Mental Weakness.

[TroyDyer]

2 hours ago, 86 points said:

My post doesn't refer to footballers only to your comment about the roles of service staff. I didn't think it was that hard to fathom personally.

I figured with it being a football forum, football might have been involved. Football. 

[Tweetendipity]

Andy Murray had similar issue with his game- the mental preparation was key to any game followed by technique improvement to consider into his game.

In tennis, like football, the game is won by the player(s) that MAKE THE LEAST MISTAKES. Think about it... if you don't make mistakes, you are untouchable. If both competing teams/ players make few mistakes then it ends a draw.

Therefore a mental attitude has to go in hand with the player's skills. The game is lost before you step on that pitch if you are superstitious and walked under a ladder before the game or forgot your lucky underpants, or your mind is elsewhere on something at home, or anything else. FOCUS is key and that can only achieved with one of two ways... instinctively (play without thinking through rigorous drilling) or through mental discipline (Andy Murray filtering negative thoughts for positive ones).

And that is the 'key.' How often have Derby give too much respect to the opposition? how often have they stuttered into the first 20 minutes through intimidation particularly against premier league opponents?

When reality 'hits' on the pitch (particularly when it is against a top flight/ big club) focus is lost and thoughts wonder off and feeds apprehension. This can also happen playing against lower tier clubs as 'fear to lose when expected to win' becomes the focus.

Focus is further lost when listening (not hearing) LISTENING to the crowd... stirs further apprehension in player's game as thoughts wonder again to opinions or inner fears take precedence instead of being focused on the game which interrupts the 'flow' and focus.

[G STAR RAM]

4 minutes ago, TroyDyer said:

I figured with it being a football forum, football might have been involved. Football. 

Erm...

[Comrade 86]

17 minutes ago, TroyDyer said:

I figured with it being a football forum, football might have been involved. Football. 

Perhaps you would have been better simply reading the post then. As I recall it was you that began banging on about the relevant stress levels of a CEO and a tea lady. I merely responded with a perfectly reasonable reply.

[Ambitious]

We definitely have an inconsistent squad. We don't know from game-to-game what they're going to perform like, never mind month-to-month. 

I would say Keogh and Carson are the only two players that's lived through the managerial rotating doors to hold their heads high. The rest have gone through peaks and troughs. 

It's not uncommon, but it would be nice to have a few more players that can play in various different conditions. We have a batch of central midfielders that are very good IF the conditions are primed to their qualities. If you ask them to 'do a job' they all simply fall into the abyss. Hughes, I suppose, has matured to be able to do a job. He just struggles to do much more. Strikers are the same. 

As I keep banging on about, it's not a overhaul that's needed, just a bit of common sense and proper vetting of players. 

 

[cannable]

2 hours ago, Papahet said:

The expectation level grew after Wembley.

Any side who had these training facilitates, spent over 30 million and narrowly missed out of promotion is surely going to be labelled favorites season after season. The players simply can't deal with the hype surrounded by the media and especially the fans. 

Look at Norwich & Villa - those are two squads right there who should be fighting for the automatic places, along with ourselves. But they just don't have the right mentality within the squads to do so. Many good players in the sides, but means little if they aren't 100% focused on the task in hand. Just a name on the back of a shirt. Villa have spent a fortune and still are a million miles from getting out this league. The mentality isn't right, ditto with Derby.

No bs about playing a certain way for 46 games, just get the three points first and foremost and the rest will follow. We will forever be labelled "bottlers" until we achieve promotion

 

Ourselves and Villa aren't up there because our recruitment has been scattergun at best. Norwich are lower because Alex Neil supposedly doesn't know how to get a team to defend and their defensive isn't exactly special anyway. 

Mentality (in terms of bottling it) is just an excuse fans make, like passion. 

 

[sunnyhill60]

At the risk of going off-topic, our lack of physicality as opposed to mentality has for me also been an issue for a long time.

When did we last have a bully? A leader like Graham Kavanagh ex-Cardiff and other clubs, who could dominate on the pitch. Watching the full 90 there were so many instances of Butterfield, Hughes and Anya ending up on the floor, foul or not.

I have no complaint about recruiting De Sart who adds a dimension with his longer range passing and close control on the ball but we need a practitioner of the black arts as well.

[RoyMac5]

10 hours ago, cannable said:

Ourselves and Villa aren't up there because our recruitment has been scattergun at best. Norwich are lower because Alex Neil supposedly doesn't know how to get a team to defend and their defensive isn't exactly special anyway. 

Mentality (in terms of bottling it) is just an excuse fans make, like passion. 

Although I still think that experience of winning is good to have. As is a want to win. At the minute we look like Tim Henman not Andy Murray.

[mrdave85]

1 minute ago, RoyMac5 said:

Although I still think that experience of winning is good to have. As is a want to win. At the minute we look like Tim Henman not Andy Murray.

Mel's Mount