Day After

Well its the day after a defeat and I can only say its true what they say, when you win you think about it for an hour when you lose it lasts all week. First you get over the disappointment, then you see the days results and get disappointed again as you realise what could have happened and where you should be in the league. Eventually you get over it again and try and think towards the next game and what should you do in training this week. Then you go back to the game and analyse what happened, you think of each player and everything they didn't do. You pick out the players in your head who deserve to start next week who did perform, and you realise you don't have a full 11.
This is the reason I do not say too much after the game you need to reflect and when I think of the game more and more I realise who didn't perform who didn't do what they should do. I then think of who I had on the pitch and who when they came on really wanted it, those that showed they don't want to be a sub, they want to be in the first 11. I witnessed two players yesterday who battled for everything, just two players out of 16. I then witnessed 4 others who did battle and played really well, just not quite as much as the two. However these 4 seem to be playing at a good level week in week out, and will fight for the team, so I have 6 players who can put there hand on their heart and say I played well and gave everything. Then you bring on Subs and two in particular did well for me, one better than the other. So I have half a squad, I have 8 players in my head the day after who I think should be proud of their performance, I now need 3 more for the starting line up next Sunday, and how to organise the squad. This is how I am thinking that these players deserve to start. Many managers may say you are allowed a bad game and yes you are, but you do need to have a level of consistency that means even your bad games (by your own standards) are still good enough to be on that pitch. I have two of these players who performed OK and battled things just didn't happen for them. So I might have 10 players for next week, so only one more to go. Lets see what happens at training and throughout the week, as I will think everyday about the next match as 3 points will be huge next weekend. More thoughts tomorrow.

Cheers
Simon