Rangers v Hibs, thoughts on big game mentality

[calscot 0]

One thing I'm really concerned about for this match is that Warburton has supressed any big game mentality in our players. I've always thought that was unwise as in my opinion, you can't raise yourself to the same level for every game, the human body and mind just don't work that way.

 

As a title contender I believe you should train to peak physically and mentally for the big games against your nearest rivals and try to keep a good level that is high enough to defeat the lesser sides, without the same intensity of energy expendature and mental focus.

 

If you're a relegation side, I think you'd be better peaking for those teams around your level and accept you're going to get defeated by the bigger sides.

 

Other sports realise that you can't peak all the time, and there are physiological cycles where you create training stress, but also training fatigue. The former makes you fitter, but the latter stops you from performing. To be at your best for the most important competitions, you therefore have to induce the training stress and fatigue beforehand and then taper off before the big event, to allow fressness to come back, and performance maximises due to high fitness and low fatigue.

 

These sports therefore spread the most important competitions through the season to allow the participants to peak for them, but still compete for lesser titles while they are in the build phase of training. That can be seen in sports like tennis as a good example.

 

In cycling itself, the grand tours are so difficult that really you can only peak for one a year, or at best go for the first and third but miss out the second ie enter the Giro and Vuelta but ignore the Tour. This doesn't happen so much as the Tour is the most important and prestigious, so the top riders tend to ignore the Giro.

 

In football you have one or two games a week, pretty much every week, and so ironically, players are probably peaking about two weeks into the close season due to the rest - which is where a two week break in winter could produce some good quality matches when the fixtures resume.

 

So for me, I think they should take a leaf out of other sports and monitor fitness and fatigue. We could tailor it for us to peak for the big games and also instill the big game mentality so that we are able to compete.

 

This could also be an argument for a larger squad with rotation, so that you always have a couple of players in the team who are peaking and at their best. When you play with mostly the same side, it suggests they will start well and then everyone will tire and get mentally jaded around the same rate, and you will eventually experience big a slump in form due to the whole team being fatigued in both aspects - which looks like what has happened to Rangers.

 

The big game mentality is slightly seperate from the physical fitness issue, but in a similar way, we can only raise our mental focus periodically - when applied every week there is no way to stop our focus from fading and becoming less motivated than our best. That's why smaller clubs give us a harder time than expected and some people are mystified as to why our much more expensive players don't look much better than the journeyman at these clubs.

 

They don't seem to realise that the real difference between the sides is not what you see on the pitch on the one day, but instead it's what you see in the league table over a season. These sides will go through the mundane process of playing other sides and then suddenly put their motivation up several levels against us. That can put the two sides closer together, especially if the bigger side are on a motivational low. That's when we can draw or lose against a much lesser side - but it also depends on luck on the day.

 

However, these teams go back to their normal game as they can't raise their game to this level every week and the motivation is not there. So while we rack up points, while sometimes making heavy weather of pumped up lesser sides, those same sides are dropping points all over the place and we end up dozens of points ahead.

 

But then it comes to the closest rivals - and with Rangers they realise they also really have to bring on their big game mentality. As they are already closer to our level generally, that's when the gap can really close - which is why we need to match that mental focus. We've now seen it against Falkirk and Hibs and, although luck still plays a part, it takes less of the bad version to push us towards a loss.

 

It's like playing a game of highest card and we normally have a king against the lower sides and so they need to turn up a rare and unexpected ace to win. But with their motivation high and ours low, we end up with a jack. With Falkirk, we'd normally have a queen but the big game mentality means we end up with a ten, and with hibs, we go from a jack to a nine or maybe even an eight - which makes it a 50-50 chance of losing. Actually, with their form and confidence, combined with the big game mentality, they may even have a seven or less.

 

However, if we applied the same level of mental focus for big games, as well as training to peak for them, then we'd always have about a jack or queen against our nearest rivals in this league, which means we can still lose due to a bit of bad luck, but it's not so likely to happen.

Edited December 22, 2015 by calscot

[Scott7 6,016]

Maybe MW says one thing to the press but something else to his players.

[calscot 0]

Maybe MW says one thing to the press but something else to his players.

 

Maybe, but it's not manifesting itself on the pitch.

[Frankie 8,570]

Maybe MW says one thing to the press but something else to his players.

 

I'd agree with that.

 

In a general sense, I think MW tries hard to ensure his players are focussed on what they can do and this explains his media quotes for certain games/opposition teams. However, while that idea has merit it requires players to be extremely mentally strong and perhaps that's where we've struggled a bit of late.

 

What I would add though is that even in games where we've lost the first goal and/or had bad periods, the team have generally reacted very well which does show a mental strength is evident; something that has seemed absent in recent years. In essence we're watching a team build a tactical and mental platform and that takes time.

 

Thus, I think that by and large our stuttering in performance/results is part of that of a natural downturn in luck and form. By contrast, Hibs are on a record-breaking run and have benefited from some good luck just as their form has stuttered also.

 

Monday is a big game for both teams and their longer term development.

[aweebluesoandso 290]

Like Falkirk on Saturday Hivs will be right up for this game, we have to match, no, we have to exceed their determination to win it. About an hour before the kick-off i would put a recording of the Soldier Ben Parkinson who was blown to pieces in Afghanistan. Despite losing both legs, a broken back and brain damage. He is fighting back and made a documentary of himself Kayaking down the Yukon River. Bravery beyond compare, determination, strength, and a will to win, find some of that spirit and we will run over the top of Hivs.

[JTP 0]

Like Falkirk on Saturday Hivs will be right up for this game, we have to match, no, we have to exceed their determination to win it. About an hour before the kick-off i would put a recording of the Soldier Ben Parkinson who was blown to pieces in Afghanistan. Despite losing both legs, a broken back and brain damage. He is fighting back and made a documentary of himself Kayaking down the Yukon River. Bravery beyond compare, determination, strength, and a will to win, find some of that spirit and we will run over the top of Hivs.

 

Jeezo that would kill the party atmosphere stone dead!

[Anchorman 0]

I don't believe that 'big game mentality' is a calculated choice. I don't believe you can look at a calendar and say "I will get up for that one, but not so much that one". I believe it comes from a number of other more emotional factors e.g. hatred for the other side, being the underdog and being out to prove people wrong, fear of losing and the consequences, adrenaline build up and hype as the game approaches. Sometimes it can kick in as you walk out the tunnel with the passion of the crowd.

But if its not in your belly emotionally when the time comes, then its not going to be there in full regardless. I would imagine as the days pass over the coming week our players will draw on a number of emotional factors to be fully up for it. That's what Warburton was referring to when he immediately spoke of drawing on the negativity towards us this week as an incentive. We also have a part to play as a crowd. Create an absolute cauldron as they walk out the tunnel and lets see how the other lot handle it and how our players react. Some of our players will never have experienced what they are about to and it is sure to create an adrenaline rush as they walk out. I'm sure come the day it wont be attitude that will be our enemy.

[Juancornetto 1]

One thing I'm really concerned about for this match is that Warburton has supressed any big game mentality in our players. I've always thought that was unwise as in my opinion, you can't raise yourself to the same level for every game, the human body and mind just don't work that way.

 

As a title contender I believe you should train to peak physically and mentally for the big games against your nearest rivals and try to keep a good level that is high enough to defeat the lesser sides, without the same intensity of energy expenditure and mental focus.

If you're a relegation side, I think you'd be better peaking for those teams around your level and accept you're going to get defeated by the bigger sides.

 

 

Like Leicester City, Watford and Palace do? Like every "relegation side" that has come to Ibrox over the years and played out of their skins?

 

I can't subscribe to that I'm afraid.

[calscot 0]

Like Leicester City, Watford and Palace do? Like every "relegation side" that has come to Ibrox over the years and played out of their skins?

 

I can't subscribe to that I'm afraid.

 

I don't see how your English examples are relevant because they are categorically NOT in the relegation zone. I'm talking about teams that are in or around the relegation zone who totally raise their games agaisnt the biggest club and then play badly and lose against their fellow relegation rivals. Which of your teams does that describe?

 

I'm not even saying it would definitely help (it's just a theory) but I think it's something worth thinking about.

 

Your argument of relegation clubs coming to us also don't provide good examples. How many clubs that play out of their skins against us and lose, then the next week lose again to the team they are on similar points with on the edge of the relegation zone? It's a six pointer they perhaps could have won if they treated the games the other way around, but they used all their energy and focus on us and still lose, and suffer from that and then lose again - and who knows how long the hangover lasts (if there definitely is one).

 

I'm not even saying they shouldn't try against us but if they lift their game serveral levels and don't get a result, you have to wonder what effect that has on their next 1 to 3 games.

 

Sometimes you've got to think outside the box - but you don't have to subscribe to that thinking.

Edited December 22, 2015 by calscot

[calscot 0]

I don't believe that 'big game mentality' is a calculated choice.

 

I don't know about calculated but it's definitely a choice. You choose what is most important to you even if it's subconcious. When you raise the importance you put more energy and focus in and try harder than usual - although it doesn't always work as you can try too hard, overwork things or the nerves just get to you.

 

I don't believe you can look at a calendar and say "I will get up for that one, but not so much that one".

 

You don't? So you don't think people look at the calendar at school or college or uni and decide to get up more for exam day - or even the week before exam day, compared to other days? Same with deadlines at work or important presentations.

 

Maybe the difference you think not every day seems equal whereas each game has the same number of points, but that's not even true. If you have 100 days to work or study then each day has soemthing equal to offer, given the effort. It's just psychology that makes us work harder nearer the deadline.

 

The thing is we don't tend to have exams every week for nine months, but if you have a weekly assignment I'm sure you'll favour the ones you see as more imprortant.

 

The bit I agree with is in that not everyone is organised enough to even look at the calendar, they choose in a more ad hoc way on the go. I don't think players look at the calendar to see when they are playing Rangers, but when it's the next game, the adrenilin goes up, and everything to do with their performance becomes more important than normal.

 

I believe it comes from a number of other more emotional factors e.g. hatred for the other side, being the underdog and being out to prove people wrong, fear of losing and the consequences, adrenaline build up and hype as the game approaches. Sometimes it can kick in as you walk out the tunnel with the passion of the crowd.

 

I agree with that, but the point is that you can choose to channel the same energy if you are conscious enough and organised - we have the power to do that, which is probably what seperates successful people from less successful ones and what all the how to be successful books are about.