90 minutes without cocking up.