So, with the Wolves game still fresh – and raw – in our minds I was thinking what type of players we need in this squad. I don’t want anyone to try and name a player we should sign except as an example of the type of player they’re talking about.
One of the aspects of world team sports that have come to the fore, IMO, over the last 5 to 10 years has been momentum. Even those sports which incorporate breaks in play as a part of the game are demonstrating the importance of momentum; it has become the Holy Grail for teams and coaches.
Individual sports – such as tennis – have always rated it highly but there is now a concerted effort at creating momentum in team sports. This is the focus of holding possession in football even if it’s just in your half like Rafa did with us for a few years.
What this has done is create the need for players who can change the momentum for their team; players who don’t need the rest of their team in order to shift the momentum. It’s no co-incidence IMO that Michael Vick has been a sensation for the Eagles this year. The reason they beat the Giants a couple of weeks ago was that he was able to stand against all the momentum and change it on his own. The same is true for Basketball, League, Union, Cricket and almost any other professional team sport you can name.
The Wolves game was a disgrace not least because momentum was against us and we didn’t have the ability to change it. Looking through the team I really only saw one player who has the ability to shift momentum and that’s our captain. Carra can resist momentum but not really change it, Raul would be the same. Fernando has the ability to change momentum but I don’t think he’s got the mental strength to do it.
Which players out there have demonstrated, to you, the capacity to change the momentum of a match which is going the wrong way? What is it about them that enables them to do it? What is the most important quality we need to identify in prospective players?
One of the aspects of world team sports that have come to the fore, IMO, over the last 5 to 10 years has been momentum. Even those sports which incorporate breaks in play as a part of the game are demonstrating the importance of momentum; it has become the Holy Grail for teams and coaches.
Individual sports – such as tennis – have always rated it highly but there is now a concerted effort at creating momentum in team sports. This is the focus of holding possession in football even if it’s just in your half like Rafa did with us for a few years.
What this has done is create the need for players who can change the momentum for their team; players who don’t need the rest of their team in order to shift the momentum. It’s no co-incidence IMO that Michael Vick has been a sensation for the Eagles this year. The reason they beat the Giants a couple of weeks ago was that he was able to stand against all the momentum and change it on his own. The same is true for Basketball, League, Union, Cricket and almost any other professional team sport you can name.
The Wolves game was a disgrace not least because momentum was against us and we didn’t have the ability to change it. Looking through the team I really only saw one player who has the ability to shift momentum and that’s our captain. Carra can resist momentum but not really change it, Raul would be the same. Fernando has the ability to change momentum but I don’t think he’s got the mental strength to do it.
Which players out there have demonstrated, to you, the capacity to change the momentum of a match which is going the wrong way? What is it about them that enables them to do it? What is the most important quality we need to identify in prospective players?