Liverpool FC Forum

[maximus]

Anyone who has competed in sport at a decent level, will know that being successful is a mindset. IMO this is the primary job of a manager, first and foremost.

Yes you need good players, and good tactics e.t.c. That is unquestionable. However if you do not have the mindset to be a WINNER, you never will be.

I really do believe that has been the problem with us over the last couple of seasons, we certainly had a good enough squad to at least challenge Arsenal, that is without question. However whenever we lost, or played badly, GH never gave the impression that he was unhappy about the way we played or our attitude, commitment, will to WIN e.t.c. and as such IMO the team was in a comfort zone, for far too long. If this goes on for too long it is a very hard cycle to break.

This is the one thing that has impressed me more than anything about Rafa, his attitude to WINNING and how important it is, and how his whole ethos revolves around WINNING.

If you notice the Arsenal perormance on Sunday against Boro, all Henry wanted to do after the Arsenal had scored was get the ball and put it back on the center spot, they also oozed confidence, which people mistake for arrogance.

There is a difference.

[Starbridge42]

Mmmmm, yes.  Its all in the mind, its true its been proven.

When an athlete gives up because they're 'exhausted' 73% of the time they only think they're tired.  Thats what the pain barrier is, its all in your head.  When someone does something wrong and then a bad result happens from it (like a goal against them) they could've stopped it.  But their mind said they couldn't

I went to a workshop (as I'v just started coaching U11's) about 'Habbits of Success and Failure' and I learnt all about it.

If you lose and don't think then you build a habbit of failure instead of trying to get rid of it.  If you win and don't think about it you're not building on a habbit of Success. 

Its all very simple, its all in the head and Benitez needs to give the players the right mentality.

[mynameisred]

Lets have this thread back in a years time, we can judge change, Rafa and his players then and only then. Hopefully this time next season we will have the team, mentality, consistency and fluidity to match Arsenal not just in a game against them but over the course of a whole season.

[Sean]

If Arsenal are still unbeaten by November 28th they'll be well on their wat to the title again.