Leaders, bottle & character

[MrwulfAndrew]

One of the most worrying things about today was that we seemed to lack the character needed for the battle. These kind of games require fight and we will need to see some guts during the relegation battle that we are now in.

Who is going to stand up and show this? We have our captain who just seems to be one big walking mistake at the minute. Then there is Boly who seemed to find it all funny at full time. Even the boss looks beaten.

This team is soft, it gets bullied easily, lacks fight and they all bottled it today. The attitude is all wrong.

We can easily change the formation but if we carry on strutting around as if everything is going to be fine then we will go down. It's time for the leaders to emerge.

 

[Leigh72]

Sadly lacking today

 

[MrwulfAndrew]

Just giving this thread a bump. This came after the BCD but the issues around attitude are still there as we get ready to go in to another BCD.

 

[Flump]

So we didn't have enough character to get out of the relegation battle... that we're no longer in?

 

[Golden Arrow]

So we didn't have enough character to get out of the relegation battle... that we're no longer in?

We were never in a relegation battle.
Some thought we were too close for comfort, but I'd hardly have called that a relegation battle as we had a good amount of points in the bag already, and those in the bottom three would have had to have had an exceptional end to the season to catch us..

Interesting though, if we had been in that bottom area, would we have played any different yesterday.

 

[Flump]

We were never in a relegation battle.

I agree, but I was replying to the OP, who said this:

These kind of games require fight and we will need to see some guts during the relegation battle that we are now in.

 

[OLDGOLD]

Its easy to lead when you are winning ...although we have had little experience of that, but bar Coady and Joao we seem to be followers rather than leaders. Dont really think it seems to come naturally to Neves either. Saiss possibly, Marcal if fit....really scraping here. Not sure about any of the youngsters coming through.
We need some leaders and a bit of steel.

 

[Shergar]

These covid times are surreal.
No crowd, no atmosphere = no adrenaline, is having a huge knock on effect.
No adrenaline = no bottle, no steel.
Look at the quirky results, look at Liverpool’s home form, look at the amount of away wins in general with the the home advantage wiped out.
The games are extended technical training drills. Please don’t view the upcoming BCD as anything but this, it’s a BCD and they might as well play it at Compton for all the passion that covid football will muster.

 

[Stoichkov]

Just giving this thread a bump. This came after the BCD but the issues around attitude are still there as we get ready to go in to another BCD.

it really isn't about leaders bottle & character. it's about attention to detail and focus.

 

[Golden Arrow]

it really isn't about leaders bottle & character. it's about attention to detail and focus.

So how do you instill that into the players, assuming that you're referring to the players and not the coaching staff ?

 

[stevev53]

I think it was cowardly for Wolves to leave it to Fabio to comment on the performance. The captain should be the one to explain that disgraceful performance and say sorry to the fans . We will see on Monday how bothered they are about wearing the shirt !!!

 

[Shergar]

The players are only human.
without the crowds and atmosphere our players might as well be playing Palace... Southampton... Morecambe or anybody else, they arrive at a soulless sterile ground, it might as well be anywhere. The fact it is West Brom and the BCD won’t make one jot of difference to them, although they might give out some sound bites to appease the fans.

 

[JOSWolf]

Just giving this thread a bump. This came after the BCD but the issues around attitude are still there as we get ready to go in to another BCD.

Very much a problem after what I saw yesterday, in my opinion. Players not busting a gut and outrun easily by Burnley, pulling out of tackles and headers. Body language from several players very poor. Looked like they were bored and not enjoying their football to me.

Watching a fair bit of the u23 game today showed it all for me. There was a side that knew their formation, knew their style of play, were busting a gut to do well and looked to be enjoying their football. You then look at the first team yesterday and it was the complete opposite. A stark contrast.

 

[Stoichkov]

So how do you instill that into the players, assuming that you're referring to the players and not the coaching staff ?

ha! no idea - i'm not a psychologist or football coach.... what i do know is many on here advocating "more pashun" and "gerrintothum" are barking up the wrong tree; boly and traore (to cite two players who made bad errors that resulted in goals) did not mentally seem to be in the right place or "on it" or whatever you want to call it. burnley most definitely were and i agree it's not good enough for one team to be psychologically more prepared but i would say that it's nigh-on impossible to stop some players thinking like that when they get past 40pts, are drifting towards the end of a forgettable painful season, on the back of loads of indifferent performances, probably lots of fractious moments, generally lots of negative moments etc. I would say they need a good break from each other and to come back 'at it' in August. And anyone not fully on board (Traore after contract issues?) needs to exit the group. Cut out the bad vibes and re-focus.

The daft thing is people advocating throwing everything out. Why on earth would you not keep the good bits, get rid of the negatives, and bring in some fresh ideas and attitudes? Some of the potential signings sounds great eg Trincao, and could feasibly happen thanks to Mendes. Then good habits breed good habits, positivity breeds positivity, then players ARE 'on it'.

In short, all is far from lost. Judge Nuno once we've had a 'normal' season, not this one. And stop being so bloody negative all the time people (yes, you are being negative - we've stayed mid table in the Premier League in a ****show of a season, I reckon that's good news!).

 

[Golden Arrow]

ha! no idea - i'm not a psychologist or football coach.... what i do know is many on here advocating "more pashun" and "gerrintothum" are barking up the wrong tree; boly and traore (to cite two players who made bad errors that resulted in goals) did not mentally seem to be in the right place or "on it" or whatever you want to call it. burnley most definitely were and i agree it's not good enough for one team to be psychologically more prepared but i would say that it's nigh-on impossible to stop some players thinking like that when they get past 40pts, are drifting towards the end of a forgettable painful season, on the back of loads of indifferent performances, probably lots of fractious moments, generally lots of negative moments etc. I would say they need a good break from each other and to come back 'at it' in August. And anyone not fully on board (Traore after contract issues?) needs to exit the group. Cut out the bad vibes and re-focus.

The daft thing is people advocating throwing everything out. Why on earth would you not keep the good bits, get rid of the negatives, and bring in some fresh ideas and attitudes? Some of the potential signings sounds great eg Trincao, and could feasibly happen thanks to Mendes. Then good habits breed good habits, positivity breeds positivity, then players ARE 'on it'.

In short, all is far from lost. Judge Nuno once we've had a 'normal' season, not this one. And stop being so bloody negative all the time people (yes, you are being negative - we've stayed mid table in the Premier League in a ****show of a season, I reckon that's good news!).

Good response to my question.
Perhaps the whole squad does need a good break from each other, but the concern (for me) is that it appears to be affecting us more than other teams. Something obviously isn't right as its been picked up by commentators, pundits, even my footballing friends.

What I would do as soon as we're mathematically safe, is to give other players more game time as I can't think for one minute that the team who started on Sunday will be the same one come August, otherwise we havn't moved on.

Re Trincao, from what I've read Leicester City are also pursuing the player so pardon my slight negativity here, but seriously who would you sign for if they were to qualify for CL.

An interesting summer ahead and the baromter for me will be Nuno's smile. Once that returns, we know there's harmony in the camp once again.

 

[SA Wolf]

We managed to stay mid-table and not be dragged dangerously into a relegation battle for a couple of reasons imo.

We had a relatively easy start to the campaign when we managed to get a few points on the board early. Iirc, at one point we were 4th in the league. When we lost Raul to a freak injury, but not unreasonably that our only senior goalscorer should get an injury, we had no plan B other than an 18 yo, untried kid.

When we were seriously under pressure of being dragged into the real mire of the relegation battle, we had a few enormous slices of luck.
We were being battered by Arsenal who then had Luiz sent off whilst giving us a penalty to get back into the match. A lot of commentators believe the sending-off was harsh. We got a second from a tremendous Jaoa strike, but Arsenal was still dangerous. Once they went down to 9, we were comfortable. Really fortunate in that match.
We were also under the cosh against Southampton, again 1 down when we got what most people thought was a fortunate peno which made it 1-1. Again a fine goal by Neto secured the points, but we could have had a peno against us when Dendoncker 'handled'. Again, I believe that fortune smiled on us.
Against Leeds, we scored with an off-target shot which bounced in off the keeper. By most accounts, Leeds was the better side.

The start and that period of luck just after Christmas are the main reasons for us avoiding relegation as most of the other matches haven't produced many highlights.

 

[Stoichkov]

Re Trincao, from what I've read Leicester City are also pursuing the player so pardon my slight negativity here, but seriously who would you sign for if they were to qualify for CL.

Funny things happen when Mendes is on your side.

 

[Flump]

When we were seriously under pressure of being dragged into the real mire of the relegation battle, we had a few enormous slices of luck.
We were being battered by Arsenal who then had Luiz sent off whilst giving us a penalty to get back into the match. A lot of commentators believe the sending-off was harsh. We got a second from a tremendous Jaoa strike, but Arsenal was still dangerous. Once they went down to 9, we were comfortable. Really fortunate in that match.
We were also under the cosh against Southampton, again 1 down when we got what most people thought was a fortunate peno which made it 1-1. Again a fine goal by Neto secured the points, but we could have had a peno against us when Dendoncker 'handled'. Again, I believe that fortune smiled on us.
Against Leeds, we scored with an off-target shot which bounced in off the keeper. By most accounts, Leeds was the better side.

You only seem to be accounting for the good luck we've had, and ignoring the bad luck, is there a reason for that?

Man Utd scoring in 90+5 or something from a deflected shot, a penalty being given against us when it was clearly (albeit fractionally) outside the box, a period where 3-4 teams in a row massively outperformed their xG against us etc, Podence being given offside when it was by a hair's width (x2),

 

[Leamwolf]

I think it was cowardly for Wolves to leave it to Fabio to comment on the performance. The captain should be the one to explain that disgraceful performance and say sorry to the fans . We will see on Monday how bothered they are about wearing the shirt !!!

I agree that coady should have fronted up, but you have to admire Fabio! Isn’t this the second time he has done this?

the more I see and hear the kid, the more I genuinely think he is a special talent!