Confidence

[Guest]

what is all this shit I'm reading about "his confidence is knocked" everywhere?

Weale, Hobbs, Waghorn just the latest three.

These are highly paid professionals who are supposed to train 6 days a week and play a game of footie occasionally. If your "confidence is knocked" because you didn't get selected a couple of times then perhaps GTFOH and became a brickie's labourer.

Enough with that excuse. The guy could be off-form or shit - say it for what it is and let's move on.

[STUHILL]

what is all this shit I'm reading about "his confidence is knocked" everywhere?

Weale, Hobbs, Waghorn just the latest three.

These are highly paid professionals who are supposed to train 6 days a week and play a game of footie occasionally. If your "confidence is knocked" because you didn't get selected a couple of times then perhaps GTFOH and became a brickie's labourer.

Enough with that excuse. The guy could be off-form or shit - say it for what it is and let's move on.

haha I don't care how much they get paid or train, they are still human and Hobbs is a young CB who is playing in front of 20k and making mistakes which is having a knock on effect on his confidence. He is on a learning curve which unless you're an arrogant so and so, most players go through at sometime in their career. Some handle it better than others. I just hope Hobbs can snap out of it soon or he will be replaced without a second thought.

I think Waggy is struggling to live up to the 2-3million pound player tag. I think it's a case of trying too hard with him and he's losing his composure and footballing brain at times. I believe he will come good with a better strike partner.

Can't explain Weales current form but I do think he is a good goal keeper. Maybe a more settled back line will help him out. He must know he is on thin ice after seeing another goal keeper on trail recently. He needs to step it up

[Wymsey]

Perhaps as people keep saying the change in management styles etc are affecting the way they play. For example Davies is really in Hobbs place, who played in Davie's position during the Pearson era and therefore, Hobbs was low on confidence yesterday because he doesn't usually place left CB.

[Foxhateram]

Perhaps as people keep saying the change in management styles etc are affecting the way they play. For example Davies is really in Hobbs place, who played in Davie's position during the Pearson era and therefore, Hobbs was low on confidence yesterday because he doesn't usually place left CB.

Think you have a point. There were a couple of games last season where Morrison played RCB and Hobbs got moved to LCB he struggled then as well. When Borwn and Hobbs were together they were always Hobbs at RCB and Brown at LCB. Hobbs always seems more assured in that position.

Hopefully SGE will see this and put him to the other side.

[Fox92]

Hobbs can't become a bad player overnight, he may just be off form or have low confidence - something that could be seen last night. Once his confidence is back, he'll be fine.

[lcfcsnow]

Think you have a point. There were a couple of games last season where Morrison played RCB and Hobbs got moved to LCB he struggled then as well. When Borwn and Hobbs were together they were always Hobbs at RCB and Brown at LCB. Hobbs always seems more assured in that position.

Hopefully SGE will see this and put him to the other side.

Hobbs played RCB in the Preston match, as Vitor is able to play on the left and Preston didn't have a look in for the majority of the game, despite a slip early on by Hobbs he looked more like his old self. I'd like to see that partnership given a chance to develop, Curtis Davies is a good player but it looks to me like he thinks he's too good for this level, and is prone to losing the ball in dangerous areas through trying to dribble the ball out of defence or misplacing a pass.

[Trav Le Bleu]

A dollop load of confidence can make all the difference. If you don't believe you're gonna win a 50/50 ball chances are you won't even try. Oh look, there's Dyer on a run, but I'm never gonna make that pass, I'll knock it back to the goalkeeper. Don't tell me you've never passed up on doing something better because you weren't sure. We've all done it and what's more, you can't buy it. So being professional makes no difference to being amateur.

You can however instill confidence and so far I see Sven doing that. Last night was just hopefully a blip.

[Guy]

haha I don't care how much they get paid or train, they are still human and Hobbs is a young CB who is playing in front of 20k and making mistakes which is having a knock on effect on his confidence. He is on a learning curve which unless you're an arrogant so and so, most players go through at sometime in their career. Some handle it better than others. I just hope Hobbs can snap out of it soon or he will be replaced without a second thought.

I think Waggy is struggling to live up to the 2-3million pound player tag. I think it's a case of trying too hard with him and he's losing his composure and footballing brain at times. I believe he will come good with a better strike partner.

Can't explain Weales current form but I do think he is a good goal keeper. Maybe a more settled back line will help him out. He must know he is on thin ice after seeing another goal keeper on trail recently. He needs to step it up

It is probably the upheaval that has affected the said players to date and perhaps explains their inconsistent/poor form this season so far, not having a tight knit and settled team that we were treated to last season under Pearson - and a team that was on a high too from the title winning season before, albeit in League One. Even so the momentum we carried into last season from our title success in 2009 was a big confidence factor throughout last season in the main.

Yesterday's game against Sheffield United is probably one we would've won under Pearson last season having gone ahead and with virtually the same team as yesterday - yet we'd probabyl have lost it if Sousa still been here! I think the rot set in this season straight from the off with Sousa's totally "at odds" playing style when compared to the squad's playing methods from last season under Pearson - and now the reason why we're still not convincing is due to all the latest influx of loan players, brought in by Sven - who it is clear are only here as a quick fix, to patch up our horrible start made under Sousa. As some have said, it is probably having a domino/knock on effect on some of the established players from last season like Hobbs, plus the likes of Weale (playing in goal behind a totally new back four don't forget), Gallagher, etc. Not sure what's up with Fryatt this season though, maybe in and out of the team too much, which must be knockling his confidence and unsettling him, mentally. With Waghorn I think he's got to change his mentality a bit by stopping trying too hard and let the goals come naturally - like he did last season when just on loan to us. Maybe it was a beginner's luck scenario for him last season here, that happens sometimes as there was no pressure on him to impress other than for Sunderland's benefit (or perhaps ours if we'd got promoted by the play offs last season and he'd signed for good straight after). The fact that he did shine last season was a bonus though but maybe his coming back here was a mistake. We'll know more next March- April!

[gibwarrior1988]

Perhaps as people keep saying the change in management styles etc are affecting the way they play. For example Davies is really in Hobbs place, who played in Davie's position during the Pearson era and therefore, Hobbs was low on confidence yesterday because he doesn't usually place left CB.

Spot on. Hobbs always plays better on the right. Fact. and he has said so himself.

Just don't know whether Sven will give this a shot or merely put Vitor back in for the rest of the season.

[blue blood]

football is a confidence game.

[Guest]

OMG

Confidence helps in all sports but if you can't take a mistake or a benching then you are not cut out for that sport at the highest level.

What a bunch of excusists.

I'm now to understand that Hobbs is incapable of playing at any other position than RCB. Is he incapable of attackers running down his left or right side? What about whether the guy passing him the ball puts top spin on it? I've only ever seen him play well but if he's so one dimensional and weak willed then sell him he has no place in a top championship/ Premiership team. goes for the rest of them too.

[Trav Le Bleu]

OMG

Confidence helps in all sports but if you can't take a mistake or a benching then you are not cut out for that sport at the highest level.

What a bunch of excusists.

I'm now to understand that Hobbs is incapable of playing at any other position than RCB. Is he incapable of attackers running down his left or right side? What about whether the guy passing him the ball puts top spin on it? I've only ever seen him play well but if he's so one dimensional and weak willed then sell him he has no place in a top championship/ Premiership team. goes for the rest of them too.

Well I'm just happy for you that you're so confident in everything that you do that you never make a mistake and never have a bad day at work. With confidence like that we could be top of the Premiership! Why don't you contact Sven to give him a few tips?

[smudgerfox]

Confidence - it's pretty much everything in football and last night was a perfect illustration.

The sadness of last night is that Sheff Utd .were hopeless for twenty minutes. They gave the ball away every few seconds, looked wide open (and scared) at the back and toothless up front. A ruthless and well organised side would have been at least 2-0 up at that stage and would have gone on to get four five or six. But they got lucky because our lack of killer instinct meant they got back into it with their very first attempt on goal and took the lead with their third. Their confidence went up and ours went down - they realised they had a chance to turn round their season and we realised we'd blown a gilt-edged chance to do the same.

I'm sorry to keep harping on about the same thing - but the lack of stability at the club breeds low confidence. With Pearson we had stability, the players were confident. Now Sven never misses a chance to say he wants to bring in more players - last night he said they want to be contesting the play-off places "quickly" so players feel they have limited time to prove themselves or they'll be replaced. There's little pretence of nurturing players or trying to get the best out of them, no loyalty to LCFC players as against players who simply can't get a game in the huge Premiership squads of which they are a part. Waghorn was really cross to be substituted and he has a point. With all the upheaval at the club he needs pitch time to settle into the Sven style. As it was he was given less than an hour with diabolical service from midfield and no proper strike partner. It could hardly make him feel wanted and it looks as though Miller will soon be here and Waghorn's task of establishing himself as main striker makes his place even less certain.

[hackneyfox]

What about these premiership sides that rotate their squads?

[OzFox]

Hobbs was low on confidence yesterday because he doesn't usually place left CB.

Yeah, after all it's much harder to head the ball with the left side of your head than the right. Especially when you're right footed. :

[Wymsey]

Yeah, after all it's much harder to head the ball with the left side of your head than the right. Especially when you're right footed. :

Are you the new sports science guy the club has recently bought in?

[OzFox]

Are you the new sports science guy the club has recently bought in?

Yes I'm down at the training ground lobbing crosses at the left side of his noggin. He's improving fast!

[smudgerfox]

Yeah, after all it's much harder to head the ball with the left side of your head than the right. Especially when you're right footed. :

What an intelligent point. Centre halves tend to stand in a default position which means they are quite close to one another so an opponent can't attack the goal straight down the middle. They find themselves drawn to the left or right when the opposition attack the space between the full back and the centre half. That means the RCB is usually being attacked on the right foot, the LCB on the left foot. A right footed LCB is therefore likely to be playing on their wrong foot quite a bit. They're likely to be tackling on their left and clearing with their left. If they're not feeling confident it's when they're dragged on to their "wrong" foot that they'll feel it most. If they've been forced out of their normal position - a position in which they've excelled, they're likely to feel pissed off that they can't play their best because the manager prefers a loanee who we probably won't be able to afford to buy and could well lose in January. So you have a toxic effect of a player who feels threatened, put upon, under-valued and has the perfect excuse not to play at his best. Hobbs command in the air last night was as good as it has always been. It is on the ground that he is being exposed.

[AyewJoking]

To be fair I'd expect a highly paid professional to be comfortable or at least adequate with both feet. Mind you, the lad has probably been told to hoof it from the age of 9.

[melrose]

what is all this shit I'm reading about "his confidence is knocked" everywhere?

Weale, Hobbs, Waghorn just the latest three.

These are highly paid professionals who are supposed to train 6 days a week and play a game of footie occasionally. If your "confidence is knocked" because you didn't get selected a couple of times then perhaps GTFOH and became a brickie's labourer.

Enough with that excuse. The guy could be off-form or shit - say it for what it is and let's move on.

[Karljohn]

Rarely does Hobbs have two bad games in a row, it sounds like Vitor may be struggling for Saturday so a perfect opportunity for Jack to put things right.

Bigger concern for me is Waggy, last season on a youth loan, pressure off and enjoying his football now a 3m price tag and nowhere near the player he was last season, desperate for a goal but not getting into good positions and seems to have lost that bit of magic that he had (cov away, qpr home goals were spectacular efforts) if anyone needs some confidence back its him.

[MattyFromLE]

I wouldn't say Weale is particularly "off-form" he didn't have a chance with the 2 goals last night. The first was a complete defensive cock up not much he could of done with the free-kick even if there was 2 of him stood there

[Haydos]

What an intelligent point. Centre halves tend to stand in a default position which means they are quite close to one another so an opponent can't attack the goal straight down the middle. They find themselves drawn to the left or right when the opposition attack the space between the full back and the centre half. That means the RCB is usually being attacked on the right foot, the LCB on the left foot. A right footed LCB is therefore likely to be playing on their wrong foot quite a bit. They're likely to be tackling on their left and clearing with their left. If they're not feeling confident it's when they're dragged on to their "wrong" foot that they'll feel it most. If they've been forced out of their normal position - a position in which they've excelled, they're likely to feel pissed off that they can't play their best because the manager prefers a loanee who we probably won't be able to afford to buy and could well lose in January. So you have a toxic effect of a player who feels threatened, put upon, under-valued and has the perfect excuse not to play at his best. Hobbs command in the air last night was as good as it has always been. It is on the ground that he is being exposed.

You explain it perfectly, but what I and I think a lot of others struggle to understand is that these lads have been playing football their whole lives. Even if hobbs only started playing at centre back at the age of 10 he's still just playing centre back. It can't be the case that he's played on the right side of the pair for 12 years. He's graduated from the liverpool academy, he's not a mug, and he shouldn't look clueless (which i think is the point) playing at LCB.

I'm not trying to say there's no difference, only that he should still be in his depth playing there, even if he is a little uncomfortable. He's playing in the championship and if he is genuinely not comfortable with playing RCB he needs to work on it pronto.

[OzFox]

What an intelligent point. Centre halves tend to stand in a default position which means they are quite close to one another so an opponent can't attack the goal straight down the middle. They find themselves drawn to the left or right when the opposition attack the space between the full back and the centre half. That means the RCB is usually being attacked on the right foot, the LCB on the left foot. A right footed LCB is therefore likely to be playing on their wrong foot quite a bit. They're likely to be tackling on their left and clearing with their left. If they're not feeling confident it's when they're dragged on to their "wrong" foot that they'll feel it most. If they've been forced out of their normal position - a position in which they've excelled, they're likely to feel pissed off that they can't play their best because the manager prefers a loanee who we probably won't be able to afford to buy and could well lose in January. So you have a toxic effect of a player who feels threatened, put upon, under-valued and has the perfect excuse not to play at his best. Hobbs command in the air last night was as good as it has always been. It is on the ground that he is being exposed.

It was said in jest.

Having said that I don't really have a lot of sympathy with the "wrong foot" argument. On the whole he's playing ten yards away from his normal position, and if he can't kick very well with his left, then what is he doing as a professional footballer on X grand a week? Same goes for our other one footed wonders Waghorn and Dyer. Practice in training until it becomes second nature. Lots of other players do it these days.

[Guy]

What about these premiership sides that rotate their squads?

It's different for teams like Chelsea and Man. Utd though, they're top Permier League clubs for a start off, not six from bottom in the Championship!! They've got top draw players at their disposal and a second 11/subs bench that most teams in the Premier League would take as their starting 11 every time! - let alone teams in the bottom half of the Championship! Even then though squad rotation still unsettles the top teams more than playing a fixed 11 would do every week instead wherever possible, in my opinion.......