[Albion] Whose fault is this whole "not scoring goals" thing?

[madinthehead]

I went for both equally. The players are not scoring, but this must be partially a mental thing. That is down to the management, IMHO it is their job to help the players to have the correct mindset going into the games

 

[zefarelly]

I'm surprised Ashworth is not on that list? Yes he has done some good things for us but if it is his philosophy to focus on getting up and coming, high resale youngsters at the expense of splashing out more on ready made options for the Prem, then I will put some of the blame on him.

However, overall I think the recruitment team are not the best at unearthing attacking players. Maybe they are missing an algorithm or something around being calm under pressure when in front of goal!

If what we see on the pitch and hear from the manager is anything to go by, it's all happy clappy blue sky thinking and no killer instinct.

 

[Happy Exile]

I do a bit of psychology in my job, and went to a talk once given by a guy who'd worked with the Leicester team in their league winning season, works with pro golfers and a lot of other elite sports people. I'm over-simplifying massively, but he said something along the lines of how if you think "don't miss" you're much more likely to miss simply because the way our brain works then means our instinctive, practiced actions get constrained by what to not do as opposed to what to do. So golfers don't think to themselves about avoiding shanking it, they only think positively. They don't think "don't hit it there" but instead they are picturing the flight and where it's going to go - i.e. thinking what they are going to do, not what they aren't going to do. He told an anecdote about interviewing Gary Speed about taking penalties and how he'd asked him about when he decides where he's going to place it, and Speed said something like he just knows where it's going to go, doesn't really think about it, and as he takes the penalty he's picturing what direction he's going to run in to celebrate. The possibility of missing wasn't even in his mind at that point, he's only thinking, and only believing, he was going to score and before he'd kicked the ball his mind had already moved onto the positive realisation of that. He never thought "don't miss" only "how am I going to celebrate". I wonder how much our players are thinking "don't miss" - Maupay scores some great instinctive goals but as others have mentioned before, when he has time to think about it he really struggles. I'm assuming like most clubs we have a sport psychologist, but I wonder if given our manager's qualifications there's overlap in roles which creates some issues?

 

[Peteinblack]

I've gone for 'Potter and the players equally', but think there should also have been the option of 'Potter, the players, and the Club itself for not doing more (as far as we can surmise) to strengthen the squad in the summer and January transfer windows when we all knew that we were feather-weight and injury-prone up front."

 

[Weststander]

In the game of football, the guys playing football has the most impact on the outcome of the football game.

The coaches and those working with recruitment also has a bit of influence on results.

Other staff at the club and the fans also has a little bit of influence.

Ferguson said something to that effect when in charge of Manure.

Impossible to quantify of course, but the players to hand mean almost everything. Liverpool lost unprecedented numbers of games with all the CB’s + Fabinho out injured, despite Klopp’s skillset. Where would CP be without Gallagher, Wolves fell apart when Jiminez suffered that injury.

 

[raymondo]

The squad psychologist isn't covering themselves in glory either

 

[Peteinblack]

If what we see on the pitch and hear from the manager is anything to go by, it's all happy clappy blue sky thinking and no killer instinct.

Yeah, Potter keeps telling us he's "happy with what we've got" in terms of strikers, which means he must be easily pleased. I must say, every time I hear Potter give a post-match interview, my respect for him declines.

 

[herecomesaregular]

I do a bit of psychology in my job, and went to a talk once given by a guy who'd worked with the Leicester team in their league winning season, works with pro golfers and a lot of other elite sports people. I'm over-simplifying massively, but he said something along the lines of how if you think "don't miss" you're much more likely to miss simply because the way our brain works then means our instinctive, practiced actions get constrained by what to not do as opposed to what to do. So golfers don't think to themselves about avoiding shanking it, they only think positively. They don't think "don't hit it there" but instead they are picturing the flight and where it's going to go - i.e. thinking what they are going to do, not what they aren't going to do. He told an anecdote about interviewing Gary Speed about taking penalties and how he'd asked him about when he decides where he's going to place it, and Speed said something like he just knows where it's going to go, doesn't really think about it, and as he takes the penalty he's picturing what direction he's going to run in to celebrate. The possibility of missing wasn't even in his mind at that point, he's only thinking, and only believing, he was going to score and before he'd kicked the ball his mind had already moved onto the positive realisation of that. He never thought "don't miss" only "how am I going to celebrate". I wonder how much our players are thinking "don't miss" - Maupay scores some great instinctive goals but as others have mentioned before, when he has time to think about it he really struggles. I'm assuming like most clubs we have a sport psychologist, but I wonder if given our manager's qualifications there's overlap in roles which creates some issues?

I had to look it up after reading that. Speed took 15 and scored 13, so an excellent penalty record.

 

[Swansman]

Ferguson said something to that effect when in charge of Manure.

Impossible to quantify of course, but the players to hand mean almost everything. Liverpool lost unprecedented numbers of games with all the CB’s + Fabinho out injured, despite Klopp’s skillset. Where would CP be without Gallagher, Wolves fell apart when Jiminez suffered that injury.

Yup.. fairly obvious innit. When Guardiola was asked about the key to his success he said "lots of money so we can buy the best players in the world."

Anyone who has been on a football pitch knows that the coach can say this or that, if the other team is better it will be difficult.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

 

[Swansman]

Yeah, Potter keeps telling us he's "happy with what we've got" in terms of strikers, which means he must be easily pleased. I must say, every time I hear Potter give a post-match interview, my respect for him declines.

I'd say it is fairly normal not to go in public and demand that your employer - who has made £120m losses over two years - invest more money. It requires some kind of severe personality disorder to take that discussion in front of TV cameras rather than internally.

 

[herecomesaregular]

Yup.. fairly obvious innit. When Guardiola was asked about the key to his success he said "lots of money so we can buy the best players in the world."

Anyone who has been on a football pitch knows that the coach can say this or that, if the other team is better it will be difficult.

I thought it was well known at the time that he was being sarcastic?!

 

[Guinness Boy]

Indeed Macaulay is part of a team of a 100 (which is a small number compared to most PL clubs) or so people working in recruitment.

Makes you wonder why GP bothered bringing him with, doesn't it?

 

[raymondo]

I do a bit of psychology in my job, and went to a talk once given by a guy who'd worked with the Leicester team in their league winning season, works with pro golfers and a lot of other elite sports people. I'm over-simplifying massively, but he said something along the lines of how if you think "don't miss" you're much more likely to miss simply because the way our brain works then means our instinctive, practiced actions get constrained by what to not do as opposed to what to do. So golfers don't think to themselves about avoiding shanking it, they only think positively. They don't think "don't hit it there" but instead they are picturing the flight and where it's going to go - i.e. thinking what they are going to do, not what they aren't going to do. He told an anecdote about interviewing Gary Speed about taking penalties and how he'd asked him about when he decides where he's going to place it, and Speed said something like he just knows where it's going to go, doesn't really think about it, and as he takes the penalty he's picturing what direction he's going to run in to celebrate. The possibility of missing wasn't even in his mind at that point, he's only thinking, and only believing, he was going to score and before he'd kicked the ball his mind had already moved onto the positive realisation of that. He never thought "don't miss" only "how am I going to celebrate". I wonder how much our players are thinking "don't miss" - Maupay scores some great instinctive goals but as others have mentioned before, when he has time to think about it he really struggles. I'm assuming like most clubs we have a sport psychologist, but I wonder if given our manager's qualifications there's overlap in roles which creates some issues?

Spot on, in my opinion . Our psychologist should be (not saying he isn't) helping Potter and the team decide who takes the pens.
Maupay is imo an instinctive finisher, and less good when he has time to think. Maybe we don't have anyone who can consistently take the pressure and deal with the thinking time to be great at pens. Gosh I MISS HEMED sometimes !
When Tross scored that fantastic goal (I digress a bit) against M City, when we demolished them 3-2 (I never get tired of watching that goal) was it pure intuition to go past 4 players before planting the ball in the net, or was he thinking each turn? probably the former but he may not even know himself.
Personally I'd like to see Tross or Ali Mac given a run of pens ... but that presumes they WANT that. Maybe Maups is our only player with the courage to try at the moment?
But what I really, really, really want...is that we put away some of our many other (half?) chances in a game, so we just don't need threads on our penalty takers, as if that was the only chance we had in the game ffs

 

[Swansman]

Makes you wonder why GP bothered bringing him with, doesn't it?

Nope

 

[Swansman]

I thought it was well known at the time that he was being sarcastic?!

Possible. Think he has said it repeatedly though, (close your eyes GB) indicating that the quality of your squad has some kind of relation with the results on the pitch.

"When he was in Mainz he was not able to titles and then went to PSG and won all the titles. All managers need good clubs and good players to win a lot of titles, there are no secrets with that.

"I have been in three amazing clubs in Barcelona, Bayern Munich and here that have had an incredible structure and incredible support behind me, and especially incredible players.

"This is the reason why, no more secrets. If I went to a team without this financial powers or these incredible players I would not be able to be a winning machine.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I do a bit of psychology in my job, and went to a talk once given by a guy who'd worked with the Leicester team in their league winning season, works with pro golfers and a lot of other elite sports people. I'm over-simplifying massively, but he said something along the lines of how if you think "don't miss" you're much more likely to miss simply because the way our brain works then means our instinctive, practiced actions get constrained by what to not do as opposed to what to do. So golfers don't think to themselves about avoiding shanking it, they only think positively. They don't think "don't hit it there" but instead they are picturing the flight and where it's going to go - i.e. thinking what they are going to do, not what they aren't going to do. He told an anecdote about interviewing Gary Speed about taking penalties and how he'd asked him about when he decides where he's going to place it, and Speed said something like he just knows where it's going to go, doesn't really think about it, and as he takes the penalty he's picturing what direction he's going to run in to celebrate. The possibility of missing wasn't even in his mind at that point, he's only thinking, and only believing, he was going to score and before he'd kicked the ball his mind had already moved onto the positive realisation of that. He never thought "don't miss" only "how am I going to celebrate". I wonder how much our players are thinking "don't miss" - Maupay scores some great instinctive goals but as others have mentioned before, when he has time to think about it he really struggles. I'm assuming like most clubs we have a sport psychologist, but I wonder if given our manager's qualifications there's overlap in roles which creates some issues?

It's all about decision making, and how quickly players can think re positioning to receive a pass, where to pass to, where the keeper will go, etc. That all sounds very simple but these are split second decisions which make a difference.
The manager can coach to his heart's content but it is the players on the pitch who have to make these split second decisions. Fine margins.

 

[zefarelly]

Yeah, Potter keeps telling us he's "happy with what we've got" in terms of strikers, which means he must be easily pleased. I must say, every time I hear Potter give a post-match interview, my respect for him declines.

Its not that for me, I guess he has to say that, what irks me is saying how pleased and proud of the players he is after a great performance which clearly was substandard, because we didn't score and either lost or drew against the worst team in the division.

thats's not a winner its a nice guy making up the numbers.

you can't imagine Viera saying anything like that, or Gerrard or Lampard.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Nope

"Come on Kyle, come and be part of a great 100 strong Borg hive mind"

"But actually, I'm quite senior here"

"Yes, but Swansea's a shithole and Daniel James is definitely off this time"

"Good point, well made. Where do I hook in?"

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Its not that for me, I guess he has to say that, what irks me is saying how pleased and proud of the players he is after a great performance which clearly was substandard, because we didn't score and either lost or drew against the worst team in the division.

thats's not a winner its a nice guy making up the numbers.

Hence why probably everyone including opposition managers speak highly of him.
Just once in a while I would like to see, some anger or at least frustration, because frankly that is how I feel, and I am but a humble fan.