The Sports
Psychology Blog
Today's Sports Psychology blog focuses on the goal-keeping dilemma facing Steve McClaren ahead of England's game against Croatia.
Football: Paul Robinson - A Crisis Of Confidence
Paul Robinson or Scott Carson? Who will Steve McClaren plump for as his custodian? Carson looked assured in his international debut in Austria. Robinson, reportedly, very shaky in training this week. But how and why has Paul Robinson developed such a crisis of confidence?
By continuing to play him, both Tottenham and England appear to have concluded that Robinson will regain his form. Play through the crisis. Somehow the confidence must return.
But what if the problem is not a technical one? What if the problem is a mental or emotional one? It almost appears as if something is bothering Paul Robinson. Like he would really appreciate being left out for a period of time. Time to regather himself. Sort out his anxieties, away from the spotlight.
And yet when asked if he wants to take a rest, he probably says NO, for fear of not being able to regain his spot. A dilemma. So he plays on needing a break, but not daring to take one. And so his form suffers even more. As does his confidence. The goal-keeper locked in a cycle of anxiety.
Paul Robinson did not become England custodian by accident. A combination of hard-work, self-belief and talent got him there. He could take a year out of the game if he wanted to, and still return as one of England's top keepers. It may well be doing Paul Robinson more harm than good to play through his crisis of confidence. There is no hiding place. Each mistake highlighted. Exposed.
A short break will allow him to step out of the shadows of anxiety, sort out what is bothering him and reconnect to his love of goal-keeping. He may temporarily lose his place at Tottenham and England, but he can draw on the strength that comes from knowing that he has climbed to the top of his profession once before. That means he can do it again.
