Liverpool FC Forum

jkop wrote:Your at it again red37

red37 wrote:its clear that in any walk of life there have to be well grounded guidelines in place where unconditional communication and the necessity for clarification require anything but a 'blurring' of the lines, nor contain areas that are 'grey' in order for any cohesive points of view or real understanding of any substance to occur at all towards procuring the kind of 'utopia' where empathy and encouragement take the place of discourse and over-criticism or unfair reprisal... football is no different, players must have a script to adhere to and it is vital thats translated to a level they can appreciate and take on board. its no use blinding the average footballer with principles that are alien to him or expecting miracles of them. they arent automatons capable of performing like circus chimps week in week out (despite our wishes) to the same tune without relying on a solid support base and the knowledge that they are making giant strides towards the objectives laid out for them. (in light of that none of us would learn anything at all) conversely neither should a system of excessive pandering and the over elaboration of words of undeserved praise or any fog of uncertainty allowed to be be encouraged, for reasons that need no explanation, other than the surefire highway that leads to, in engendering anything but their full attention and total respect. having run several Kitchens in my time allows me to testify to that state of affairs with authority. and if your stock resides upon that dubious mantle you have lost not only the war, but hold no realistic chance in affirming tangible victory in any battle.

of course the flip side of the coin for any driven, ambitious athlete worth his salt operating within the short lived but highly profitable lifespan of the 'Sports profession' is the fear of encountering the Spectre of Failure- an apparition all too familiar in most competitive environments if not all situations in sport. and as much depends on the intensity and anxiety with which you fruitlessly expend wasted energy that could otherwise be put to better use. rather than resting on its anticipated and inexorably judicious arrival. holds much weight relating to whether its impact is devastating and lasting enough. and thereby of significant bearing as to the remainder of your fortitude, in putting up a fighting resistance and therefore fundamentally, a 'winning' mentality. Champions that emerge unscathed from its haunting omnipresence will have gone through that process time after time in preparation for allaying its threat. and will continue to do so each time the possibility looms. its how the cream of the crop maintain such standards of excellence. its my guess that some of our players have either developed a complacency through an over reliance on each other instead of holding themselves accountable for their actions. in particular Gerrard seems to be doing the work of two on the pitch at times which leads to liberties being taken through his presence. or they consider themselves above reproach and therefore devoid of any blame due to their ill-perceived notion that the Euphoria around the city, post-Istanbul still somehow bears relevance to their immunity from judgement. and in doing that no one comes out of it with any credit because all that happens is then you allow 'failure' the opportunity to strike because you are literally opening the door for its malaise to propagate unchecked. perhaps there are one or two that need extra instruction after taking longer than expected to settle into a completely different way of life and all the difficulties around the logistics of that you could easily imagine having a resounding effect.

i believe embracing the application of 'Sports Psychology' has the potential to become an integral aspect if not a commonplace one in the future, for several forward thinking Football clubs (possibly the majority, given time or of necessity) who share both a willingness to experiment and utilise, alternative 'fresh' methods in the progressive development and welfare of its players, not only encapsulating their physical care and maintenance. but equally sustaining their often overlooked mental state of health. provided that conforms to a framework of sensible ideological principles, and contains useful, advantageous benefits that go some distance beyond that which the sole purpose of ensuring a financial sense of 'well-being' and therefore some degree of future security alone, maintain. which again, is all fair and well and indeed 'just' reward of some significance in the pursuit of excellence and all it entails in the first place, you'd expect. however, in the modern world of football/sport in general, monetary security may well be considered one prize worthy for the participation of, that is evidently clear. another consideration should be invested in the enjoyment of it for whichever gain you seek. after all it is classified under the generalised, superficial all encompassing umbrella of 'the entertainment industry'. as much for their obvious benefit as of our own edification in the witnessing of their accolades.

but, i see little wrong in adopting its correct practice at a football club neither. indeed for many sportsmen and women the world over, these 'guru's' are frequently carrying real positive, identifiable effects where the vagaries and pitfalls of their chosen specific 'fields' and requisite demands thereof, (even for those at the summit/pinnacle of it) throw up challenges way beyond the scope of the average individuals mental comfort zone, or remit. such as those faced through the daunting prospect and the ultimate highest cost of any personal fall from grace. I also see value in its role for offsetting the detriments arising in realising high expectation, yet unfulfilled for whatever reason in a collective environment too, for example a competitive club of Liverpools stature.  each Pre season a 'coach/manager' has a purpose and intent set down in his requirements and dictated by, his contractual agreement with the club. to guide and control the fortunes of a talented squad made up largely of consummate professionals throughout a physically demanding and mentally exhaustive campaign: equating to 38 league matches, at least 6 European ties along with excursions all over the country in the cup competitions. not to mention mind-numbingly inconvenient International friendlies/tournaments and qualifiers abound. in the case of our own club, for example. typical seasons of late have easily surpassed 60 games domestically, let alone countless hours spent on the training ground. with this year alone adding a further World cup into the bargain its no wonder there are extraneous factors to address as a direct result of those efforts and the lengths taken in their accomplishment.

and what a task at hand for the likes of Rafa Benitez on a pedestal of this magnitude. not only must he carefully ensure that the pride, heritage and ambitions which this club has long advocated through its own foundation and precedence, continue to remain a testament and compliment to that history through the impact of his own influence, personality and bearing upon it in all aspects of the present- and to be seen to be doing so. he must equally dictate and help shape the future insurance of it garnered through successfully reserving its place at the very top table of world renown by the obligation of that pedigree via the more pertinent culmination of positive results and final league position, let alone silverware along the way as a matter of compunction and without recourse. he is currently both the guardian of the clubs reputation and a key figure of its ultimate destiny, while under that responsibility. he's also required under equal pressure to maintain a level of dignity and humility that so far, hasnt done him any disservice. and as immaculately presented as he is aspirationally motivated, its a miracle anyone can function to the maximum of their ability when you ask for the extra pound of flesh you need, to also be called an inspiration to it. then,as well as having the additional burden of its supporters hopes and dreams along with the custody of the players measure/interpretation of success. it becomes without question, a malevolent sword forged with the sharpest, unforgiving and indiscriminate will upon which to fall foul of should you lose that focus. the same might be concurred relating to the players role in the wider picture.

but what happens when the rigorous demands and expectations placed on the players performances become unbearable to maintain because the masterplan isnt viable or working any longer and needs a little tweaking or reaffirming in its directives. the coach is only able to impart so much wisdom to an audience with so limited time spent together as a whole unit as a direct result of the regularity and frequency in which games come around nowadays. and partly as culpable are the myriad unnecessary interruptions throughout virtually the whole season for national call up duty. other inflammatory elements which go some way towards establishing insecurity include those imparted by the incessant, unrelenting 'thirst for scandal' c0ck-headed Media and the over-zealous written 'guttersnipe' press who take the greatest of pleasure in tempering the aforementioned blade. the manner in which they present themselves and their tales of woe is an injustice tantamount to the equivalent of 'libelous genocide' and does more than its fair share in destabilising morale and instigating a sense of diminished self belief, lack of confidence and a general apathy. that eventually, coupled with lost form, injuries, (hence time spent outside the circle of trust and not knowing from which day to the next whether you are appreciated/considered part of the plan) even those who have played an instrumental role on the pitch arent guaranteed to take their place upon it, at the next available opportunity as has proved to be the case with all the hype and interminable bullsh1t surrounding the present 'rotation' issue. these may well be decisive pointers to some of the present circumstances figuring in the clubs struggles of late while on the road and outside the sanctuary of anfield. but by no means are they indicative of any suggested mass induced call for the tolling of the division bell to resonate. alerting the kind of pessimistic speculation which lies within the providence of the 'doom mongers'.

instead there may be cause to consider new avenues of approach and an opportunity to eschew traditional management methods in favour of innovation in helping to turn the tables of this season around. it wouldnt be the first time this has been tried either. Glenn hoddle stands rightly or wrongly vilified for his experimental 'working' relationship with Eileen Drury whilst England coach -thats well documented. for what its worth i consider the whole concept to have been flawed from the outset; when you consider the time and place the project was carried out. and in any case her input was more of a religious bent, rather than any scientific orientation. though i suspect the results of which were to be anticipated with an equal measure of interest whatever the methods used then and ultimately that was the folly of the whole saga that cost hoddle his job.  but there is some tenuous evidence to suggest it can work. some proof of which lies below, demonstrating that even the best can be susceptible to the effects that manifest themselves in many guises toward debilitating a fragile psyche that is in need of supplementing their untold fortunes with an increased sense of worth that would appear to be counted as priceless in the scheme of things. regardless of their preconceived disposition or technical prowess and this fellas manager is supposedly a master of mind games, not quite enough of one it would seem.

http://www.ukrainiansoccer.net/news....set=140

Technologically Football has dynamically evolved into a far superior animal than it used to be envisaged, even as little back as 5 years ago. the cutting-edge advancements made in both available treatments and the recovery time spent in rehab. following it have been considerably slashed solely through medical advances. meaning more of the emphasis falls on getting players back onto the pitch as quickly as possible and regaining physiological strength. where little time appears to be invested in other vital areas of the players welfare such as their psychological needs. im in no way advocating any kind of 'softsoap' or 'la la land' approach to it, where their every whim (if it werent already) is attended to, and then some...but i feel there could be a reasonable shout in asking for further assistance, in addition to the managers input on that score. how often does it become easier to open up and broaden your perspective enough to envelop ideas and detailed instruction when you have a clear and free mind with which to manipulate your environment with, to yours and the teams greater good. oftentimes made even less of a challenge when somebody outside of the 'melting pot' yet, fully qualified to do so, takes on the task. if nothing else it might further prepare some of these young men to be better equipped in facing their own personal gremlins as a result. furthermore it would liberate the managers efforts in the first instance having realised his message is getting through in an infinitely more relaxed and intelligently comprehensive fashion.

initially i intended to post this in the thread discussing Benitez role and his methodology of man management, ive decided against that action for the purpose of maintaining new 'blood' into an argument i believe to be substantiated by some requirements that could (i say that with some degree of caution) have a ring of truth to them. besides the sentiment and essence of what im trying to put across here, though not wholly relative or indeed topical just yet, are again, simple observations, the origin of which might well stem from an unnecessarily over inquisitive mind. not to mention one that needs its own healing hand! the composition of this piece may stand up to criticism better on its own hind legs as opposed to being lost in the mire of its condemnation elsewhere. which id imagine to have been well and truly slaughtered after say, six o clock this evening. by which time you should have had amply restored moral fibre enough to trawl through its highly contentious though not entirely unrealistic themes.  fire away! i would though appreciate your much regarded thoughts after taking the time to offer those above. YNWA  red37.

Bad Bob wrote:But, are we sure the club doesn't already have a sports pyschologist on staff?  It would seem just the kind of thing that clubs would have in this day of 'scientific' football.

As for the negative press and it's effect on morale, I wonder if the squad ever sits down at Melwood, goes through some of the press reports together and vents about it to build solidarity and diffuse some of the more egregious rubbish.  Imagine all the lads and the coaching staff sitting down and hashing out why the press have it wrong about "over rotation" or wasting Stevie on the right?  That'd probably be a very useful exercise.

alessandromagno wrote:I would suggest limiting all posts to a maximum of 25 lines. If you can't say it in that space, then don't bother!