Handling the pressure - Mentality

[Unknown_Genius]

I was just wondering, whether there is some sort of a "mental" thing in the team, when it comes to a big match at home, where the pressure is on. I was thinking about games this season, where if we got a win, it would put us in a great position. Look at the games; Liverpool, victory, and a healthy position in 4th, only drew and seemed content with it, Everton, win and you go 4th, lost 2-0, and then yesterday where we seemed to freeze again. I'm not saying we have the god-given right to win every game at home, but I don't think in any of them we played aswell as we could have done. Neither am I saying we're big game bottlers, but there seems to be a psychological problem, like theres a fear of taking that next step.

 

[Garry.Cook]

No doubt there is a lot of pressure on us at the minute, probably more than our guys have ever had on them before with a lot of them being quite young, but it is something that they will get used to.

In the meantime, we need to show them our support even when things don't go our way! To act like petulent kids and spit our dummies out when we lose in the last 20 secs isn't going to do much for confidence is it lads?

CTID.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

It shows the difference between being champions and chasing a CL slot. Just one chink of light and they will find it.

We match MANUre yesterday at every turn and the only full on chance they had they nick the three points.

We were well worth a share of the points yesterday, and if MANUre fans were in the least objective about it, the thing they would come out with first would be a rather large sigh of relief.

They know we are a match for them. They know we can score against their defence. They know we can blunt their midfield and spike their attacks, but in 90 mins you cannot always shut the door behind you.

 

[Garry.Cook]

It shows the difference between being champions and chasing a CL slot. Just one chink of light and they will find it.

We match MANUre yesterday at every turn and the only full on chance they had they nick the three points.

We were well worth a share of the points yesterday, and if MANUre fans were in the least objective about it, the thing they would come out with first would be a rather large sigh of relief.

They know we are a match for them. They know we can score against their defence. They know we can blunt their midfield and spike their attacks, but in 90 mins you cannot always shut the door behind you.

A rag mate of mine hasn't gloated once since the derby (granted, I almost chinned him when Owen scored last time). He has admitted that both teams only deserved a draw and said it scares him how shit they are without a fit Rooney. Times are-a-changing boys.

 

[Stiss]

Man United play to win every game. As much as I hate to say it that's why they are a good side and can hurt teams because they never give in, and we have seen this 3 times this season and not learnt from it yet.

I think it is a mental thing though, thats why he brought Vieira on. Because he has experience, he might not be the best player now but he has been there in big games and knows what it takes. We will get to the stage where we can see a game out, or even steal it in the end ourselves but that comes with experience.

Saying this and looking back, all 3 derby defeats due to last goals could have been stopped. It's not really a particular defenders fault or even the defence as a unit but lack of composure. Take yesterday for an example. There last attack before the goal, when we cleared it to Bellamy all the United players knew it was game over, they all dropped to there knees when Bellamy had the ball because they knew if we kept possession it was game over. But Bellamy hoofed it to SWP and it was cut out. The worst thing we could have done was give it to a red shirt, thats what we did and thats when they gather belief that they can score because they can make things happen when they have the ball.

 

[warringtonmcfc]

The original post is bang on. When the pressure is on we still come up short. There is a lack of leadership and belief in the side still.

You knew that goal was coming the longer the game went on. When was the last time we had a clean sheet against United at home?

We never win those sorts of tight derbies (home leg of CC semi excepted but two leg game so different scenario). When we hadn't scored by the hour mark I think most sensed the worse.

We can say we are getting closer but that game yesterday was no different to many of the recent derbies. We failed to test their keeper enough, let their midfield take control. It was obvious we had to do something about Scholes from first ten mins but didn't.

There is a lot that still needs to be done.

I just can't see us beating Spurs at home as we will now need to do. Our recent record against them is poor and our recent history in big home games against them is even worse.

United were there for the taking yesterday and we weren't good enough to do it. End of. They will be stronger next season. Let's hope we advance further than them.

 

[Bet_Lynch]

Think OP could be right. I was thinking last night - do the club's media dept do the players any favours bigging up the important games? The ticker tape, loo rolls, music, poster campaigns, blue moons etc are great for the fans to see, but does it have a positive or negative effect on the players? I suppose it would depend on personalities - some people might feed off it, but it would put me right off if I was a player - I'd just want to get on the pitch and get the job done.

 

[Unknown_Genius]

Think OP could be right. I was thinking last night - do the club's media dept do the players any favours bigging up the important games? The ticker tape, loo rolls, music, poster campaigns, blue moons etc are great for the fans to see, but does it have a positive or negative effect on the players? I suppose it would depend on personalities - some people might feed off it, but it would put me right off if I was a player - I'd just want to get on the pitch and get the job done.

Think you could be on to something there. I think all the hype around important home matches just burdens the players rather than helps them. There is a "you must win" expectation thats never been there in the past. I remember in 2006 when we won the derby 3-1 (Vassell, Sinclair and Fowler got the goals that day) and there was no big hoopla surrounding the game, no poster campaigns or anything like that, just a "they're expected to win so all the pressure is on them" seige mentality, felt by the fans and players. We had a much worse team than now, United had a better team than they do now, yet we played them off the park and got a fantastic result. Now though, fans and club alike are just hyping up big games, making them out to be cup finals, and it just doesn't seem to be helping.

 

[Manchester1894]

Lets hope we can be 2pts behind on the last day and pull it out of the bag true City style!

 

[Barcon]

Come on people. If there was only two minutes of injury time would we be having this discussion? We handled the pressure just fine and lost the game with 20 seconds to go. We have won games in injury time and we have lost games in injury time.