The Sports Psychology Blog
This Sports Psychology blog comes as Blackpool get sucked into a Championship relegation dog-fight.
Football: Blackpool - Fifty Points
On March 1st, Blackpool travelled back from Norwich City with three precious points in the bag. A result that elevated them to twelfth in the Championship table. Since then, they have failed to win a game. Five draws and three defeats has seen The Seasiders drop to within two points of the bottom three. Surely, all the hard work that Simon Grayson and his team have put into their Championship campaign, is not going to be thrown away?
And yet Blackpool have secured fifty points this season and are only fifteen points behind the sixth place team. A points total, that in a 'normal' season, would have seen the players secure in the knowledge of another season of Championship football. But this is no 'normal' Championship season. It is likely that a team will be relegated from the division with a record number of points.
Recently, mid-fielder Keith Southern was sounding optimistic about his team's survival chances. ''It's nice to get to 50 points. I think it will be enough to keep us up. Maybe, possibly another point or two, but I think 50 will be enough." Whilst this kind of thinking is understandable, it doesn't take into account the 'not-normal' 2007-08 season.
Many managers and players, use an assumed points total, as a kind of milestone. In the Premier League, thirty eight points are considered the standard for survival. In the Championship, fifty points is considered the norm. Managers comments at the back-end of the season, are often littered with references to projected points totals.
What can happen is that teams can set a goal of, say, fifty points. Mental, emotional and physical energy is projected into achieving this goal. When the goal is reached, the danger is that the sub-conscious mind assumes that the task is complete. But, what if, there is more work to be done?
It's rather like an athlete, who has projected to complete four laps of the track. Only to be told, that on completion of the fourth lap, there is still another lap to be run.
So, maybe you assume that fifty points will be enough to secure Championship survival. And invest all your very best efforts to achieve this outcome. Reach the goal, then discover that you are still not safe.
You then have to dig deep into the reserves of energy for one final effort. When, perhaps, you have already given everything that you have. Blackpool manager Simon Grayson has his work cut out this week. He has to prepare his side for a mini-season of three games. And reset his teams compass.
He has to refresh his players minds and bodies. Know which players have nothing left to give. And which of his squad are ready and able to come in and lift collective energy levels. For a manager strong on loyalty and stability, it will be a big test of his decision-making capability.
It is widely said that Simon Grayson is one of England's most promising young managers. The final three games of this strange Championship season, will test his undoubted acumen.
