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.