CONFIDENCE vs COMPLACENCY
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2019 6:37 amFirst let me state that the views expressed in this post are based purely on watching videos of games and reading a variety of reports. Also I want to make it clear that overall I am a fan of J.B. but that doesn't mean that he can't improve!!
After two great wins against FGR and MKD, it seemed to me that the squad was working well together, team spirit was high, performances were on the up as was the confidence being shown all over the pitch. Then we heard J.B. saying that there would be no complacency. One presumes therefore that he took whatever measures he deemed necessary to stop any complacency (part of his "never too high, never too low" philosophy?). Whatever, since then the performances have been disappointing and it seems that instead of stopping complacency, J.B. may in fact have stopped the confidence. There is a fine line between confidence and complacency, but I believe that he should have been trying to build on the players levels of confidence and at the same time making sure that hard work and a determination under-pinned this confidence. He should have been telling the players that they were much better than the opposition and providing that they kept their work ethic, they would continue to win matches.
"Never too high, never too low" really doesn't work for me - not in football and not in life in general. The birth of a child or the death of a good friend are always going to be very high and very low points for example. Similarly in football, a good win will always be a high, but I get the feeling that J.B. will focus on trying not to let the players get "too high". I think that he really needs to be more positive when he gets the chance and to encourage the confidence where he sees it. Yes of course he must also make sure that the hard work and effort continues.
One final point: from what I read I believe that against FGR and MKD, John McMahon sat alongside Jim on the bench and was pretty vociferous. Maybe that vociferousness needs to be encouraged also?
The squad that we currently have is, I believe, perfectly capable of taking MFC up the table and if the nucleus could be retained for next season, then who knows. BUT J.B. really must become more positive and encouraging of the confidence levels.
After two great wins against FGR and MKD, it seemed to me that the squad was working well together, team spirit was high, performances were on the up as was the confidence being shown all over the pitch. Then we heard J.B. saying that there would be no complacency. One presumes therefore that he took whatever measures he deemed necessary to stop any complacency (part of his "never too high, never too low" philosophy?). Whatever, since then the performances have been disappointing and it seems that instead of stopping complacency, J.B. may in fact have stopped the confidence. There is a fine line between confidence and complacency, but I believe that he should have been trying to build on the players levels of confidence and at the same time making sure that hard work and a determination under-pinned this confidence. He should have been telling the players that they were much better than the opposition and providing that they kept their work ethic, they would continue to win matches.
"Never too high, never too low" really doesn't work for me - not in football and not in life in general. The birth of a child or the death of a good friend are always going to be very high and very low points for example. Similarly in football, a good win will always be a high, but I get the feeling that J.B. will focus on trying not to let the players get "too high". I think that he really needs to be more positive when he gets the chance and to encourage the confidence where he sees it. Yes of course he must also make sure that the hard work and effort continues.
One final point: from what I read I believe that against FGR and MKD, John McMahon sat alongside Jim on the bench and was pretty vociferous. Maybe that vociferousness needs to be encouraged also?
The squad that we currently have is, I believe, perfectly capable of taking MFC up the table and if the nucleus could be retained for next season, then who knows. BUT J.B. really must become more positive and encouraging of the confidence levels.
.......difficult one for me 