Did Brendan Rodgers make his best signing as Liverpool Manager at the end of November 2012?
It’s not unfair to state that the transfer process at Liverpool Football Club hasn’t been the slick, well-oiled, scouting machine of some rival teams, and even some teams thought to be considerably lower than Liverpool in both the league and ‘appeal’ stakes.
It could also be argued, that the signings new manager Rodgers has overseen in his short tenure in charge haven’t exactly set the world on fire. Daniel Sturridge aside - and after only 113 minutes of league action in a red shirt, it’s too soon to be claiming a transfer master-stroke – none of the latest batch of new signings have lived up to their reputations. Except one.
Doctor Steve Peters is a name well known in sport, but not talked about enough. For those fans that aren’t aware, Dr. Peters is a psychiatrist that worked with the all conquering British Cycling Team, ‘Team SKY,’ and since November has worked for Liverpool Football Club.
Victoria Pendleton said “Steve Peters is the most important person in my career.” Sir Chris Hoy, “This is the mind programme that helped me win my Olympic Golds.” and Kopite Sir Bradley Wiggins stated “Thank you Steve Peters for opening my eyes on how to approach my worries and fears….”
“Worries, and fears.“
Who would have thought that Sir Bradley Wiggins, the man who won the Tour De France, has seven Olympic medals, twelve World Championship medals, is The BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year, and has been Knighted had worries and fears about cycling?
To translate that onto the football pitch, it could be almost defined by the very way that some Liverpool players have been performing. Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing have both excelled over Christmas and have since become permanent fixtures in the starting eleven that is climbing the table and playing with the sort of confidence and style that fans have been hoping for.
Neither of these players have suddenly become technically better. Yes, they may have a greater understanding of how Rodgers wants the team to play, and in Henderson’s case he is being played in his preferred position, but their skills and abilities haven’t increased ten-fold, yet their performances have.
Watching Henderson, Downing, Andy Carroll when we could, and Jose Enrique in parts under Kenny Dalglish and the first eight or nine games under Rodgers, these players looked scared – Downing and Henderson played a lot of games without actually playing in them. They’d be on the pitch, and would be contributing, but they’d contribute to slowing the game down, passing the ball sideways or backwards – doing the easy things, and more importantly not doing the hard things due to worries and fears.
Thinking that if they did try a difficult cross (see Downing’s assist against Norwich on the weekend) or a stunning volley (see Henderson’s goal against Norwich at the weekend) and it goes wrong, the crowd will be on their backs, the press will be berating them again – so it’s easier to hide, easier to do the simple things that won’t be noticed, but won’t be castigated either.
At Liverpool, there are few players that the fans adore so much they can do little or no wrong. Of the current starting eleven it’s probably only Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez that can make a mess of something without the crowd baying, so they play with no fear, knowing that if they try something and it fails, at least they tried – the fans, our fans, the most intelligent in the world, know that they’re just trying to help the side. Somehow, with Henderson, Downing, Lucas Leiva a few years back, Carroll, Joe Cole, and dozens of other players it just isn’t like that.
With Dr Steve Peters coming into Liverpool at the end of November and quashing any fears that these players may have, it’s no coincidence that they’re playing better, without the shackles of fear. Without the niggling questions in the back of their heads, “should I try this… what if I mess it up…?” – just try, and like Henderson’s wonder-goal, and Downing’s incredible assist on the weekend we’re now seeing the best in these players.
It’s almost impossible to prove that psychiatry, and specifically Dr Peters’ work is having a direct impact on the squad, but if any football fan thinks long and hard about it they could see whatever it is he’s doing, it’s working.
It would be nice to have success comparable to the British Cycling Team wouldn’t it?
You can follow Chris on Twitter.
It’s not unfair to state that the transfer process at Liverpool Football Club hasn’t been the slick, well-oiled, scouting machine of some rival teams, and even some teams thought to be considerably lower than Liverpool in both the league and ‘appeal’ stakes.
It could also be argued, that the signings new manager Rodgers has overseen in his short tenure in charge haven’t exactly set the world on fire. Daniel Sturridge aside - and after only 113 minutes of league action in a red shirt, it’s too soon to be claiming a transfer master-stroke – none of the latest batch of new signings have lived up to their reputations. Except one.
Doctor Steve Peters is a name well known in sport, but not talked about enough. For those fans that aren’t aware, Dr. Peters is a psychiatrist that worked with the all conquering British Cycling Team, ‘Team SKY,’ and since November has worked for Liverpool Football Club.
Victoria Pendleton said “Steve Peters is the most important person in my career.” Sir Chris Hoy, “This is the mind programme that helped me win my Olympic Golds.” and Kopite Sir Bradley Wiggins stated “Thank you Steve Peters for opening my eyes on how to approach my worries and fears….”
“Worries, and fears.“
Who would have thought that Sir Bradley Wiggins, the man who won the Tour De France, has seven Olympic medals, twelve World Championship medals, is The BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year, and has been Knighted had worries and fears about cycling?
To translate that onto the football pitch, it could be almost defined by the very way that some Liverpool players have been performing. Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing have both excelled over Christmas and have since become permanent fixtures in the starting eleven that is climbing the table and playing with the sort of confidence and style that fans have been hoping for.
Neither of these players have suddenly become technically better. Yes, they may have a greater understanding of how Rodgers wants the team to play, and in Henderson’s case he is being played in his preferred position, but their skills and abilities haven’t increased ten-fold, yet their performances have.
Watching Henderson, Downing, Andy Carroll when we could, and Jose Enrique in parts under Kenny Dalglish and the first eight or nine games under Rodgers, these players looked scared – Downing and Henderson played a lot of games without actually playing in them. They’d be on the pitch, and would be contributing, but they’d contribute to slowing the game down, passing the ball sideways or backwards – doing the easy things, and more importantly not doing the hard things due to worries and fears.
Thinking that if they did try a difficult cross (see Downing’s assist against Norwich on the weekend) or a stunning volley (see Henderson’s goal against Norwich at the weekend) and it goes wrong, the crowd will be on their backs, the press will be berating them again – so it’s easier to hide, easier to do the simple things that won’t be noticed, but won’t be castigated either.
At Liverpool, there are few players that the fans adore so much they can do little or no wrong. Of the current starting eleven it’s probably only Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez that can make a mess of something without the crowd baying, so they play with no fear, knowing that if they try something and it fails, at least they tried – the fans, our fans, the most intelligent in the world, know that they’re just trying to help the side. Somehow, with Henderson, Downing, Lucas Leiva a few years back, Carroll, Joe Cole, and dozens of other players it just isn’t like that.
With Dr Steve Peters coming into Liverpool at the end of November and quashing any fears that these players may have, it’s no coincidence that they’re playing better, without the shackles of fear. Without the niggling questions in the back of their heads, “should I try this… what if I mess it up…?” – just try, and like Henderson’s wonder-goal, and Downing’s incredible assist on the weekend we’re now seeing the best in these players.
It’s almost impossible to prove that psychiatry, and specifically Dr Peters’ work is having a direct impact on the squad, but if any football fan thinks long and hard about it they could see whatever it is he’s doing, it’s working.
It would be nice to have success comparable to the British Cycling Team wouldn’t it?
You can follow Chris on Twitter.
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Anyone who isn't a complete idiot can see the difference in the side. It's just a pity some the childlike so called supporters can't benefit from his expertise. There is also another side to having Dr Peter on board, and that is he can also suss out the players who will never have the right attitude and therefore never make it at Liverpool and I suspect that is the reason for some of the departures, well at least one.
ReplyDeleteThat photo is of Sir Dave Brailsford, the performance director of British cycling, not Dr Steve Peters.
ReplyDelete