A sports psychologist

[shailen]

Everyone knows that injuries have impacted our end to the season but I actually think we have deeper psychological problems stemming from the Villa Cup game where it all went wrong. Up until that point we were playing free flowing football with confidence and the players played in sync with each other. Losing in the manner we did is where it all went wrong and I think we've lost confidence since then to play and attack as fericiously as we did. I don't know if the club have a sports psychologist but we should look into our mental resilience because despite 5th place being a good position for us if we look at it objectively there is no doubt we have bottled champions league. I don't think it's because of a lack of quality as you don't beat teams 9-0, 5-0, 4-0, 4-1...etc, if you aren't up to standard. 

[Manwell Pablo]

I’d be pretty shocked if we don’t have a psychologist working at the club ffs.

 

Few younger players lost their form and struggled to deal with the situation, injuries, Man United hit an Ace high flush on VAR decisions and played some great stuff here we are. 

Edited 26 July 2020 by Manwell Pablo

[HybridFox]

Just now, Manwell Pablo said:

I’d be pretty shocked if we don’t have a psychologist working at the club ffs.

didn't Claudio get rid of the one they all liked. not sure if anyone else has been reinstated 

[Hales]

I've been saying this for a while...... if they don't have one, they need one! Some of our players are confidence players and clearly need help with this.

[Manwell Pablo]

1 minute ago, TK95 said:

didn't Claudio get rid of the one they all liked. not sure if anyone else has been reinstated 

He did but that’s years ago for crying out loud. I mean if we don’t that is a shocking over sight not that it would automatically resulted in better results.

[Chrysalis]

Badly need one.

[ozvaldo]

If there is one at the club, I’d like our money back. Maybe put it towards a winger. 

[MickeyMouse]

As Deeney would say, there is a lack of cojones. Go back to the Champions League season, even with our lack of quality and form the players could be trusted to grind out results. There is very little grit in the current squad. All the big league and cup games this season we failed. Is it down to inexperience or is Rodgers incapable of riling them up?

[shailen]

9 minutes ago, Hales said:

I've been saying this for a while...... if they don't have one, they need one! Some of our players are confidence players and clearly need help with this.

Absolutely, I think as a squad we don't have the mental toughness to grind out results. You never play great 100% of the time but a good side can pick up results playing at an average level. The capitulation at Bournemouth where we were seemingly in control and one mistake and it all spiralled out of control and we lost 4-1. That really does send alarm bells about the mental strength of the squad. If we can get that right, it would be massive progress imo. 

[shailen]

6 minutes ago, MickeyMouse said:

As Deeney would say, there is a lack of cojones. Go back to the Champions League season, even with our lack of quality and form the players could be trusted to grind out results. There is very little grit in the current squad. All the big league and cup games this season we failed. Is it down to inexperience or is Rodgers incapable of riling them up?

Agreed. I think in a respectful way, we are a BTEC Man City in that we go out to outplay the opponent in every game with no intention to sit deep and grind out a result. Maybe a touch of arrogance or poor management but we've not been drilled to sit deep and break on the counter. It's the reason for our poor record against the big teams this season imo. We've made it far too easy for them. 

[shailen]

I actually think BR has played his mind games wrong this season. When we were in form and second in the league, no one in the media mentioned us and he was reminding the media that Leicester are also serious contenders for the title. I don't know if he planted the idea in the players head to the extent that they fully believed they were going to do it and couldn't get over that set back when we lost. Ranieri managed it beautifully banging on about 40 points, then champions league when we were almost guaranteed it and only in the last few weeks mentioned us as title contenders. BR got carried away too early, and I'm not sure if that had any impact. 

[Guest SO1]

3 hours ago, shailen said:

Everyone knows that injuries have impacted our end to the season but I actually think we have deeper psychological problems stemming from the Villa Cup game where it all went wrong. Up until that point we were playing free flowing football with confidence and the players played in sync with each other. Losing in the manner we did is where it all went wrong and I think we've lost confidence since then to play and attack as fericiously as we did. I don't know if the club have a sports psychologist but we should look into our mental resilience because despite 5th place being a good position for us if we look at it objectively there is no doubt we have bottled champions league. I don't think it's because of a lack of quality as you don't beat teams 9-0, 5-0, 4-0, 4-1...etc, if you aren't up to standard. 

Sure that Rodgers isn't adverse to this https://www.thisisanfield.com/2014/03/brendan-rodgers-dr-steve-peters-improved-liverpools-mental-strength/

Have no idea what the situation is here or was at Celtic/Swansea. Seems that if we don't we sure could use one.

[don_danbury]

think brendan needs a visit 

[MickeyMouse]

2 hours ago, shailen said:

I actually think BR has played his mind games wrong this season. When we were in form and second in the league, no one in the media mentioned us and he was reminding the media that Leicester are also serious contenders for the title.

It is hilarious how at the end he started playing down our Champions League aspirations.

[adam95581]

11 hours ago, shailen said:

Everyone knows that injuries have impacted our end to the season but I actually think we have deeper psychological problems stemming from the Villa Cup game where it all went wrong. Up until that point we were playing free flowing football with confidence and the players played in sync with each other. Losing in the manner we did is where it all went wrong and I think we've lost confidence since then to play and attack as fericiously as we did. I don't know if the club have a sports psychologist but we should look into our mental resilience because despite 5th place being a good position for us if we look at it objectively there is no doubt we have bottled champions league. I don't think it's because of a lack of quality as you don't beat teams 9-0, 5-0, 4-0, 4-1...etc, if you aren't up to standard. 

Posts like this make me think that people forget that there are two teams on the pitch. You can only play free-flowing football if the opposition allow you to. If they stop us from doing that and we don’t have a plan b, then results are going to dip

[shailen]

2 minutes ago, adam95581 said:

Posts like this make me think that people forget that there are two teams on the pitch. You can only play free-flowing football if the opposition allow you to. If they stop us from doing that and we don’t have a plan b, then results are going to dip

Look I know we aren't going to be able to play free flowing football every game. There are going to be games where we aren't able to and there were pre Christmas (Everton, Watford, Burnley, Spurs) but we were resilient mentally and came through them to win.

Now when we can't play in a similar manner we struggle to find any answers. We have been very easy to play against. The oldest cliche being if you can't win it, don't lose it, but we've been beaten second half of the season so easily by teams in such a soft manner. 

[AmyLGK]

Agreed 100%....been saying this since the Christmas games when it was clear the lads were scared! I'm also shocked if we don't have one...thought psychologists were just as important as physiotherapists and the kit "man". 

[shailen]

7 hours ago, MickeyMouse said:

It is hilarious how at the end he started playing down our Champions League aspirations.

The optimism all the time is baffling. He's never negative and whilst they may be a media facade, I don't think it necessarily helps the players.

 

Over the last few weeks, he's been saying the lads have been sensational all season, no pressure on us to get CL, we're competing with superpowers in United and Chelsea. His words have lost all meaning in my eyes. I don't listen to it anymore, as its just too overly positive. 

[turkish14]

We have I believe some amazing sports scientist and are such a progressive club, that to have no sports psychologist is mind boggling 

[RonnieTodger]

Not just struggling to handle pressure, but our players make some ****ing braindead decisions too. What were Kasper and Evans doing yesterday?!

 

Evans is now banned for 3 games and Schmeichel gifted Lingard his first goal in colour TV

[Nod.E]

11 hours ago, shailen said:

I actually think BR has played his mind games wrong this season. When we were in form and second in the league, no one in the media mentioned us and he was reminding the media that Leicester are also serious contenders for the title. I don't know if he planted the idea in the players head to the extent that they fully believed they were going to do it and couldn't get over that set back when we lost. Ranieri managed it beautifully banging on about 40 points, then champions league when we were almost guaranteed it and only in the last few weeks mentioned us as title contenders. BR got carried away too early, and I'm not sure if that had any impact. 

I think you're bang on with this.

 

Our drop in form came as soon as it became clear we weren't going to be challenging for the title. Lack of confidence, lack of belief, lack of desire thereafter. 

 

In terms of individual games when we're not on it, we do lack that mental toughness required. However, what also hurts us is our inability to nick a goal out of nowhere. Correct me if I'm wrong but I can only think of one goal scored from our centre halves this season?

Edited 27 July 2020 by Nod.E

[sacreblueits442]

20 hours ago, shailen said:

Everyone knows that injuries have impacted our end to the season but I actually think we have deeper psychological problems stemming from the Villa Cup game where it all went wrong. Up until that point we were playing free flowing football with confidence and the players played in sync with each other. Losing in the manner we did is where it all went wrong and I think we've lost confidence since then to play and attack as fericiously as we did. I don't know if the club have a sports psychologist but we should look into our mental resilience because despite 5th place being a good position for us if we look at it objectively there is no doubt we have bottled champions league. I don't think it's because of a lack of quality as you don't beat teams 9-0, 5-0, 4-0, 4-1...etc, if you aren't up to standard. 

..I agree we need a psychologist as a permanent member of the backroom staff, I have advocated for this very same thing!!!

  Where I do not agree with your assessment is that our problems started with the Villa games.

  I know you are a regular poster and view your post on numerous subjects.  You appear to not have taken onboard any response in respect of the views of many posters which refutes (constantly) your take on the team's freefall.

  It clearly wasn't the Villa game which started the rot, their manager outsmarted Rodgers on both occasions.

Injuries had an effect but not as much as it is made out to be, we were just as poor with the first eleven.

[shailen]

2 hours ago, sacreblueits442 said:

..I agree we need a psychologist as a permanent member of the backroom staff, I have advocated for this very same thing!!!

  Where I do not agree with your assessment is that our problems started with the Villa games.

  I know you are a regular poster and view your post on numerous subjects.  You appear to not have taken onboard any response in respect of the views of many posters which refutes (constantly) your take on the team's freefall.

  It clearly wasn't the Villa game which started the rot, their manager outsmarted Rodgers on both occasions.

Injuries had an effect but not as much as it is made out to be, we were just as poor with the first eleven.

It's a matter of opinions. That's what football is about. In my opinion it was the Villa game that started our downfall. You and others may think it's something else. Fair enough, we'll never know who's right and who's wrong. 

 

And I'm not stubborn that if I read a post and it makes sense to me, I will stick to my original opinion. If I'm honest, I questioned Maddison's commitment the other week but clearly I got that wrong as he's signed a new deal today and watching him in recent weeks he clearly seemed gutted whilst we were in freefall. Similarly I may be wrong about this, but that's my perception at this current tine and my opinion. Others can disagree with it, but isn't that what a forum is for?

[fuchsntf]

21 hours ago, TK95 said:

didn't Claudio get rid of the one they all liked. not sure if anyone else has been reinstated 

He desimated the best backroom staff in the PL,after years of NPearson and others Set up and developement....

In One vile swoop,he thought old Italian ways were better, his Legend Status was tarnished in my eyes,when that ridiculous decision was unveiled....

A false pride, blew away put Top status,Abs After the title,became IMO,the Major reason Why we stuttered,and maybe Why the players mental discipline

was failing under Shakespear,desto under Puel & Now B.Rodgers... 

We committed Professional suicide....

[Jace]

On 26/07/2020 at 21:47, TK95 said:

didn't Claudio get rid of the one they all liked. not sure if anyone else has been reinstated 

Yeah I heard that, couldn't understand that at all