Psychology in football - 10 points clear

[Crabbycanary3 994]

Does psychology actually play a major part in footballers minds these days? I believe it does, and can do funny things when pressure is building.

If we can get the 3 points tonight, by hook or by crook, (I don't really care today as Birmingham may well decide to play an obdurate defensive game against us tonight, so breaking them down may be very difficult, so to win without 'style' would be great) then to go 10 points clear before our main rivals play their next game(s) is a huge gap, that may play a part in the other teams just feeling the pressure to chase us down. 

The one huge (imo) thing in our favour is that we have been here before with key personnel in place, from the Manager to specific players. The business end of the season is upon us. Love it

[sgncfc 1,332]

I think modern football clubs have psychologists on staff so that such things do not overly influence the players. It certainly affects supporters, but I don't think players and managers are impacted so much. Chasing down a big gap is actually quite a positive mental message - as we did to Leeds in League One - and being caught is very negative for supporters, as we have already seen.

10 points looks a lot, but it isn't when Swansea have 3 games in hand. After that, it's one game. 

[Canary73 327]

5 minutes ago, sgncfc said:

I think modern football clubs have psychologists on staff so that such things do not overly influence the players. It certainly affects supporters, but I don't think players and managers are impacted so much. Chasing down a big gap is actually quite a positive mental message - as we did to Leeds in League One - and being caught is very negative for supporters, as we have already seen.

10 points looks a lot, but it isn't when Swansea have 3 games in hand. After that, it's one game. 

That assumes that teams with games in hand win them which is a big assumption. Swansea will carry one of those games right towards the end of the season which will could take its toll. They are also at less than two points per game at present. All we can do is play what is in front of us and then see how the others get on. As each game gets ticked off, the pressure on the chasing teams get ratcheted up. 

[Crabbycanary3 994]

I believe we will not panic, as we do have history, and the other teams do not. They know we can do the job, they have yet to prove they can.

Psychologists work to a point but during the game, it is extremely hard to focus for a full 90 minutes, and maintain the mantra. A snatched shot when the 'prize' is looming is common place at this stage of the season I would say. They have the work to do, we have the points in the bag. Swansea and Brentford lost at the weekend. Perhaps if those fixtures were played earlier in the season, they may well have won them comfortably. I appreciate it is not as easy as that but they would be more routine fixtures than where they find themselves now

[GenerationA47 864]

LET THE MEASUREMENTS BEGIN!

[Norfolk Mustard 106]

Psychology has always played a part in sporting performance - same applies to every other area of life. Our thinking drives our emotions which drives our actions to produce our outcomes.

It'll be interesting how the chasing pack behave now. 

The biggest advantage of a 10-point gap will be the psychological effect it is likely to have on the opposition before & during our next game(s). They won't take the field expecting to win will they?

[Icecream Snow 777]

Yes, but I think the very best managers are those who can take the pressure off the big games. Hearing Farke talk about the build up to the Leeds 3-1 game for example, he was telling the players to enjoy it and that they'd remember these big occasions when they looked back on their playing careers.

[Surfer 1,547]

Let Swansea win all three games in hand - all it will do is confirm to Brentford and Watford that they should concentrate on the playoffs. 

[DraytonBoy 251]

I would have thought seeing the leaders 10 points ahead and seemingly over their 'blip' would deflate the confidence of the chasing pack so they start to focus on finishing second.

[Crabbycanary3 994]

A 1 point deficit will play a part in any chasing team's thinking but a 10 point lead is a huge statement and is 4 games worth and the equivalent of approximately a quarter of remaining fixtures. Massive

As above, we look to be over our 'blip' having won 4 on the spin, and we are 2nd in the form table (taking the last 5 games) and more importantly our rivals are having blips of various degrees (Wycombe have more points from the last 5 games than Brentford), and they are running out of games. 

Some of them still have to come here, and they know they have to come at us, and not just sit back and defend, as that won't do their cause(s) any good in the bigger picture. We may lose to Brentford (offer me a draw right now and I will snap your hand off) but, that game will not define our season and they know that. it'll be defined (and already has to a large point) with all the other games now.

The chasing pack have approached previous games with a confident swagger, believing in their abilities etc, but now, with the end of season approaching, they have hit a blip themselves (in terms of not matching our points tally), and at a crucial time, and that will play on their minds, with the prize coming into view, also knowing we are thundering forward, picking up wins, even when we don't play well. 

Farke has been there before, Xisco and Cooper haven't, Frank has blown it before. That is another very important element to this imo

The other teams are not able to exert pressure on us right now (we can only do that to ourselves, with our own expectations and standards), but, we are exerting pressure on the other teams and they are running out of time. Pressure........