The "Winning Mentality" Myth

[NorCalBlue]

There’s been a lot of talk this season about City needing to get a “winning mentality”, but I think the idea that you can be successful because you believe you can be successful is nothing more than a myth.

So what makes a team win, if it’s not the team mentality? I think it’s the team’s talent that leads to wins, and wins that leads to a winning mentality. It’s not a coincidence that teams with a winning mentality happen to be the most talented teams. Sometimes teams appear to punch above their weight and have a great run of results, leading to the idea that their self-belief is making the difference. However, this type of run soon comes to an end, and the team reverts to its normal performance level. Did the mentality change? Did the players suddenly lose belief in themselves? More likely they finally just ran out of luck.

The lower leagues abound with players who have a winning mentality – they’re the ones on all the promoted teams. They won a lot during the season because they had the best players (and/or the best coaching), and this caused the players (and fans) to become accustomed to winning. But of course their winning mentality means very little when they step up a league and are suddenly not the most talented players anymore. That’s why so many teams promoted to the Premier League go right back down again.

If City want to win consistently, we need to buy top class players who consistently perform at that level. That’s the only thing that will lead to us winning a lot and therefore believing we can continue to win a lot. And since the belief will be a realistic one, we’re likely to continue winning. So forget what’s in their heads and concentrate on their performance on the pitch – if we’re good enough, we’ll win whether we think we can or not.

 

[Da_Blu_Moona]

There’s been a lot of talk this season about City needing to get a “winning mentality”, but I think the idea that you can be successful because you believe you can be successful is nothing more than a myth.

So what makes a team win, if it’s not the team mentality? I think it’s the team’s talent that leads to wins, and wins that leads to a winning mentality. It’s not a coincidence that teams with a winning mentality happen to be the most talented teams. Sometimes teams appear to punch above their weight and have a great run of results, leading to the idea that their self-belief is making the difference. However, this type of run soon comes to an end, and the team reverts to its normal performance level. Did the mentality change? Did the players suddenly lose belief in themselves? More likely they finally just ran out of luck.

The lower leagues abound with players who have a winning mentality – they’re the ones on all the promoted teams. They won a lot during the season because they had the best players (and/or the best coaching), and this caused the players (and fans) to become accustomed to winning. But of course their winning mentality means very little when they step up a league and are suddenly not the most talented players anymore. That’s why so many teams promoted to the Premier League go right back down again.

If City want to win consistently, we need to buy top class players who consistently perform at that level. That’s the only thing that will lead to us winning a lot and therefore believing we can continue to win a lot. And since the belief will be a realistic one, we’re likely to continue winning. So forget what’s in their heads and concentrate on their performance on the pitch – if we’re good enough, we’ll win whether we think we can or not.

1. I'm sure the winning mentality helps rather than hinders things
2. Think teams gelling and getting a good understanding is something you haven't considered in your post
3. You are spot on a winning mentality means fuck all if we had 11 Benjanis on the pitch...

 

[Castiel]

Its a mix of mentality/belief, luck and talent. There are some incredibly talented players out there who, when they lose belief, can have awful awful games and even seasons (Berbatov?). But belief can only make you perform at maximum level - if the opponents maximum level is superior and they're hitting it then you'll lose no matter what :P

 

[Didsbury Dave]

It's not hard.

A "winning mentality" is another word for confidence.

This comes from good performances and a manager who lifts the team after a bad one.

 

[ali benarbia's studs]

interesting CB!!

for me, its about having the experienced footballer! then the raw fresh talent of the youth in the squad. gaining confidence along with momentum at early stages of the season are vital for a good campaign.
we started well last season...then we started to hiccup a bit and at time s looked like we were "caving in".we must be quietly confident in our own ability. we also must understand that over the progression of a season we need "heroes" to carry the momentum forward.

what is great is when there s a feeling of a well balanced squad-i.e. defenders scoring the odd goal/keeping a few clean sheets and our midfield/attacking threat are a serious nuisance to our opposition.

its about slowing the game down when need be and also obviously speeding it up going at teams and "killing off the game!!!"

everything is in its right place.....keep the faith ;) last season showed changes...i reckon there s a few more suprises next year.i hope bobby has got that sorted!!! ;)

 

[Cellarite]

who was the keeper who we got from abroad?? played a year or two in the ressies. think he went to rangers. he said that we seemed too happy with draws at places we should have won at. i see what he means and believe the fans are a part of this (myself included). i know that a draw at places like anfield, villa park and the swamp are decent but we sometimes see it as an achievement. if we don't settle for a draw but end up getting one, fair enough but let's try to win first.

 

[samharris]

If we don't win I go mental..... ta da.

 

[Falastur]

I think you've misunderstood the winning mentality thing - or your idea is different to mine. A winning mentality isn't so much the belief that you can win any game. It's the willingness to keep running for the win up until the final whistle no matter what the score, as opposed to having players who will concede a goal and then give up and spend the rest of the game walking around the pitch because they don't think they can recover. Moreover it's also about the team actually wanting the win from the start, rather than playing for their salaries and looking disinterested sometimes.

In this sense, it's very important to have the winning mentality.

 

[Anonymous]

If City want to win consistently, we need to buy top class players who consistently perform at that level.

That's absolutely right .....

and something which i've been saying myself for quite some time now!

And you can only achieve that by watching a player target on a fair number of occasions ...... not once , not just because he's an international , and not by hearsay , as some of our previous managers have done ........ you (or a scout) watch the player himself , and if he doesn't perform well in AT LEAST two thirds of the games you watch , home AND away , then don't sign him!

 

[Didsbury Dave]

I note you all absolve the manager of any responsibility for this, as usual.