The Mental toll

McGrathsipan

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So many games. So much travelling.
So many opponents to learn about.
So much information to take in.
Concentration at elite level requires so much energy.
The ability to control your nerves and emotions especially after a match like last Sunday.

The players look tired. Mentally tired.

The mental fortitude required for the run in will be a big ask and players worth keeping will come to the fore. (Edited here as previous looked like criticism)

It's not surprising cracks are starting to show
 
Last edited:

Bilbo

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So many games. So much travelling.
So many opponents to learn about.
So much information to take in.
Concentration at elite level requires so much energy.
The ability to control your nerves and emotions especially after a match like last Sunday.

The players look tired. Mentally tired.

The mental fortitude required for the run in will show us who the players worth keeping are on top of physical requirements.

It's not surprising cracks are starting to show
Not enough people on this forum are able to consider the human element of things. It's PlayStation to most, where physical and mental fatigue and the effect that has on performances aren't a factor.

We've lost two out of our last 25 matches. Away to Arsenal and away to Liverpool. We've played more games than anyone else during that period. It's quite remarkable that we are doing as well as we are. We're having a great season.

Our online fanbase are shite though. Can't wait to put the boot in. No context is ever applied when someone needs to 'vent' or share their expert opinion.
 

SATA

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How are the cracks starting to show? We played with 10 men for more than a half today! Bar the result of last week, we have done mostly great this season and have won a trophy already
 

Offside

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Not enough people on this forum are able to consider the human element of things. It's PlayStation to most, where physical and mental fatigue and the effect that has on performances aren't a factor.

We've lost two out of our last 25 matches. Away to Arsenal and away to Liverpool. We've played more games than anyone else during that period. It's quite remarkable that we are doing as well as we are. We're having a great season.

Our online fanbase are shite though. Can't wait to put the boot in. No context is ever applied when someone needs to 'vent' or share their expert opinion.
I mean our fanbase is used to and expects us to be competing on all fronts. We don’t have great squad depth which can cause the issues mentioned but that’s something to put the boot into the club for.
 

FrankDrebin

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Playing the same key players because the back-up options are, frankly, not particularly great is really starting to show.

But, there's not alot we can do about it at the present time.
 

NFM

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So many games. So much travelling.
So many opponents to learn about.
So much information to take in.
Concentration at elite level requires so much energy.
The ability to control your nerves and emotions especially after a match like last Sunday.

The players look tired. Mentally tired.

The mental fortitude required for the run in will show us who the players worth keeping are on top of physical requirements.

It's not surprising cracks are starting to show
I think we have a fair idea of who they are from the players already at the club prior to ETH joining. Less than required unfortunately is the answer. Every season for the last few years the team/squad hits the buffers, its about the same time every season.
 

red woppit

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Not enough people on this forum are able to consider the human element of things. It's PlayStation to most, where physical and mental fatigue and the effect that has on performances aren't a factor.

We've lost two out of our last 25 matches. Away to Arsenal and away to Liverpool. We've played more games than anyone else during that period. It's quite remarkable that we are doing as well as we are. We're having a great season.

Our online fanbase are shite though. Can't wait to put the boot in. No context is ever applied when someone needs to 'vent' or share their expert opinion.
Excellent post.
I'm sure that some posters on here just wait for player 'A' or player 'B' to make a poor pass, or miss a tackle or miss a chance before they pile in with the 'sh**e' comments, and that player should be got rid of. Pathetic in my eyes.
With a small and limited squad, we have gone far beyond what I thought we would do, already one trophy, still in two other cups, and third in the league, with a decent gap to 4th, I couldn't ask for much better than that to be honest.
Mental fatigue is something that most people don't realise happens, but that is what some players are, and will go through.
 

ROFLUTION

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If anything I think we looked mentally strong today. On the front foot on many occasions but with 10 men on the field.
 

Ted Lasso

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It's actually incredible we beat Barcelona over two legs, going down a goal in each, won the League Cup and beat west Ham in a comeback amidst all of it. And we've managed to not lose after going down a man in the first half.

This is a really fantastic foundation being built.
 

Roboc7

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I’m sure it’s having an impact but the simple truth is we’re not as good as City and Arsenal, we were never going to keep up with them.

We’re in a battle for top 4 and teams at that level have ups and downs and drop plenty of points. We also have a lot of players that don’t contribute a lot or manger doesn’t seem to trust.

It was always going to take time to sort the squad out.
 

bosnian_red

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Making it a 50/50 game and holding out after being with 10 men for over an hour today is not showing cracks... It's a ref fecking us over and a random game where shit happens. Those will happen.

Yes loads of games and it'll have an impact, but I think we're dealing with it really well.
 

Baneofthegame

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We played 60 minutes with 10 men and could of won the game still, nothing but praise for the team today, Casemiros red card was unfortunate.
 

Samoerai Jack

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It's a matter of time. It took a lot of energy to adapt back to winning ways and as the result against Liverpool showed, we're not quite out of the woods yet. This season is all about making it through. "Biting through the sour apple", as we say in the Netherlands. As more and more of the fundamentals are set in place the games will cost less energy and room will grow for exceptional performances.
 

Red_toad

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So many games. So much travelling.
So many opponents to learn about.
So much information to take in.
Concentration at elite level requires so much energy.
The ability to control your nerves and emotions especially after a match like last Sunday.

The players look tired. Mentally tired.

The mental fortitude required for the run in will show us who the players worth keeping are on top of physical requirements.

It's not surprising cracks are starting to show
How does someone look mentally tired? I get physically tired, but mentally is just a feeling and not visible.
 

McGrathsipan

Dawn’s less famous husband
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How are the cracks starting to show? We played with 10 men for more than a half today! Bar the result of last week, we have done mostly great this season and have won a trophy already
I'm not criticising I'm observing.
I appreciate what the players have done, and the manager and what they are being asked to do almost day in and day out.

Anfield last week doesn't count as a crack ?
A massive fecking chasm more like. Players weren't switched on. How much of that was down to mental fatigue on top of physical.?

The players have largely done well and its fantastic but I'm worried about now until the end of the season. The mental toll has to be considered along with the physical exertion.

Not going to analyse each error any player makes but overall performances are dropping off and sloppiness is more evident.
Again not a criticism but something I'm concerned about.
The players aren't robots.
 

Sandikan

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Cruised a win out in midweek.
Created a number of chances today with 10 men for well over 60mins all in.

Not sure there's too much strain showing so far?
 

Fluctuation0161

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So many games. So much travelling.
So many opponents to learn about.
So much information to take in.
Concentration at elite level requires so much energy.
The ability to control your nerves and emotions especially after a match like last Sunday.

The players look tired. Mentally tired.

The mental fortitude required for the run in will be a big ask and players worth keeping will come to the fore. (Edited here as previous looked like criticism)

It's not surprising cracks are starting to show
I'd say physically tired too.
 

Red in STL

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The mental toll seems to be some of the fans on here, they don't seem to be able to handle any decision that doesn't go our way
 

Dansk

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I mean our fanbase is used to and expects us to be competing on all fronts.
Is it really? We haven't been even slightly close to doing that for a literal decade. I'm pretty sure the majority of fans have no such expectation, and is delighted that it finally looks like we might get back to competing again in the foreseeable future. What you said may have been true ten years ago but is by no means the case anymore. Most fans do not expect us to be competing on all fronts because that's a wildly unrealistic expectation at this point in time, as it has been for the last ten years.
 

Intenhaagwetrust

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The biggest worry is the players coming in for those missing are at best laughable.

Mctom
Maguire


We have a fantastic first 11 and subs but after that the drop off is awful
 

Judas

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Yeah the likes of Varane, Casemiro, Bruno, De Gea, Rashford.. Etc never had to play 2 games a week regularly before.
Not to this extent? It’s totally unprecedented and unlike any season before it. Surely you realise the difference due to the World Cup? Go look at a normal schedule. This team has been non stop for months. We’ve barely had a free mid week all year. I’m a bit bemused by your angle.
 

cyril C

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Mental or not, it comes down to whether you think all key players should be able to manage 50 games a season. As I said in another thread, some players are injury prone and should have been rested frequently. Some players are aging like Eriksen and Casemiro, should be rested once in a while. Some players, while still young, are facing burn out.

The case of Casemiro was clearly failing to manage so many games at high tempo. Either he drops a gear and become passenger, as evidence in 1 or 2 games, or he needs to push himself to the limit, so here we are. His body has clearly told ETH, whether intentionally or unintentionally, that he will not manage all fronts, so good luck on FA and EPL.

Good news is that he will still train with the squad, and be an influential Europa man. ETH should have known better, rotation is the key, even if fans want you to play your best 11 every single game.
 

Abhinav

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The schedule and mental toll could have been managed if we had better back-ups at our disposal. It comes down to poor recruiting under last 2 managers that resulted in no real option at RB, Maguire as a starting CB, Fred & McT as first choice central midfield, and Martial & 37 yr old Ronaldo as striking options. It left too much to do for EtH in his first window and even though we have sorted a few positions, we are severely lacking in suitable alternatives which means that manager persists with the same XI for most games. Plus the ownership issue meant that we could not reinforce in the Jan window, its a missed opportunity.
 

Crimson King

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It's been exacerbated by the winter WC, and only getting like 8 days off from that, rather than the 30 something they normally get.

Now we have an even more mega squeeze through the rest of the season, where games had already been rearranged after the queen's death.

All a bit of a perfect storm. It must be having some kind of effect, because I'm starting to feel exhausted just from trying to watch all this football. I can barely enjoy good results, and bad results I never have time to digest properly before the next game, for better or worse.

And yet they're trying to add more games to the schedule...madness!
 

AltiUn

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Yeah the likes of Varane, Casemiro, Bruno, De Gea, Rashford.. Etc never had to play 2 games a week regularly before.
Not every week for the entire season, no. This fixture congestion is unprecedented due to the world cup and the idiotic postponement of fixtures due to the Queen's death.
 

MancunianAngels

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Football fatigue is generally a thing everywhere at every level. I think we're close to organising a pre season tour in America for July. That's mad considering the FA Cup final is in June.
 

Frank Grimes

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Europa league not being sacrificed has meant we are spreading ourselves too thin. No doubt in mind if we had played 2nd string versus Barcelona we would be in a more favourable position in the league with top 4 more likely.

We now run the risk of getting nipped for top 4 and still not winning Europa. That's the worst case scenario and I still think we will get top 4, it's far from certain now though.
 

glazed

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At the start of this season a top four finish would have been considered an excellent result outperforming expectations. That remains the case despite a few clowns saying we could win the league (don't hear that so much any more, do we?)