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Mentality Issue Still A Problem


Mentality Issue Still A Problem

Mentality-Issue-Still-A-Problem
Matthijs de Ligt may replace Toby Alderweireldin the summer

Well the might of Toby Alderweireld and Danny Rose made a huge difference didn't they, no perhaps the great unwashed will shut up for a bit and look at things objectively and not with their anti-Levy anti-ENIC agenda.

Once again we have shown that while our mentality is improving, it is still not at the level it needs to be. We were hopeless for 7 minutes against Juventus and conceded 2 goals, we went to sleep for a few minutes at Wembley against Juventus and conceded 2 goals, we were in control of the game against Manchester United until a daft move from Dembele cost us and we again went to sleep to hand them victory.

Now we play against WBA with no urgency, as if we thought we were better than them therefore it as only a matter of time. The old adage, you have to earn the right to play may not be true anymore in the old sense, as teams let you play now, but you still have to earn the right by passing the ball quickly and maximising the time the receiver has with the ball in space.

Vertonghen, Wanyama, Dembele when he plays all roll the ball across the field at a snails pace. Barcelona in their pomp, and they are not bad now, pass the ball at pace. We need to learn to do that from the back. It's a mentality thing and it demonstrates we have a way to go yet. Eric Dier doesn't pass the ball in that lazy fashion, Ryan Mason didn't used to, he injected urgency in our play. That urgency should be standard, especially while we are at 0-0 or drawing a game.

If you are urgent you pass the ball fast,if you are lazy you roll it between players. We roll it. We give the opposition time to reform their defence, to shuffle across the field, we are not doing anything about it it seems.


I feel we should be using sports psychologists more, as I have been writing for around 5 years now. It should be mandatory, a part of a players weekly training and not something players can undertake if they feel the need. We should be using them to a greater extent in the assessment of transfer targets too and lead the world in their use.

Mauricio Pochettino is improving our mentality, but, crucially, he is not a professional in the field. He has a brilliant mentality himself, but it is about imparting that on the players and having them embrace it, that, as we can clearly see, isn't working as fast as we would like. The art of management is not to be an expert at everything yourself, but know where you can get expertise, bring it in and manage it.

I have written much of Erik Lamela, he has a weak mentality in my view and offers a far too infrequent end product. We don't yet know what Lucas Moura can offer over a season against Premier League standard sides.

The side needs to evolve again over the summer with fresh minds and I'm looking forward to seeing if Matthijs de Ligt, Ryan Sessegnon or Ryan Bertrand and Anthony Martial do arrive.

Transfer Window Reality
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COYS

2 comments

  1. I think the slow build-up due to the quality and the technique of the players for example Démbele is too slow to pass the ball to his teammate but he is a good dribbler so he plays in his strongest technique and can hold the ball very well unlike Winks he plays the ball fast.
    I still rate Dier as sh**t he is good at passing to the opponent, i think the best players to be sold are Rose, Lamela, Dier, Llorente and Sissoko we should keep Toby he is very intelligent.
  2. We may not have the choice to keep Alderweireld. I doubt anyone wants to see him depart, but that's the reality we may be left with.

    Llorente and Sissoko have clearly struggled. Rose may be off, but I like Dier and Lamela. I accept Dier frequently passes to the opposition, but he has other very strong attributes - chief of which is flexibility. I'm as frustrated as everyone else when he slips up - and he does it too frequently - but he still has great potential. Lamela too. He has a great attitude. Sometimes he doesn't quite match up to requirements, but his attitude is one that others can learn from.

    Sissoko has come on leaps and bounds since arriving. Even so I still rate him as a sub at best. Not really good enough if we're playing ECL every year. Llorente has skill but clearly doesn't have a good fit with how we play. I can't say he's a poor player, as he's proven many times over that he's not. He just doesn't have what it takes to…